Catering quotes per guest, with a deposit to book
Clients send the date, venue, guest count and service style, and you send a per-guest catering quote they sign with a deposit.
Free, no subscription. Ready in a few minutes. Just 1% when a client pays you by card.
| Buffet dinner, two mains, three sides, salad, per guest85 × $42.00 | $3,570.00 |
| Servers, per staff hour15 × $38.00 | $570.00 |
| Chafing dishes, serving ware and delivery | $275.00 |
| Passed appetizers during cocktail hour, per guestoptional85 × $9.00 | $765.00 |
| Plates, cutlery and linens, per guestoptional85 × $6.00 | $510.00 |
| Total | $5,180.00 |
Try a catering quote form
Riverside Catering and Private Chef is a sample business. Fill in its form as a client would, open the quote it sent, and look around the dashboard. It's the real app with sample data, and nothing you enter is sent.
What your clients see first. The questions this trade starts with, plus their details and up to 10 photos.
The quote they get. Every line, optional extras they can tick, and one button to accept and pay your deposit.
What you see. A sample dashboard (a moving company): new requests, quotes out, upcoming jobs and payments.
Common quoting problems in catering work
- Inquiries leave out the guest count. Without a headcount, service style and venue you can't price food, staff or rentals, so the first reply is more questions.
- Headcounts change after the quote. A party that grows by ten guests changes food, staff and rentals, and the price needs to change with it.
- Venue kitchens turn out to be basic. A hall with no kitchen means bringing warming equipment and more staff, which a standard price doesn't include.
- Cancellations happen after you've shopped. Food bought and staff booked for an event that cancels late is money you don't get back without a deposit.
What your catering quote form asks
Catering prices start with guest count and service style, then staff, rentals and venue. The form asks the date, venue, guests and service style. It also asks what else is needed, whether there is a kitchen, and dietary needs.
Your form has its own page at your-name.quotefalcon.com. Clients can fill it in at any time, including evenings and weekends, and you get an email for each request. Share the link by text, on your Google Business Profile or social pages, or add the form to your website.
You can change, remove or add questions at any time in your settings.
The questions your form starts with
- Event dateThey pick a date
- Start and end time (roughly)A short answer
- Event location (address or venue)A short answer
- How many guests?A number
- Style of servicePick one: Drop-off, Buffet, Plated (sit-down), Family style, ...
- Also needPick any: Servers, Bartender or bar service, Rentals (plates, linens, tables), Setup and cleanup, ...
- Is there a kitchen on site?Pick one: Full kitchen, Basic kitchen, No kitchen, Not sure
- Allergies or dietary needsPick any: None, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, ...
- Menu or cuisine ideasIn their own words
- Budget (total or per person)A short answer
Every form also asks for: their name and email, and their phone if you ask for it · notes · up to 10 photos
How quoting works in Quote Falcon
Share your link
Clients fill in your form and add up to 10 photos. You get an email for each request.
Send the quote
Add line items, quantities and tax from your phone or computer. Saved lines go in with one tap, and any line can be optional.
Get it signed and paid
The client signs online and pays your deposit by card. Collect the rest with a card payment link, or record cash and e-transfer.
What changes the price of a catering job
The factors that most often change the price, and the reason the form asks about them.
- Guest count
- Most caterers price food per guest, and the count drives staff, rentals and prep. Many contracts set a final headcount deadline.
- Service style
- Drop-off is usually cheapest, then buffet and family style. Plated service needs the most staff per guest.
- Menu
- Proteins, seasonal produce, the number of courses and choices per guest all change food cost.
- Staffing
- Servers, chefs and bartenders are often billed per staff member per hour, with minimum hours.
- Rentals and equipment
- Plates, glassware, linens and chafing dishes are often rented and passed through or marked up.
- Venue and travel
- A venue without a kitchen, long carries, distance and tight setup windows add time and cost.
- Dietary needs
- Separate gluten-free, vegan, halal or allergy-safe meals can add prep and per-plate cost.
- Service charges and gratuity
- Many caterers add a service charge and suggest or include gratuity for staff. Show clearly what each one covers.
