Catering an event is a performance with dozens of moving parts: menus priced per guest, staff billed by the hour, rentals, service charges, taxes, and a deposit paid months earlier. When the party is over, the client should receive an invoice that makes all of that easy to follow. This Catering Invoice Template brings the warmth of a good meal to the paperwork, with a scalloped awning header, a silver cloche badge, and a layout built around per-guest pricing.
Caterers, Private Chefs and Event Kitchens
It suits full-service caterers, private chefs, food trucks booked for private events, bakeries catering dessert tables, restaurant event departments, and barbecue or taco-bar services. The sample shows Saffron Table Catering Co. billing the Rivera-Chen wedding for a plated dinner for 120 guests, a cocktail hour of hors d’oeuvres, a late-night taco bar for 80, six hours of service staff, bartenders, linen and tableware rental, and cake cutting and plating.
A Terracotta Awning Over the Page
The header is a deep terracotta band that ends in a row of scallops, like the edge of a café awning or a festive tablecloth, with a tiny gold dot beneath each curve. Catering Invoice is set in large white DM Serif Display, with the company name, phone, and email in soft peach beneath. On the right, a cream circle holds a terracotta cloche, the domed cover lifted from a plate at the table. The page itself is a warm cream, and the scallops return upside down at the foot of the page, so the whole invoice is framed like a dressed table.
The client block and the invoice number, invoice date, and balance due date sit under the header. A five-column event strip records the event, date, venue, guest count, and service style. The menu and service table list quantities, prices, and amounts, followed by a peach-bordered note from the kitchen and a totals table showing subtotal, service charge, sales tax, deposit received, and the terracotta Balance Due.
Per-Guest Pricing, Worked Through
Most catering is priced per guest, with staff and rentals on top. Here is how the sample’s balance comes together:
| Line | How It Is Calculated | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Menu and services | Guests × price, plus staff hours and rentals | $13,870.00 |
| Service charge | 20% of the subtotal | $2,774.00 |
| Sales tax | 7.75% of the subtotal | $1,074.93 |
| Deposit received | Paid at booking | -$4,000.00 |
| Balance due | Subtotal + service + tax – deposit | $13,718.93 |
Tax rules on service charges differ from place to place; in some areas the service charge is taxable too. Confirm with your accountant and adjust the tax line if needed.
Final Guest Counts and Changes
Caterers usually quote on an estimated headcount and finalise it a week or two before the event. Always invoice on the final guaranteed count, not the original estimate, and note it in the event strip. If the client added guests on the day, add a line for the extra plates so the difference is visible. The late-night taco bar in the sample is priced for 80, fewer than the full 120, which shows how partial counts can be billed fairly.
Service Charge Versus Gratuity
A service charge is a mandatory fee that goes to the business; a gratuity is a voluntary tip for staff. Clients often confuse the two. Label the line clearly as Service charge (20%) and, if the charge is not passed to staff, say so in your contract. If clients want to tip the team, they can add it separately, and you can show it as its own line.
Editing Menu Lines and Totals
The event strip, the menu table, and the totals are editor tables. Double-click the menu table to type in dishes and quantities, or use Edit Table Data with + Add Row and – Remove Last to change its length. Menu lines can be as detailed as you like: Plated dinner package (per guest) or Braised short rib, herb polenta, seasonal greens. The cells hold text only, so multiply guests by price for each line yourself, then recalculate the service charge, tax, and balance before sending.
The Kitchen Note
Few invoices have room for warmth. This one does. The peach-bordered note is a place to thank the couple, mention the leftover cake you boxed for them, or remind them how to return rented items. It turns a bill into part of the memory of the day, and happy clients write reviews.
Changing the Colours and the Cloche
The awning and its scallops are grouped, so they recolour as one: sage green, navy or burgundy all work beautifully with the cream background. The cloche is an editable vector; recolour it from its swatches or replace it with a chef’s hat, a wine glass or a wedding cake from the library for a specialised event. Match the table header and Balance Due row to your new colour.
Printing for Event Clients
The page is US Letter, 8.5 by 11 inches. Send the PDF by email the day after the event while the celebration is fresh. The scalloped header runs to the page edges, so if you print copies, expect a slim white margin on most printers. A smooth white or ivory paper suits the warm palette if you hand the invoice over in person at a final tasting or walkthrough.
Deposits and Cancellation Terms
Catering deposits usually secure the date and pay for early purchasing, and are often non-refundable within a set period before the event. State your terms in the contract and repeat the key points on the invoice, for instance under the kitchen note. When the deposit shows as a credit on the final invoice, as it does here, the client can see at a glance that it has been counted.
Corporate and Recurring Catering
Office lunches and weekly meal services follow the same structure with fewer lines. Put the company name and purchase order number in the client block, list each delivery date as its own row with the headcount, and invoice monthly. Corporate clients appreciate an invoice that matches their accounts payable format, and this one converts easily by removing the kitchen note and deposit.
Catering Invoice FAQs
Can I show a tasting fee?
Yes. Add it as a line, or as a credit if you deduct it from the final bill when the client books.
How do I bill rentals I sourced from another company?
List them as a line item at the price you charge. You do not need to show your supplier’s cost.
Can I add the menu itself?
Short menus fit in the table; for long menus, attach the menu as a separate page to the email.
