Overview
Catering quotes are sold per head, but the kitchen, the staff, and the dietaries are where the costs live
Catering customers fixate on the headline number: a per-head price for the menu. That number hides the real shape of the cost. There's the menu and the food itself; there's the kitchen labour to prepare it; there's the front-of-house staff to serve it; there's the transport to the venue; there's the equipment hire (ovens, chafers, serving tables) for venues with no kitchen; and there's the dietary work (vegan, gluten-free, halal, kosher, allergen-specific plates) that requires separate sourcing and prep. A flat 'catering, $65 per head' quote that doesn't surface the staff count, the equipment, and the dietary handling is a quote that absorbs the dietary work as a loss on every event.
QuoteGenio gives caterers a quoting shape built for events. Menu by course with the per-head rate, kitchen and prep labour as a named line, front-of-house staff by hour and head count, equipment hire where the venue lacks facilities, transport and set-up, dietary plates priced separately by guest count, and any beverage or bar service as a separate record. Send via WhatsApp or email to the planner or host, take a deposit at booking, raise progress invoices for big events (a wedding, a corporate launch, a multi-day conference), and the final invoice closes against the actual head count after any last-minute changes.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every type of off-site, on-site, and event catering business.
The problem
The quoting headaches every caterer knows
Menus, guest counts, staff, and hire gear all move right up to the last week. The quoting process should not be what stops you getting to the kitchen.
Per-head maths eats your week
A 200 guest wedding with 3 menu tiers, 4 dietary options, and a canape round needs a lot of arithmetic. Doing it in Excel for every enquiry kills your week.
Staff and hire get lost in lumps
Service staff, kitchen porters, crockery hire, and the coffee station belong on the quote as named lines, not buried inside the per-head price where the client argues it down.
Couples book the first full quote
Wedding couples and corporate bookers compare three or four caterers. If your quote arrives two days later, the deposit is already paid somewhere else.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A fast quoting workflow that handles per-head menus, service staff, hire gear, and last-minute guest count changes without the spreadsheet.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for catering
Line items for per-head menus, canape rounds, beverage packages, service staff, chef time, kitchen porters, and crockery hire. Structured the way caterers actually scope an event.
Menu tiers on every quote
Build a bronze, silver, and gold menu template and quote all three on the same PDF. Clients choose the tier, you win more bookings because you gave them options up front.
Works from the tasting
Sit with the couple at the tasting, build the quote on your phone, and WhatsApp the PDF before they leave. Faster than any caterer still emailing a Word doc three days later.
Track deposits and final counts
Know which bookings have paid the deposit, which need a final guest count, and which have open variations. No booking spreadsheet required.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how catering services actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Catering Services choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Catering Services build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Catering Services job pricing
A rough guide to what catering companies charge per head and per service element. Pricing varies with menu tier, dietary split, whether the venue has a kitchen, guest count tier, and seasonality. Use these as a reference when you build your own rate card.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Plated 3 course dinner (per head) | R744 - R1,983 |
| Buffet service (per head) | R529 - R1,405 |
| Canape round (6 pieces per head) | R297 - R694 |
| Service staff (waitrons, per hour) | R364 - R628 |
| Chef on-site (per hour) | R744 - R1,405 |
| Crockery and cutlery hire (per head) | R99 - R231 |
| Full wedding catering (120 guests, plated) | R140,480 - R297,486 |
Pricing converted from USD to ZAR at indicative rates. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
