# Insurance for takeaways, kebab shops, chip stands and food trucks in Germany

> A German Imbiss works in a tiny space with a fryer, a gas bottle and a kebab spit, and a food truck takes all of that out on the road. When it burns, it is not just the kitchen that is lost but often the vehicle too, and at a festival someone else's stall stands right next to yours. This page shows what you must insure, what is optional and what it costs.

Quelle/Source: https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-takeaway-food-truck.php  
Updated: 2026-09-18

## Is motor insurance enough for my food truck?

No. Motor liability pays for damage the vehicle causes on the road. What happens while you are selling, such as a guest burning themselves or getting food poisoning, belongs to public liability. And the built in kitchen is often covered by comprehensive motor insurance only up to a small sum as special equipment; for that you need separate contents or electronics cover.

## At a glance

- **Compulsory:** Motor liability for food trucks and food trailers is required by law; a fixed takeaway has no compulsory insurance
- **Biggest risk:** A grease fire or gas leak in a confined space
- **Basic cover from:** about €70 a year for the public liability policy of a small takeaway
- **Statutory accident insurer:** BGN, the Berufsgenossenschaft for food and hospitality; mandatory for every business with staff
- **Often forgotten:** The kitchen equipment in a food truck is usually not fully covered by the vehicle's comprehensive policy
- **WZ 2025 / NACE:** 56.12 Mobile Gastronomie

## What goes wrong in this trade

- **Fat and gas:** Fryer, gas grill and propane bottles in a few square metres: a fire spreads in seconds.
- **Food in summer:** Heat at the festival, refrigeration at its limit, sauces sitting in the pot: food poisoning quickly hits many guests at once.
- **Damage at your pitch:** At markets and fairs you stand next to other stalls on someone else's ground. Fat on the paving and scorch marks on the lawn end up with you.
- **Accident with the truck:** A food truck is heavy and often not new. Rear end collisions and manoeuvring damage are common.
- **Overnight theft:** A parked food trailer full of catering equipment is easy to break into, and sometimes the whole trailer disappears.
- **Income drops away:** If the truck is in the garage, the weddings and company parties you had booked are lost.

**Risk radar** (Compared with other trades, 1 low to 5 high.): Liability 4, Fire and water 4, Theft 3, Cyber 1, Downtime 4, Health 4

## The insurance you need

- **Business liability** (Essential): Pays for food poisoning, guests' burns and damage at your pitch, including at markets and festivals. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-liability.php
- **Car insurance** (Essential): Motor liability for food truck and trailer is compulsory; fully comprehensive cover protects the vehicle that is your business. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-car-insurance.php
- **Business contents** (Strongly advised): Replaces grill, fryer, refrigeration and supplies after fire, burglary or storm, in a fixed takeaway as well as in the vehicle. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-contents.php
- **Business interruption** (Strongly advised): Pays fixed costs and lost profit if the takeaway stays shut after a fire. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-business-interruption.php
- **Electronic equipment** (Depends on the business): Covers tills, card terminals and fridges against power surges, operating errors and theft. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-electronic-equipment.php
- **Accident insurance** (Depends on the business): Protects you as the owner if hot fat or a fall keeps you out of action for a long time. https://www.nammert.com/en/insurance-broker-accident-insurance.php

## What it costs: example prices

Takeaways are among the cheaper risks in hospitality. What counts is turnover, fryer and gas, whether you are fixed or mobile, and the value of the vehicle and kitchen equipment.

| Insurance | Example | Typical range |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business liability | Sole trader, around €50,000 turnover, €3 million cover | about €60 to €150 a year |
| Business liability | Takeaway or food truck with one to three staff and festival work | about €150 to €600 a year |
| Business contents | Kitchen equipment and supplies worth €35,000 | about €200 to €500 a year |
| Car insurance | Food truck up to 3.5 tonnes, liability and fully comprehensive | about €900 to €2,200 a year |
| Business interruption | Loss of income for up to six months, added to the contents policy | about €80 to €250 a year on top |

For comparison: Basic cover of public liability and contents insurance costs about as much a year as 50 portions of currywurst and chips.