A catering job, from request to deposit
A Saturday buffet dinner for about 85 guests at a community hall with a warming kitchen, including 6 vegetarian and 2 gluten-free meals.
-
Anniversary buffet for 85 guestsNew quote requestNew
- Event date
- Start and end time (roughly)
- Event location (address or venue)
- How many guests?
+21. The request comes in
The client answers your form's questions and adds photos. You get an email, and the request waits in your dashboard.
-
Quote Anniversary buffet for 85 guests
Buffet dinner, two mains, three sides, salad, per guest $3,570.00 Servers, per staff hour $570.00 Chafing dishes, serving ware and delivery $275.00 Passed appetizers during cocktail hour, per guestoptional $765.00 Plates, cutlery and linens, per guestoptional $510.00 Total $5,180.00 2. You send the quote
The client can add passed appetizers or rentals, and if the guest count changes they ask for a change and sign the updated quote.
-
✓Quote acceptedSigned online by the clientTotal$5,180.00Deposit paid by card$1,554.00Balance due$3,626.00
3. They sign and pay the deposit
They pay your 30% deposit by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. They are emailed a signed PDF (you can download it from the job), and you collect the rest by card payment link or record cash or e-transfer.
Deposits and payment terms for catering jobs
Caterers commonly ask for 20-50% to hold the date, often non-refundable under their contract, with the balance due before the event along with the final headcount. Some take a flat booking fee first. Collecting the balance before you shop and prep protects you from paying for food and staff for an event that doesn't pay. Put your headcount deadline and cancellation terms in writing.
How deposits work in Quote Falcon
You set your usual deposit once: a percentage, a fixed amount, the full price, or payment stages for bigger jobs. Clients pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through your own Stripe account.
Optional lines. The client can tick or untick optional lines on their quote page, and the total and deposit update. If they want something else changed, they ask from the quote page and you send a new version for them to sign.
No subscription, no plans, nothing to upgrade to.
only on card payments clients make through Stripe, on top of Stripe's own fee. Cash, e-transfer and cheques: no fee.
Everything's included
- Your own quote page with questions for your trade
- Photos with every request, up to 10
- Itemized quotes with saved lines and tax
- Optional lines clients tick themselves
- E-signatures with a signed PDF
- Card deposits and payment stages
- Follow-ups when a quote goes quiet
- Calendar you can share with your crew
- Website button or built-in form
- Spam protection on every form
Common questions
How much should a deposit be for catering?
Most caterers ask for 20% to 50% of the estimate to book the date, and half is common for weddings and large events. Some hold smaller jobs with a flat amount. In Quote Falcon you set a percentage, a fixed amount or payment stages, and the client pays by card when they sign.
How much should I charge per person for catering?
It depends on your menu, service style and market. Drop-off is usually the lowest per person, and plated service with staff the highest. Work out food cost per guest, then add labour, rentals and overhead. In Quote Falcon you can quote food per guest and list staff and rentals as their own lines.
Do you pay caterers upfront?
Usually in part. Clients typically pay a deposit to book, and most caterers ask for the balance before the event, often one to two weeks ahead with the final headcount. Payment stages in Quote Falcon let you request each payment by card from the job when it's due.
What happens when the headcount changes?
The client clicks Ask for a change on their quote page and gives the new count. You update the per-guest lines and send it, and a higher total only counts once they sign the new version. Payment stages follow the new total, and what's already paid still counts.
Can clients tell me about allergies on the form?
Yes. The starter form asks about dietary needs, with options like vegetarian, gluten-free and halal or kosher, plus a notes field for details. You can price separate meals as their own lines, so the client sees what each one costs.
Is Quote Falcon a restaurant ordering system?
No. It's for events and jobs that need a custom price first. Clients send the event details, you send a quote, and they sign and pay a deposit. There's no menu checkout, cart or pickup time selection like a restaurant ordering app has.
Make your free catering quote form
Your form starts with the questions above. Setup takes a few minutes and there's no credit card or subscription.
Create your free quote form