For event caterers
A catering quote is a menu, a headcount and a deadline. Most only have the first.
Event catering quotes start with a tasting or a menu PDF and a per-head figure. Then the details accumulate: guest numbers go up and down, a third of the list turns out to be vegetarian, the venue has no kitchen, the client wants service until midnight, and the hire company needs the crockery order a fortnight out. The quote that won the booking rarely covers any of that.
ApeiroCraft sends the proposal as a link with the menu, per-head and fixed costs, the final-numbers deadline, staffing and service hours, hire items and how dietary requirements are handled. You see when it's opened and reopened, the client signs in the browser, and the deposit invoice comes from the accepted proposal.
Where catering margins vanish.
Numbers that keep moving
Guest numbers drop by twenty a week before the event, after you've ordered the food. Without a final-numbers deadline, you carry the cost.
Costs outside the per-head
Staff, travel, a field kitchen, crockery hire, linen, service charge, corkage. If they weren't shown as their own lines, the client thinks they're included.
Dietary requirements on the day
Allergies and dietary choices reported late, or not at all, are a safety issue as well as a cost. A clear process in the proposal protects both sides.
Tasting to final invoice, on one record.
Menu and costs, separated
Show menu options per head, then staffing, hire items and travel as their own lines, so the client sees the full cost without surprises.
See when they're comparing caterers
Opens and re-opens are recorded on the link. A proposal reopened after a tasting elsewhere is the moment to follow up on yours.
Final-numbers deadline, signed
The signature records name, email, IP address and a UTC timestamp and can't be altered — the deadline and cancellation terms are on record.
Deposit, then final balance
Convert the accepted proposal into a deposit invoice with your payment link. Convert again for the balance once final numbers are confirmed.
What a catering proposal has to include.
Food safety and licensing rules apply wherever you cater. Beyond those, these sections protect your margin.
Menu and per-head price
If it's left vague
The client expects canapés and late-night food in the main per-head.
With ApeiroCraft
List each course or service and its per-head price.
Final numbers
If it's left vague
Numbers drop after food is ordered.
With ApeiroCraft
Set a date for final numbers and say that the invoice is based on that number or the actual, whichever is higher.
Staffing and service hours
If it's left vague
Service runs past midnight on a daytime staffing budget.
With ApeiroCraft
State staff numbers, service hours and the overtime rate.
Hire, venue and kitchen
If it's left vague
No kitchen at the venue; crockery and linen never ordered.
With ApeiroCraft
List hire items, who arranges them, and the kitchen facilities you need.
Dietary and allergies
If it's left vague
Requirements reported on the day.
With ApeiroCraft
Say how and by when dietary needs and allergies must be confirmed.
- Deposit and final invoices from one accepted proposal.
- Editable tax-rate field for service charges and corporate clients.
- Notes per event for venue contacts, timings and dietary lists.
Common questions.
How do caterers usually price events?
Most events are priced per head by menu, with separate lines for staffing, hire items, travel and sometimes a service charge. Some caterers set a minimum spend, and drop-off catering is often a fixed price per platter or order. A deposit holds the date, with the balance due after final numbers. ApeiroCraft holds the structure; it doesn't suggest prices.
What does a wedding catering proposal look like?
A three-course menu with a vegetarian alternative, per head; canapés for the drinks reception as a separate line; evening food per head; staffing and service until a stated time with an overtime rate; crockery, cutlery and linen hire listed; final numbers and dietary requirements due three weeks before; a deposit to hold the date and the balance after final numbers. The couple reopens it after a tasting, signs, and you invoice the deposit.
When is ApeiroCraft not the right fit for a caterer?
It doesn't do menu costing, kitchen production sheets, inventory, staff rotas or online ordering. Larger caterers with commercial kitchens use catering-specific systems for those. ApeiroCraft fits event proposals, signatures, deposits and the client record.
Can I update the invoice when final numbers change?
Yes. When you convert the accepted proposal for the balance, edit the quantity to the confirmed headcount before sending.
Which template should I use?
The event planning template is closest: guest count and budget stated as assumptions, and a payment schedule tied to the event date. Add your menu and hire sections.
Put the numbers deadline in the proposal.
Start from the event planning template and add your menu and staffing terms.
Start freeStill deciding? Talk to the founder
Keep reading
Free template
Event planning proposal template
Guest count as an assumption, what you manage, decision deadlines and a date-reserving deposit.
Solution
ApeiroCraft for event planners
Lock the scope and the deposit before the date is held — signed, not verbally agreed.
Solution
Proposal tracking, explained
Timestamped opens on the proposal itself — not an email pixel, not a guess.