_Guide prices as of September 2026, based on published tariff examples and on our own quoting practice. Motor premiums depend heavily on the vehicle, no claims history and where you live; we obtain the exact quote for you._

- [finanzchecks.de: Betriebshaftpflicht Imbiss und Imbisswagen](https://www.finanzchecks.de/betriebshaftpflichtversicherung/imbiss-imbisswagen)
- [betriebshaftpflicht24.de: Betriebshaftpflicht Imbisswagen](https://www.betriebshaftpflicht24.de/betriebshaftpflicht-imbisswagen.html)
- [Insurancy: Inhaltsversicherung für Imbisswagen und Foodtrucks](https://www.insurancy.de/inhaltsversicherung/imbisswagen/)

## Our suggestions: three packages

- **Starter** (fixed takeaway or stall without its own vehicle): Business liability, Business contents. Together: about €250 to €600 a year
- **Mobile** (food truck or food trailer at markets and fairs): Business liability, Car insurance, Business contents. Together: about €1,200 to €3,000 a year
- **All round** (food truck with catering bookings and staff): Business liability, Car insurance, Business contents, Business interruption, Electronic equipment. Together: about €1,800 to €4,000 a year

## The worst day at the takeaway

Six things that really happen at takeaways and food trucks, all on a single festival Sunday. Click through the day and see who pays.

- 08:15: Parking on the festival site, the food truck hits someone else's van. (€3,800, Paid by: Car insurance)
- 11:40: A power surge at the organiser's distribution board: fridge and card terminal are broken. (€2,600, Paid by: Electronic equipment)
- 13:10: A child touches the hot outer wall of the grill and burns a hand. (€6,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 16:30: Twelve guests report stomach upsets; the sauce stood in the sun too long. (€14,000, Paid by: Business liability)
- 19:45: The fryer catches fire and the kitchen in the truck burns out. (€32,000, Paid by: Business contents)
- 20:30: The company parties booked for the next six weeks are cancelled. (€18,000, Paid by: Business interruption)

**Damage so far:** €76,400

## Practical tips from your broker

- Have work at markets, festivals and catering jobs written into the public liability policy expressly.
- Insure the built in kitchen of your food truck separately; comprehensive motor cover often pays for special equipment only up to a few thousand euros.
- Have gas installations inspected regularly and keep the certificate in the vehicle, as insurers ask for it.
- Check whether damage to rented pitches and to the organiser's ground is covered.
- Park the vehicle overnight in a locked building or fit a wheel clamp; many policies require this for theft cover.
- Keep a fire extinguisher for fat fires and a fire blanket within reach: it lowers the risk and events often require it.

## Why NAMMERT for your business

- **We see takeaway and vehicle as one:** As a broker we compare several insurers and make sure no gap opens between the motor policy and the business cover, exactly where the kitchen sits in the vehicle.
- **We know how claims work:** In boat insurance we settle claims ourselves, including on vehicles with a lot of built in equipment. That helps when the truck is valued after a fire.
- **Everything with one contact:** Takeaway, food truck, private car and your own cover are all handled together.
- **Family run since 1989:** Advice is free for you, as the insurer pays our commission. You reach people, not a hotline.

## FAQ

### What insurance does a food truck in Germany need?

Motor liability is compulsory. Add public liability for selling and cover for the kitchen equipment. Fully comprehensive motor cover is worth it, because the truck is your business.

### How much does public liability cost for a takeaway?

For a sole trader with modest turnover it starts at about €60 to €70 a year. With staff and festivals it is usually €150 to €600.

### Am I covered by the organiser at festivals?

No. The organiser usually asks for proof of your own public liability. Their policy protects them, not your stall.

### Is my food trailer insured against theft?

The trailer itself through partial comprehensive motor cover, the equipment inside through contents or electronics insurance. Many policies require security if the trailer stays outside overnight.

### Do I have to declare gas bottles?

Yes, gas operation is a feature the insurer asks about. If you conceal it, you risk a reduced payout after a fire.

### Are my casual staff insured?

At work yes, through the BGN, the statutory accident insurer for food and hospitality. Mini jobbers and casual helpers must be registered there too.

## Request quotes

We obtain quotes and come back with a comparison. Free of charge and without obligation: the insurer pays our commission. You can write in English. https://www.nammert.com/en/business-insurance-takeaway-food-truck.php#anfrage

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NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, insurance broker licensed under section 34d(1) of the German Trade Regulation Act, broker register no. D-C08Q-TOSD4-37. For boat and yacht insurance we act as underwriting agency, not as broker.

NAMMERT Assekuradeur GmbH, Karl-Marx-Straße 4, 15711 Königs Wusterhausen, +49 3375 29 12 77, info@nammert.com. Wikidata: Q141141479.