A tasting session should be a paid line item or refundable against booking. Most caterers charge R1,074 to R2,479 per tasting for up to 4 guests and refund it off the deposit if the booking is confirmed. Show it on every quote so clients understand your prep time is not a freebie.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use hourly pricing (R364 to R1,405 per hour) for service staff, on-site chef time, and overtime. Use fixed per-head pricing for menus where the count is locked 10 days out. Combine both on bigger events with a provisional for dietary substitutes and last-minute count changes.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here is what a clean, itemised wedding catering quote looks like. Menu, service staff, kitchen crew, hire, and dietary substitutes are all priced separately. Transparent quotes win weddings because the couple can see exactly where the money goes instead of arguing over a single per-head figure.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Wedding catering, 120 guests, plated 3 course
Canape round (6 pieces per head)
Plated 3 course dinner (silver menu)
Service staff (8 waitrons, 7 hours)
On-site chef (head chef, 9 hours)
Kitchen porter and wash-up (2 staff, 6 hours)
Crockery, cutlery, and glassware hire
Dietary substitutes (vegan, gluten-free, halaal)
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canape round (6 pieces per head) | 120 | R463 | R55,531 |
| Plated 3 course dinner (silver menu) | 120 | R1,289 | R154,693 |
| Service staff (8 waitrons, 7 hours) | 56 | R529 / hr | R29,616 |
| On-site chef (head chef, 9 hours) | 9 | R1,074 / hr | R9,668 |
| Kitchen porter and wash-up (2 staff, 6 hours) | 12 | R397 / hr | R4,760 |
| Crockery, cutlery, and glassware hire | 120 | R149 | R17,849 |
| Dietary substitutes (vegan, gluten-free, halaal) | 14 | R198 | R2,777 |
| Subtotal | R274,894 | ||
| Tax (10%) | R27,489 | ||
| Total incl. tax | R302,383 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
The dietary substitutes, the kitchen porter, the wash-up, the crockery breakage deposit, the service staff travel if the venue is remote, and the chef overnight allowance for a two-day event. Add these to your standard wedding template so they do not quietly eat the margin.
Peer snapshot
How Catering Services actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Catering Services on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
14
Quotes sent per month
46%
Average quote acceptance
2 min
Median time to send quote
R302,383
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Catering Service jobs like this, free
Build your first quote in under 2 minutes. No credit card, no setup fee, no contract.
Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of caterers. The same scoping gaps come up every wedding season and corporate quarter. Fixing these protects your margin, keeps clients happy with transparent pricing, and stops the final-count change from costing you the whole event.
Mistake: Hiding staff inside the per-head price
Better: Waitrons, chefs, and kitchen porters belong on named lines with hours. When a client tries to negotiate the per-head rate, your staff costs stay protected because they are listed separately.
Mistake: No line for dietary substitutes
Better: Vegan, gluten-free, and halaal plates cost more than standard covers. Price them as a per-head surcharge or a provisional sum, so a late dietary split does not wipe out your margin.
Mistake: No minimum guest count on the quote
Better: State a minimum count (typically 40 or 50 guests) on the quote so a last-minute drop from 120 to 80 does not leave you running the kitchen at a loss. A minimum fee protects against the final-week surprise.
Mistake: Missing the hire breakage deposit
Better: Crockery and glassware breakage is guaranteed on a function. Add a refundable breakage deposit as a line item so you are not absorbing replacement costs out of pocket.
Mistake: Flat per-head rate for remote venues
Better: A farm wedding 80km out involves driver time, fuel, and often a second van. Build three travel tiers (local, regional, remote) into your templates so the logistics actually get paid.
Mistake: No final count cut-off date
Better: State on the quote when the final guest count is locked (typically 10 days before the event). After that date, reductions are no longer refundable because food has been ordered and staff booked.
Mistake: No cake cutting or corkage line
Better: If the venue or client brings their own cake or wine, state the cake-cutting and corkage fees explicitly. A bride who expected them to be free will argue every line of the final invoice otherwise.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote catering jobs
Tasting sessions and site visits come first. Sit with the couple or booker to confirm guest count, menu tier (bronze, silver, gold), and dietary split including vegan, gluten-free, halaal, and kosher heads. Visit the venue to check for a working kitchen, power points, water supply, and service access: a venue with no kitchen means mobile prep gear, gas cookers, a service tent, and extra porters. Confirm service style (plated 3 course, buffet, canape round, or mixed), timing for canapes, main service, and cake cutting, and whether the client brings their own wine or cake for corkage and cutting charges.
