Catering Quote Template (Word + PDF)

Catering quote template: structure, example, download

A catering quote has to do two things at once: show the client at a glance what they get for their money, and protect you when guest count, date or wishes change later. That is what this template is built for: a finished catering quote as an editable Word file (DOCX) that you fill with your letterhead, line items and terms, plus the same template as a PDF to view. No sign-up: download, replace the placeholders, adapt the sample lines, send.

It is a client-facing document with a fully worked example for 80 guests – a catering quote sample for company parties, weddings, receptions and conferences alike.

What belongs in a catering quote

A complete quote has eight building blocks. Leave one out and you get a query later – or an argument about money.

• Letterhead: company name, address, contact details, VAT ID, logo.
• Recipient: the client’s company, contact person and address.
• Quote header: quote number, date, validity date, your contact person.
• Event details: date and time, venue, number of guests, occasion – the basis for every quantity in the quote.
• Line items: split into food, drinks, staff, equipment and delivery, each with quantity, unit, unit price, VAT rate and line total.
• Totals: net total, VAT split by rate, total including VAT.
• Terms: validity, deposit, payment term, how quantity changes are handled, cancellation tiers.
• Acceptance: place, date and the client’s signature.

Common mistakes in catering quotes

No validity date. A quote without an expiry date is an open-ended price promise. The client comes back after four months, purchase prices have risen, you are bound to old numbers. Two to four weeks is common.

Quantities without a basis. “Buffet for the event: €2,800” – for how many people, courses, hours? Without a quantity per guest a quote can neither be compared nor adjusted when the guest count changes. Every line needs a quantity and a unit.

Forgotten surcharges. Sunday and public-holiday work, night hours, travel outside your delivery area, set-up and dismantling, washing-up, extra drinks: whatever is not in the quote you pay out of your margin later or argue about on the invoice.

Mixed VAT rates. In German catering, food delivered off-premises is usually taxed at 7 %, service, drinks and rentals at 19 %. Bundle everything into one flat price and you get a problem with the tax office or give away margin. The template shows both rates separately, as an example of the German practice – check the rates for your business with your tax advisor; the template is not tax advice.

How the template is structured

Letterhead and recipient. Your company details top left, a space for your logo on the right, below that the recipient and the quote header with number, date, validity and contact person.

Event. One compact row with date, time, venue, guest count and occasion – the facts that drive every quantity, above the line items rather than in the small print.

Line-item blocks. Five blocks with two sample lines each: food (buffet and finger food per guest), drinks (five-hour package per guest, sparkling-wine reception), staff (service staff and chef by the hour), equipment and rentals (tableware per guest, bar tables) and delivery, set-up and dismantling. Each block carries its VAT rate and a subtotal.

Totals. Net total, VAT split into 7 % and 19 % with the respective base amount, total including VAT. In the example: €7,621.00 net, €249.20 VAT at 7 %, €771.59 at 19 %, €8,641.79 in total.

Terms and acceptance. Validity, deposit, deadline for the final guest count, cancellation tiers, scope and a reference to your terms and conditions, then the signature line that turns the quote into an order.

The numbers for your own line items come from the catering quote generator, which builds a price per guest from menu, drinks and staff, and the catering calculator, which turns food cost and staff cost into a sell price with margin.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate a catering quote?

Bottom up: food cost per guest from the menu, drinks per guest and hour, staff hours from guest count and schedule, plus equipment, delivery, set-up and dismantling. On top goes your markup for overheads and profit. As a rule of thumb, food cost in catering usually sits at 25 to 35 % of the sell price – clearly above that, margin is missing. Only then do you spread the price across the line items.

How long should a catering quote be valid?

14 to 30 days is common. Shorter feels pushy, longer ties you to prices you cannot hold when purchase costs rise. For events far in the future, combine the validity with a price reservation for food.

Is a deposit common?

Yes. In catering, 30 to 50 % of the quoted total on order confirmation is common, the balance after the event on a 7- to 14-day payment term. The deposit covers the purchasing and staff commitments you make before the date.

What about cancellation terms?

Cancellation tiers belong in every quote – otherwise the client has agreed to nothing when accepting. The template includes a tier structure common in the industry: free up to 43 days before the event, then 25, 50, 75 and from three days 90 % of the quoted total. Third-party costs already incurred are charged in any case. Adjust the steps to your risk.

Six designs to choose from

A quote is the first document a client holds in their hands from you – and it looks different for a fine-dining caterer than for a food truck. That is why this template comes in six designs. The five designs Editorial Noir to Swiss Grid contain the same fully worked sample quote (in German): a company summer party for 120 guests with reception, buffet, live station and dessert, a drinks package, staff by the hour, equipment and logistics, VAT shown separately at 7 % and 19 %, a payment plan with deposit and balance, cancellation tiers and a signature field. The plain template carries its own, shorter example for 80 guests. Pick the design that fits your business and replace the sample lines with your own.

Editorial Noir (4 pages): full-page cover in dark and gold, serif typography, generous white space. For fine-dining caterers, weddings and galas where the quote is already part of the staging.

Warm Craft (4 pages): natural tones, polaroid pictures, handwritten accents. For farm kitchens, regional caterers and summer parties outdoors.

Corporate Clean (3 pages): navy header, key-figure tiles with guests, date, venue and total, clear tables. For business catering, conferences and quotes that pass through a procurement department.

Bold Street (4 pages): yellow on black, big type, duotone photo. For food trucks, street food and company parties with a loud brand.

Swiss Grid (3 pages): strict grid, black-and-white photo, red accent. For caterers with design ambition, agencies and cultural venues.

Plain (2 pages): no photos, pure table structure, smallest file. Quick to fill in – and the only variant that is also available in English.

Every variant comes as a Word file to fill in and as a PDF to view; the button under the design cards downloads all six Word files as one ZIP. The photos in the designs are from Pexels and Unsplash (royalty-free, no AI images); the credits are listed in the credits file.

From quote to invoice without retyping

The template gives you the structure; the line items you still type yourself. In Univents the quote comes out of your product catalogue – menus, drinks packages and staff positions with stored prices and VAT rates, totals included. The client accepts online with an e-signature, and the accepted quote becomes the invoice without a single line entered again. Quotes & Invoices shows how that looks day to day; Catering Software gives caterers the full picture.