Catering and Bulk Food Supply Quotation

A catering or bulk food quote should be valid for 14 to 30 days from the date of issue. Ingredient prices fluctuate rapidly in the food service industry, and setting a firm expiration date protects your profit margins. It also encourages corporate clients to make a timely decision to secure their event date on your calendar.

Yes, all mandatory service charges, staff gratuities, and local taxes must be clearly itemized on the quotation. Leaving these costs out to make the initial estimate look lower damages client trust when they appear on the final invoice. Transparent pricing helps corporate procurement departments approve the full budget without requiring back-and-forth revisions.

Your quotation must state a firm deadline, typically seven to ten days before the event, for the client to submit their final guaranteed guest count. Specify that the final billing will be based on this guaranteed number or the actual attendance, whichever is higher. This protects your kitchen from purchasing perishable ingredients that cannot be returned.

The standard industry practice is to require a non-refundable deposit of 50% to secure the date and initiate ingredient sourcing. The remaining balance is typically due seven days prior to the event or delivery date. For established corporate accounts with pre-approved credit, net-30 terms are sometimes negotiated instead.