Catering quote template that secures the event

What to include in a catering quotation

This catering quote template prices an event the way hosts compare caterers: each dish at a rate per guest, service staff by the hour, extras the host can tick, and a deposit to hold the date. The sample is a halal buffet for 80 guests with biryani, kofta, sides and dessert. Open it in the free quote maker, change the menu and guest count, and send it in minutes.

A catering quotation should state the event date, venue, guest count, menu by dish, service style, staff hours, equipment and the deposit. Hosts change guest numbers and menus right up to the event, so the quote also needs a final numbers deadline and a rule for what happens when the count moves.

1. Event detailsDate, venue address, start and finish times, and access for unloading. A third floor hall with no elevator changes your labor.
2. Guest count and minimumThe number you are pricing for, a minimum charge, and the date final numbers are due, often about a week before the event.
3. Menu by dishEach dish on its own line with a per guest price, as the sample does, so the host can swap a main without rebuilding the quote.
4. Dietary needsVegetarian, vegan, nut free or gluten free portions counted separately, and how you label them on the buffet.
5. Halal sourcingIf you cater halal events, say that meat comes from a halal supplier and that it is prepared separately in your kitchen.
6. Service style and staffBuffet, family style or plated, and the number of staff and hours, including setup and cleanup time.
7. Equipment and rentalsChafing dishes, serving utensils, linens, plates and cutlery, either included, rented and passed through, or left to the venue.
8. Delivery, setup and leftoversThe delivery fee, setup time, and your policy on packing leftovers safely for the host.

Sample catering quote with example prices

Saffron Table Catering quotes the Hassan family for a halal buffet for 80 guests. The Food group prices chicken biryani, lamb kofta with sauces, sides with salad and bread, and kheer with fruit, each per guest. A Service line covers four staff for five hours, shown as 20 staff hours. A fresh juice station sits as an optional extra outside the $2,920 subtotal, and a 30% deposit holds the date. Prices are examples.

Edit the Saffron Table Catering quote

6 lines are filled in, from chicken biryani to fresh juice station. Put in your own catering rates, then download the PDF.

Open the catering sample

How to price a catering job

Caterers usually price per guest, per tray or platter, or as set packages, then add staff hours, rentals and delivery. Per guest pricing is the easiest for hosts to compare and scales cleanly when numbers change, which is why the sample uses it for every dish.

1. Per guestA price per head for each dish or for the whole menu. Build it from your food cost per portion and a target food cost percentage.
2. Per tray or platterA price for a tray that serves a stated number of people. Good for drop off orders and office lunches.
3. PackagesTwo or three set menus at fixed per head prices. Quick for the client to choose from, but list every dish in each package.
4. Staff and serviceServers, cooks and setup crew charged by the hour with a minimum shift, kept apart from food so the client sees both.

Food cost percentage is your ingredient cost divided by the menu price. Pick a target that leaves room for kitchen labor and overheads, and check your numbers with the markup calculator. Sales tax on catering varies by location, so check the rules where you trade.

Worked example: pricing a 120 guest dinner from food cost

A family wants a halal dinner buffet for 120 guests at a community hall. Here is how a per guest price comes out of the ingredient cost. All figures are examples.

1. Food cost per guestRice, chicken karahi, daal, salad, naan and dessert come to $8.40 per guest in ingredients.
2. Per guest priceAt a target food cost of 35%: $8.40 / 0.35 = $24.00 per guest.
3. Food total120 x $24.00 = $2,880.
4. StaffFive staff for six hours including setup and cleanup: 30 hrs x $30 = $900.
5. Equipment and deliveryTen chafing dishes at $12 each is $120, plus $85 delivery, so $205.
6. Total and deposit$2,880 + $900 + $205 = $3,985. A 30% deposit is $3,985 x 0.30 = $1,195.50.

Meat and rice prices move quickly, so keep validity short, and state that a drop in guests after the final numbers deadline does not reduce the bill.

Inclusions and exclusions for a catering estimate

Catering quote mistakes that eat the margin

• Pricing the whole event as one lump sum, so a change of guest count means rewriting the quote.
• No final numbers deadline, leaving you to buy for 120 and get paid for 90.
• Forgetting setup and cleanup time when counting staff hours.
• Leaving equipment unclear, then finding the venue has no chafing dishes or serving spoons.
• Not counting dietary portions separately, so the vegetarian dish runs out halfway through service.
• A long validity period while meat and rice prices are rising.