Catering Proposal and Quote Templates for Restaurant Orders

A catering proposal explains what you will provide for an event. A catering quote makes the quantities, charges and total clear. For a straightforward restaurant delivery, one document can do both: describe the meal, show the price and explain how the customer confirms the order.

Download the editable catering proposal and quote template (TXT). Open it in any text editor, copy it into your document editor or email, and replace the placeholders. No signup is required. The template is also outlined below.

Get the order details before quoting

Confirm the event date, food arrival time, delivery address, headcount and budget. Ask whether the budget includes tax and delivery. Record dietary requirements, building access and the person authorized to approve the order.

Do not promise an allergy accommodation your kitchen cannot support. Confirm requests with your team before presenting them as included.

If the buyer has not settled the headcount, state the quantity you used and when it must be finalized. For pricing decisions, use the catering order pricing guide.

A catering proposal you can copy

Include these sections in the downloadable template or your own document:

A quote is not a substitute for your catering agreement. Keep its terms consistent with your own booking policies. For the agreement's contents, see what to include in a catering contract.

Completed example: an office lunch for 20

This is a fictional example to show the arithmetic and level of detail, not a FlashCater customer result or recommended market price.

Event: Team training, Thursday, November 12, 2026. Arrival window: 11:30 to 11:45 a.m. Delivery to the confirmed office reception desk. Contact: the named office coordinator.

Menu: 20 boxed sandwich lunches, each with a side and cookie. Four vegetarian lunches included within the total of 20. Utensils and napkins included; drinks, staffed service and setup beyond handoff are excluded. Confirm any other dietary requirements before acceptance.

The tax rate and taxable items here are assumptions for arithmetic only. Replace them with the applicable treatment for your order. Do not add an optional tip as though it were a required charge.

Example confirmation wording: “Please confirm the menu, quantity, delivery details and applicable terms by [deadline]. Your order is booked when we send written confirmation after receiving [the payment required by our policy]. Changes after [deadline] require approval and may affect the price.”

Use deadlines and payment requirements that your team can actually administer. A customer asking for a quote has not yet accepted an order.

Send a quote the buyer can approve

Use a short message with the total and next action visible:

Hi [Name], attached is quote [number] for [headcount] people on [date]. The total is [amount], including [delivery and applicable tax]. It includes [brief package description]. Please review the delivery details and terms, then [confirmation step] by [deadline]. Let me know if the headcount or dietary requirements need adjusting before you confirm.

Keep one current version. If the buyer changes the headcount, send a revised quote with a new version or date and recalculate each affected charge. Make it clear which quote replaces the earlier one.

Follow up without assuming the order is booked

If the buyer has not replied, ask whether the menu, total or approval timing needs attention. Respect their communication preferences. If the event is no longer happening, close the inquiry rather than keeping it in your expected revenue.

Track the date quoted, next action, confirmed amount and outcome in the corporate catering prospect worksheet. After a successful direct order, ask whether they want a reminder before the next meeting.