How to Write a Catering Quote the Client Approves Quickly

A catering quote gets approved quickly when the client can see the total and the per-guest price within a minute, understand what is and is not included, and choose options without asking you anything. The rest (a validity date, deposit terms and one clear way to approve) removes the pauses where bookings usually get lost.

What should a catering quote include?

A quote should cover the event details, the price, the contents, the options and the terms, in that order. Check yours against this list:

• Event: date, start and end of service, venue with address, guest count, format (wedding, corporate party, birthday).
• The headline number: total excl. VAT, VAT at 21%, total incl. VAT, and the per-guest price.
• Package contents: drinks or menu, number of bartenders or waiting staff, equipment, glassware, ice, delivery.
• Not included: furniture hire, overtime, delivery outside the zone, premium brands.
• Options: 2–5 add-ons with prices the client can switch on.
• Terms: validity, deposit, deadline for final numbers, cancellation.
• Contact: who runs the event and how to reach them.

If the client has to email "is ice included?", the quote has not done its job.

Per-guest price or line-item quote: which works better?

A per-guest price works better for bars and buffets; a line-item quote works better for complex events with a kitchen, hire items and staff. Often the best answer is a hybrid: a per-guest package plus separate lines for extras.

In Latvia the mobile bar market works almost entirely on per-guest pricing, usually €29–50 excl. VAT. More in How much does mobile bar hire cost.

How many options should you give the client?

Give one main option with 2–5 add-ons, or at most three packages to compare. More than three packages slows the decision: the client starts comparing and puts off replying.

A reliable pattern is "main package marked as recommended, plus one above and one below". Most clients pick the middle. How to build those packages is covered in Bar catering packages.

How do you spell out what is and is not included?

Write both lists explicitly and briefly, one line per item. A "not included" list does not scare clients off; it prevents an argument on the day.

Typical exclusions for a bar: tables and guest furniture, power at the venue, work beyond the agreed hours (state the hourly price), delivery beyond the zone, guest breakage above a normal level. For food: kitchen hire at the venue, table setting if not ordered, waste removal.

What validity and deposit should you state?

State a validity of 7–14 days and a deposit of 30–50% to secure the date. Both give the client a reason to decide now and give you a clear rule for when a date counts as booked.

Wording that works:

• "This quote is valid until 25 May. The date is secured once the 30% deposit is paid."
• "Final guest numbers are confirmed 7 days before the event. A reduction of more than 10% after that is repriced at the relevant tier."
• "The balance is due 3 working days before the event."

Keep cancellation terms and tax details (invoice, VAT, company details) in a standard form your accountant has checked. For VAT questions in Latvia, the State Revenue Service (VID) is the place to look.

Why send a link instead of a PDF attachment?

A link opens on the client's phone in a second, while a PDF attachment often goes unopened, gets forwarded in the wrong version or sinks in the inbox. A link always shows the current version and can carry the approve button right there.

In practice:

• the client forwards the link to a partner or parents and everyone looks at the same version;
• when the guest count changes you do not send "quote_v3_final.pdf";
• approval arrives as one action, not an email saying "looks fine, I think".

Keep a PDF for the client's accounts team or corporate procurement, but as a companion to the link.

Worked example: corporate party, 80 guests, 5 hours

A corporate party in Riga, 80 guests, cocktail bar from 19:00 to 24:00. The Gold package on the "from 50 guests" tier is €33 per guest.

Main package:

Included: 6 signature and 4 classic cocktails, sparkling wine, wine, soft drinks, 2 bartenders and a barback, bar counter, glassware, ice, delivery within Riga, set-up and breakdown.

Options:

The client adds the champagne tower. New total: €3,040 excl. VAT, VAT €638.40, €3,678.40 in all. A 30% deposit is €1,103.52.

Terms: valid for 10 days, final numbers 7 days before, balance 3 working days before the event.

This quote fits on one phone screen, and the client has no questions that require waiting for an answer.

What mistakes delay approval?

Approval is delayed by gaps and extra steps. The most common mistakes:

• the total is hidden at the bottom of page three;
• there is no per-guest price, so the client cannot compare you with others;
• options are described without prices ("we can do a tower, just ask");
• there is no validity date, so the client will "get back to you after the holidays";
• the reply to the enquiry came two days later, after the client had booked someone else.

How this works in Garnify

In Garnify a quote is built from packages with per-guest prices and tiers, or from individual lines. The client gets a branded link, sees the total and contents, and approves in one click, with a PDF available on the same page. Every event detail lives in one place, and the whole team sees the same thing.