luckpanda

Catering invoice template

Catering is priced per guest but costed in staff hours, rentals and fees, and the client has usually paid a deposit months earlier. This template bills the final guaranteed count, shows each charge on its own line and leaves the balance in plain view.

Free to createNo account neededUnited States format

Catering invoice · example

FromSaffron & Sage Catering
ToPriya Raman and Daniel Ortiz
CurrencyUSD
DescriptionQtyPriceAmount
Wedding reception dinner buffet, 4 October, per guest (final count 120)120$48.00$5,760.00
Passed appetizers, 4 selections, per guest120$9.00$1,080.00
Service staff: 6 servers for 6 hours36$35.00$1,260.00
Rentals: linens, china and glassware, per guest120$6.50$780.00
Service charge, 20% of food and beverage (kept by the company; not a gratuity)1$1,368.00$1,368.00
Total$10,248.00

Keep this document

Enter your email and we'll send a sign-in link. Your draft is saved to your account when you open it.

How to use the catering invoice

  1. Add the client, the event, the date and the venue.
  2. Bill food and drink per guest at the final guaranteed count.
  3. Add staff hours, rentals and any service charge as separate lines.
  4. Note the deposit already paid and the balance due, then save and issue.

Lines on a catering invoice

ChargeUsual basis
Menu: buffet, plated or family stylePer guest, at the guaranteed count
Appetizers and late-night foodPer guest or per piece
Bar servicePer guest per hour, or on consumption
Servers, bartenders and chefsPer staff hour, often with a 4 or 5 hour minimum
Rentals: linens, china, glassware, tablesPer guest or per item
Service or administrative chargeA percentage of food and beverage
Delivery and setupFlat fee or by distance

Worked example

A wedding for 120 guests: dinner buffet at 48.00 a head (5,760.00), passed appetizers at 9.00 (1,080.00), six servers for six hours at 35.00 an hour (1,260.00), rentals at 6.50 a guest (780.00) and a 20% service charge on food and beverage (1,368.00). Before sales tax the event comes to 10,248.00, and 7,248.00 of that remains after the 3,000.00 deposit paid at booking.

Questions

What is a final guest count?

The number the client guarantees a few days before the event, often 72 hours or a week ahead. You bill at least that number even if fewer guests arrive, and the actual number if more are served.

Is a service charge the same as a tip?

No. A mandatory service charge is part of the price: it is usually subject to sales tax, and the IRS treats any part paid to staff as wages, not tips. Several states require caterers to say whether any of it goes to the staff. A gratuity is an amount the client chooses to add.

Is catering subject to sales tax?

In most states, yes: prepared food and drink served at an event is taxable, and so are many related charges such as rentals and service charges. Rules vary, so check how your state treats each line.

How large should a catering deposit be?

Twenty-five to fifty percent at booking is common, to hold the date and buy ingredients. Say in the contract whether it is refundable if the event is cancelled.

More free tools

Keep everything you make

Sign in with your email and your drafts become documents in your own business, with clients, payments and books alongside.

Make an invoiceSee pricing