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Members of the Mill Valley Insurance team outside their office at 124 East Blithedale Avenue.

Buckeye Roadhouse.

Piazza D’Angelo.

Tamalpie.

Playa. 

El Paseo.

La Ginestra.

Joe’s Taco Lounge.

Bungalow 44.

Hungry? Glad we’ve gotten your attention.

Aside from delicious food, those notable local restaurants all have one thing in common: they all use Mill Valley Insurance for their insurance brokerage needs. The firm’s client list spans some of the best restaurants in Mill Valley as well as more than 400 Bay Area businesses, including hospitality and live music venues.

“Our bread and butter over the years has really been in the restaurant and hospitality space,” says Greg Busby, the 12-person firm’s director of finance.

That reputation dates back to Al Gurewitz, the firm’s founder who started Mill Valley Insurance in 1983 to offer comprehensive business insurance services to all types of Bay Area businesses. Gurewitz was a huge music fan, and attended concerts many landmark concerts in San Francisco’s Fillmore and Broadway districts. He made fast friends with many club and venue owners in those historic years when the Bay Area music scene exploded, including larger than life rock impresario Bill Graham.

Those relationships led to business partnerships, with Gurewitz often arranging programs for some of the Bay Area’s most venerable music institutions and restaurants. Fast forward to today, and Gurewitz’s son, President Ron Gurewitz, who spent many years as a working musician in the Bay Area, leads a team that is well versed in developing insurance and risk strategies for the hospitality business. steeped in the insurance needs of the hospitality business. Co-owner and Vice President Derek Andros, a jazz guitar aficionado, now insures many of the venues that he frequents as a music fan.

“It all just kind of snowballed from there,” says Busby, who himself managed a restaurant for many years. “We take the time to listen, then make recommendations based on the unique and specific needs of these restaurant owners, particularly when they are first opening. We then help them make critical decisions and guide them through the wide range of options.”

While Mill Valley Insurance has longstanding specialization in the hospitality industry, its suite of client services also includes personal insurance lines, life insurance, programs for property owners, technology firms, consultants and contractors. “Nobody likes to spend time thinking about or wants to to talk about switching their insurance coverage,” Busby says. ” We know how to leverage our decades-long insurance carrier relationships for the benefit of our clients, whether large or small.  Each program is tailored to the client’s unique objectives.”

Mill Valley Insurance’s deep ties to the Mill Valley community extend beyond brokering insurance for local restaurants and hotels. The firm regularly supports the Mill Valley Memorial Day Parade and the annual Winterfest celebration.

“We’ve always made it a priority to give back to the community,” Busby says.

The 411: Mill Valley Insurance is at 124 East Blithedale Avenue. MORE INFO.

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