Itemise menus, service staff, kitchen crew, hire gear, and dietary substitutes on separate lines. Price canape rounds at 6 pieces per head, plated menus per head by tier ($ 45 to $ 120), and buffets per head with a 40-guest minimum noted. Split staff into waitrons (minimum 5 hour call), on-site chef (prep and plating), and kitchen porter for wash-up so clients negotiating per-head rates cannot shrink your labour margin. Crockery, cutlery, and glassware hire belongs on its own per-head line with wash-up and a refundable breakage deposit. Add dietary substitute surcharges per head (halaal 15 to 25 percent, kosher 30 to 60 percent, vegan or gluten-free typically 10 to 15 percent). List cake cutting and corkage where relevant.
Set a 30 day validity and state the final guest count cut-off clearly (typically 10 days before the event), after which reductions are non-refundable because food has been ordered and staff booked. Ask for a 30 to 50 percent deposit on booking to cover menu testing and stock commitment, with the balance invoice due 7 to 14 days before the event. Price tasting sessions at $ 65 to $ 150 for up to 4 guests and refund against deposit when the booking confirms. State cancellation tiers matched to stock and staff commitment. For remote venues add a travel surcharge and chef overnight allowance for two-day events, and name the licensing position on bar service.
Speed wins weddings. Couples collect three or four catering quotes and the first professional itemised PDF usually takes the deposit before the others land. Build the quote on your phone at the tasting, send the branded PDF via WhatsApp before the couple drives home, and follow up two days later with a call. For corporate bookers running multiple events a year, issue a framework quote with fixed rates for menu tiers and staff then re-issue event-specific quotes that reference the framework. Duplicate and re-version the quote when the guest count shifts at the 10 day cut-off so there is always one live PDF everyone is working from.
FAQ
Common questions from catering services
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Yes. Build a bronze, silver, and gold menu as templates and add them as separate line items on the same quote. The client sees all three options priced and chooses the tier that suits the budget. You close more because you gave them choices.
Yes. Every quote is a professional branded PDF with your logo, menu, and inclusions. Share it as a link via WhatsApp and the client gets the full document instantly. Much faster than emailing a PDF that sits in a full inbox for a week.
State the final count cut-off on the quote (typically 10 days out). Duplicate the original quote, update the head count, and re-issue as a revision. The client gets a clean updated PDF with a version number so everyone knows which count is live.
Yes. QuoteGenio lets you add as many line items as you need. Mix per-head menu lines, hourly staff lines, and per-unit hire lines on the same quote. Add section headings to keep it readable.
Yes. Every quote has a unique public link with a time-stamped accept button. Convert the accepted quote to a deposit invoice with one click, then issue the balance invoice closer to the event.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card required. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes, invoices, statements, and reports.
Price them as a per-head surcharge added to the base menu rate. Halaal certified proteins typically add 15 to 25 percent, kosher can add 30 to 60 percent because of certified kitchen requirements, and premium vegan or gluten-free plates often cost more than the standard cover. State the surcharge on the quote and confirm exact dietary counts with the client at the 10 day cut-off.
Usually yes. Drinks and bar service involve different licensing, different stock control, and different staff skills from food service. Quote them as a separate block (or a separate quote) with named lines for beverage packages, corkage if the client brings their own, bar staff, ice, and glassware. If you do not hold a liquor licence, state it and point the client to a licensed bar operator.
If the venue has no kitchen you need a mobile prep setup, which means gas cookers, a service tent, extra porter staff, and often a small generator. Add all of these as named lines and state clearly that the quote assumes a specific setup location at the venue. Do a site visit before confirming the quote so you price the logistics accurately.
If the client brings their own wine or cake, price the corkage (typically R99 to R248 per bottle) and cake-cutting service (typically R33 to R83 per head) as named lines. If the venue charges you an outside-catering fee, state whether it is included or billed separately on the quote so no one is surprised at invoice time.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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Guides
Guides for Catering Services
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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