Recipes for Restaurant Risk Management Success

Featured Guest

Jay Gates
Managing Director, Gallagher National Restaurant Practice
20+ years in insurance, former Applebee’s risk leader, RIMS committee member, and Kids Chance Nebraska board member.

What We Cover

• Jay’s unexpected path into risk and insurance
• Lessons learned investigating EEOC claims early in his career
• Leadership principles developed while managing large claims teams
• Building a full ERM program for 165+ Applebee’s locations
• The most surprising and severe claims in restaurant operations
• How Gallagher reduces the total cost of risk for restaurant clients
• Innovative approaches including captives and proprietary analytics
• Underestimated risks: cyber breaches + product recalls
• The growing impact of AI on restaurant ops and risk
• Privacy + liability concerns tied to AI adoption
• The future of restaurant risk management over the next decade

Key Takeaways

• Restaurant risks are broader than most expect. From contaminated produce to liquor liability fatalities, claims can escalate fast.
• Cyber and product recall coverages are essential, despite being commonly undervalued.
• AI will reshape restaurant risk—from customer service to operations tracking—creating both efficiencies and new exposures.
• Gallagher’s differentiator is proactive service, deep data analysis, and tailoring insurance strategy to each client's risk tolerance.
• Risk leaders benefit from diverse career experiences, which Jay draws on daily.

Resources & Links

• Learn more about the Restaurant Risk Professional (RRP) certification:
  riskeducation.org/restaurant-RiskPro
• Explore additional Alliance Insights episodes at riskeducation.org

Focusing exclusively on risk management and insurance professional development, the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance provides a practical advantage at every career stage, positioning our participants and their clients for confidence and success.