Catering customer event brief template

Capture the event before deciding the menu

An event brief records what the customer needs the catering to achieve. Use it before finalising quantities or logistics. A working lunch, a reception and a family celebration can require different portions, timings and service arrangements even with the same guest count.

Separate confirmed requirements from preferences and unanswered questions. The restaurant should know which details need approval before accepting the order.

Questions to settle with the customer

Ask who makes decisions and who will be present at the venue. A useful brief gives the team a contact for approvals and a contact for delivery-day coordination.

• Event purpose, venue, date and expected guest count.
• Service time, arrival window and any setup deadline.
• Drop-off, buffet, staffed service or individual meals.
• Dietary requests and the restaurant’s process for reviewing them.
• Venue access, power, water and equipment requirements where relevant.
• Menu approval, budget scope and change-confirmation contact.

Use the brief throughout the order

Review the brief when building the quote and again before kitchen handoff. Translate customer preferences into explicit operational tasks: who supplies serving utensils, who sets up, and who takes equipment away.

Keep changes dated and approved. Store personal contact and event details securely and share them only with the people who need them to run the order. Once the event is confirmed, attach the brief to the order record rather than maintaining a separate, conflicting version.