Free catering invoice and proposal templatesPlan the menu.
Price the whole service.

Yes. Open it in the browser and change the business details, the menu lines, the guest count, the rates, the terms and the colors. Nothing is locked, there is no watermark, and you can download the PDF without an account.

The event date and venue, the final guest count and the per person price, the menu served, staff hours by role, rentals, delivery and setup, the service charge if you use one, the deposit already paid and the balance due.

Yes. Put your own payment link or bank details on the invoice: ACH, card, Venmo, Cash App or a check on the day. Unless you turn on Pay now with your own Stripe account, InvoiceTools does not take the payment, so the money goes straight to you.

Yes. The same lines work for a wedding, a corporate lunch, a drop-off order or a private dinner. Add or remove lines for staffing, rentals and delivery, and the totals recalculate as you type.

Yes. Start from the proposal or quote template, set out the menu by course, the guest count, staffing and rentals, and send it for approval. When the client says yes, open the same lines as an invoice so the price billed is the price quoted.

Yes. Add the deposit as its own line with the date it is due, and show it as paid on the final invoice so only the balance is left. A receipt for the deposit keeps the record straight.

Name the event date and venue, the confirmed guest count against your per head price, and each staff role with its hours. Rentals, delivery and any service charge go on their own lines, and the deposit already received comes off before the balance, so the client sees exactly what is still owed.

The menu drives it first: proteins, number of courses, and whether service is plated, buffet or family style. Guest count, prep labor, venue access, travel and how far ahead the client books all move it too. The generator opens that line at $42.00 so the page is not blank; type your own per head figure over it.

Catering is paid ahead because you commit to staff and food before the event. A deposit holds the date, and many caterers set the balance to fall due with the final guest count, a fixed number of days before the event. Put both dates on the invoice so the client sees the count and the payment as one deadline.

Set a date after which the count can only go up, and write it into your terms. If more guests arrive, bill the extra covers on a final invoice at the same per head price. If fewer come after the cutoff, the confirmed count stands, because the food was bought and prepared for it. Show the original and final counts side by side.

Your leverage sits before the event: once the food is served you cannot take it back. Make the balance due before the date, and do not confirm staff or place large orders until the deposit clears. For money still owed afterwards, send a statement, then a late fee notice if your contract allows one, and consider small claims court for modest amounts.

In many states prepared food served by a caterer is taxable, and the rules differ for rentals, staff labor, delivery and service charges. A mandatory service charge is often treated as part of the taxable sale, while a voluntary tip usually is not. Some buyers, such as qualifying nonprofits, can give you an exemption certificate. Check your state's rules and set tax per line.

They are different things, so name the one you mean. A service charge is a fee you set and keep as revenue, even if you pay staff from it; a gratuity is a tip the client chooses, which generally goes to the staff. Some states require you to tell clients whether a service charge goes to the workers, so check local rules and label the line clearly.