Free Catering Invoice Template

A catering invoice has to match a promise made weeks earlier: the menu, the guest count, the staff, the rentals and the deposit the client already paid. When the final numbers move, as they almost always do, the invoice is where everyone checks that the headcount, the service charge and the balance still add up.

This catering invoice template is loaded in the editor below with a corporate dinner for 85 guests: a per-guest menu, staff hours, rentals, an 18% service charge, the event date, venue and guest count in the header, and the deposit already taken off the balance. Swap in your event and download a PDF.

Catering invoice templates

Click a card to load it into the editor below. Your saved draft stays as it is until you start editing a template.

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  1. $3,570.00
  2. $700.00
  3. $380.00
  4. $642.60

Tip: copy rows from Excel or Google Sheets and paste them into any line.

Show on invoice

Balance due$4,282.17

What to include on a catering invoice

On top of your details, the client's details, an invoice number and dates, a catering invoice should cover these.

Event date, venue and guest count
Add the event date, the venue and the guaranteed guest count as custom fields so they print in the invoice header. They are what the client, the venue and your kitchen all refer to, and they separate this event from the next one you do for the same client.
Per-guest pricing
Price the menu per guest with the guest count in the quantity column: 85 × $42.00. Separate menus (a kids' menu, vegetarian plates, late-night snacks) get their own lines at their own per-guest price.
Staffing
List servers, bartenders, chefs and captains by hours, for example “4 servers + 1 bartender, 4 hours” as 20 staff hours × your rate. Include setup and breakdown time if you bill for it, and note any overtime rate that applies if the event runs past the agreed end time.
Rentals and extras
Linens, glassware, flatware, chafing dishes, tables and tents are usually rented and passed through. List them separately so they aren't mistaken for food cost, along with delivery, cake cutting or corkage fees. If the venue bills rentals directly, leave them off and say so in the notes.
Service charge, clearly named
If you add a service charge, show the percentage and what it's calculated on, such as “Service charge (18% of food)”. Say whether it's a gratuity or not; in many places a service charge is not a tip, and how it is taxed or shared with staff varies.
Deposit and balance
Enter the deposit the client paid at booking in Amount paid. The invoice then shows the total, the deposit received and the balance due, and the due date can be set before the event.

Example: a corporate dinner for 85 guests

A plated menu priced per guest, staff hours, rentals and an 18% service charge on food, with the deposit already paid.

Description Qty Rate Amount
Plated dinner, per guest 85 $42.00 $3,570.00
Servers and bartender (staff hours) 20 $35.00 $700.00
Linens and glassware rental 1 $380.00 $380.00
Service charge (18% of food) 1 $642.60 $642.60
Subtotal $5,292.60
Deposit paid −$1,500.00
Balance due $3,792.60

Sales tax on food, rentals and service charges differs a lot between states and countries. Check what applies to your events and set the tax line to match.

Quote first, then invoice the final count

Catering is almost always sold on a proposal: a menu, a price per guest, an estimated headcount and a deposit to hold the date. Write that proposal in the quotation generator. When the client signs, convert it to an invoice with one click, and the menu, staffing and rentals come across so you only change what moved.

Most caterers ask for a final guaranteed guest count a set number of days before the event, often a week to ten days, and bill that number even if fewer guests show up. Put the guaranteed count on the invoice and state your policy in the notes. If more guests arrive than guaranteed, bill the extra plates on a separate line after the event.

  • Proposal: menu, per-guest price, estimated guests, deposit to book.
  • Final count due before the event: update the quantity and resend.
  • Balance due before the event date, or on the day for small events.
  • After the event: extra guests, overtime or damages on a short final invoice.

Service charge, gratuity and tastings

Clients often assume a service charge is the tip. If it covers your staffing and admin costs instead, say so on the invoice and in the contract, and leave space for an optional gratuity if you accept one. Being explicit avoids awkward conversations on the night and keeps your records clear for tax purposes, where the treatment of service charges and tips depends on local rules.

Tastings are worth handling the same way every time. Some caterers charge for tastings and credit the fee against the final invoice if the client books. If you do, add the tasting as a line on its own invoice, then show the credit on the event invoice as a line or through the Amount paid field.

  • Name the fee exactly: “Service charge (18% of food)”, not just “Service”.
  • Say in the notes whether any part of it goes to staff as a gratuity.
  • Keep an optional gratuity separate from the service charge.
  • Credit a paid tasting against the event invoice if your policy promises it.

Payment terms for caterers

A common structure is a non-refundable or partly refundable deposit at booking, often 25 to 50 percent, with the balance due a week or so before the event. Collecting the balance before the day means you are not chasing payment after the food is eaten. Set the invoice due date to that deadline so it prints on the PDF, and repeat it in the notes.

Corporate clients may need a purchase order and pay on Net 30 terms after the event. Agree on that in the proposal, add their PO number to the invoice, and consider a larger deposit to cover food and staffing costs up front.

Put your cancellation policy in the contract, including what happens to the deposit at different points before the event. Deposits and cancellation refunds are regulated differently in different places, so check the rules that apply to you.

Catering invoice FAQ

Guest counts, service charges, deposits and balances.

What should a catering invoice include?

Your business and the client's details, invoice number and date, the event date, venue and guest count, the menu priced per guest, staffing, rentals, any service charge, tax, the deposit paid and the balance due.

How do I bill a price per guest?

Put the guest count in the quantity column and the per-guest price in the rate column, for example 85 × $42.00. The amount is calculated for you, and changing the count updates the total.

Is a service charge the same as a tip?

Not necessarily. A service charge is a fee you set; a tip is voluntary. Name it clearly on the invoice and in your contract, and check local rules on how service charges are taxed and paid out.

How do I show the deposit on the final invoice?

List the whole event as usual and enter the deposit in the Amount paid field. The invoice shows the deposit received and the remaining balance due.

Can I send a catering quote first?

Yes. Make the proposal in the quotation generator, then use Convert to invoice once it's accepted. Every line and the client details come across.

Is this catering invoice template free?

Yes. Fill it in on this page and download the PDF for free, with no watermark and no account.

More free invoice templates

Different work, different invoice. Each of these opens in the same free generator.

Browse all invoice templates → Open the invoice generator → Write a quote first → Make a receipt instead →