Catering quote calculator
Enter whole-order costs, not per-person costs. Use the same currency throughout. Choose your own margin; this is an internal pricing scenario, not a market-price estimate or customer invoice.
What the calculation includes
Planning quote = total entered costs ÷ (1 − target margin ÷ 100). This is margin, not markup: in a fictional example, a cost of 200 with a 25% margin produces 266.67; adding a 25% markup produces 250 and a 20% margin.
Only entered costs are included. There is no automatic tax, tip, service charge, discount or percentage-of-sales fee calculation. Fixed overhead and other expenses are excluded unless entered. The remaining amount is not guaranteed profit; verify the final quote and applicable charges under your restaurant’s policies.
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By CaterWoo · Updated
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No account or email signup is required. Print the form and adapt it to your restaurant’s process.
Download PDFKeep the quote’s assumptions visible
A catering quote depends on more than a tray price. Record quantities, portions, packaging, labour and the promised service so the restaurant can explain what is included. Keep the customer’s selling price separate from your internal costs.
This worksheet organises the calculation. It does not prescribe a profit margin or determine your tax treatment. Confirm tax, service-charge and deposit rules with the appropriate person for your business.
Build the total from clear line items
Use consistent units. A per-person price, a tray price and an hourly staffing rate should not share one unexplained quantity column. Write the unit beside each line and check the arithmetic before quoting.
- Menu item, selling unit, quantity and unit price.
- Food, packaging and other internal cost assumptions.
- Agreed delivery, setup, staffing or equipment charges.
- Discounts and applicable tax as separate lines.
- Deposit received and the remaining balance.
- Quote expiry, confirmation status and approval owner.
Check changes before confirming the balance
Calculate each line as quantity multiplied by its unit price. Add the agreed charges and applicable tax, subtract discounts, then subtract payments already received to find the remaining balance.
If the guest count or service changes, revise the quote and obtain confirmation. Do not silently reuse the original total for a different menu. Keep the approved price with the catering order form so the customer and restaurant work from the same agreement.
Sources and scope
The Maryland Extension resource supports the margin-versus-markup arithmetic; its food-product margin suggestions are not restaurant defaults. Toast provides catering-cost context. Neither source endorses CaterWoo or establishes local tax rules.