Orders & Quotes
Manage catering order intake and create professional proposals.
Overview
The catering order system provides:
- Quote Builder - Create professional proposals
- Order Management - Track orders through lifecycle
- Corporate Accounts - Business client management
- Deposit Tracking - Payment milestones
- BEO Generation - Banquet Event Orders
Creating a Quote
Starting a New Quote
- Go to Catering > New Order
- Select or create customer
- Enter event details:
- Event date and time
- Event type (corporate, wedding, party)
- Guest count
- Service type (drop-off, setup, full-service)
- Location (delivery address or on-site)
- Build menu selection
- Generate quote
Quote Builder Interface
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ NEW CATERING QUOTE #Q-2026-0156 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ CUSTOMER │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Company: Acme Corp │
│ Contact: Jane Smith │
│ Email: jane@acme.com │
│ Phone: (555) 123-4567 │
│ │
│ EVENT DETAILS │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Date: Friday, January 24, 2026 │
│ Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM │
│ Guests: 75 │
│ Type: Corporate Lunch │
│ Service: Full Setup │
│ Location: 123 Business Park Dr, Suite 400 │
│ │
│ [Next: Select Menu Items] │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Adding Menu Items
- Browse catering menu
- Select items
- Specify quantities
- Choose options/variations
- Review pricing automatically calculated
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MENU SELECTION 75 guests │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ SALADS │
│ [✓] House Salad (per person) 75 × $4.95 = $371.25 │
│ │
│ ENTREES (select 2 for variety) │
│ [✓] Grilled Chicken 40 × $16.95 = $678.00 │
│ [✓] Beef Medallions 35 × $19.95 = $698.25 │
│ │
│ SIDES (select 2) │
│ [✓] Roasted Vegetables (pan) 4 × $45.00 = $180.00 │
│ [✓] Garlic Mashed Potatoes (pan) 4 × $40.00 = $160.00 │
│ │
│ DESSERTS │
│ [✓] Assorted Mini Desserts (per pp) 75 × $5.95 = $446.25 │
│ │
│ BEVERAGES │
│ [✓] Iced Tea (gallon) 5 × $12.00 = $60.00 │
│ [✓] Lemonade (gallon) 5 × $12.00 = $60.00 │
│ │
│ ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ Subtotal: $2,653.75 │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Quote Summary & Fees
Additional Charges
| Fee Type | Description | Typical Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery | Based on distance | $25-75 |
| Setup | Staff time for setup | $75-150 |
| Service Staff | On-site servers | $35/hour/person |
| Equipment Rental | Chafing dishes, etc. | $50-200 |
| Disposables | Plates, utensils | $2-4/person |
| Gratuity | Optional auto-gratuity | 18-22% |
Quote Summary
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ QUOTE SUMMARY #Q-2026-0156 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Food & Beverage: $2,653.75 │
│ Disposables (75 × $2.50): $187.50 │
│ Setup Fee: $100.00 │
│ Delivery: $50.00 │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Subtotal: $2,991.25 │
│ Tax (8.25%): $246.78 │
│ Service Charge (20%): $598.25 │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ TOTAL: $3,836.28 │
│ │
│ Per Person: $51.15 │
│ │
│ [Send Quote] [Edit] [Save Draft] │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Sending Proposals
Quote Delivery Options
| Method | Description |
|---|---|
| PDF attachment with details | |
| Customer Portal | View and accept online |
| Physical copy | |
| SMS | Link to view quote |
Professional Proposal
Generated proposals include:
- Cover page - Your branding, event summary
- Menu details - Full item descriptions
- Pricing breakdown - Itemized costs
- Terms & conditions - Cancellation, payment policies
- Acceptance signature - Digital or physical
Quote Status Tracking
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being created |
| Sent | Delivered to customer |
| Viewed | Customer opened |
| Accepted | Customer approved |
| Declined | Customer rejected |
| Expired | Past validity date |
| Converted | Became confirmed order |
Quote Expiration
Set validity period:
- Default: 7 days
- Custom: Set specific date
- System auto-archives expired quotes
Converting to Order
When Customer Accepts
- Receive notification of acceptance
- Review order details
- Collect deposit
- Confirm final guest count
- Convert to confirmed order
Confirmation Workflow
Customer Accepts Quote
│
▼
┌───────────────────┐
│ Review Details │
│ Verify changes │
└───────────────────┘
│
▼
┌───────────────────┐
│ Collect Deposit │
│ 50% typically │
└───────────────────┘
│
▼
┌───────────────────┐
│ Confirm Order │
│ Generate BEO │
└───────────────────┘
│
▼
┌───────────────────┐
│ Send Confirmation │
│ to Customer │
└───────────────────┘
Deposit Management
Deposit Settings
Configure deposit requirements:
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Required | Yes/No per order type |
| Percentage | 25%, 50%, custom |
| Fixed minimum | $100, $250, etc. |
| Due date | At booking, X days before |
Collecting Deposits
- Generate payment link
- Customer pays via:
- Credit card
- Bank transfer
- Check
- Cash
- System records deposit
- Balance due calculated
Payment Schedule Example
Order Total: $3,836.28
Payment Schedule:
├── Deposit (50%): $1,918.14 Due: At booking
├── Balance Due: $1,918.14 Due: Day before event
│
└── Status: Deposit Paid ✓ | Balance Pending
Corporate Accounts
Setting Up Corporate Accounts
- Go to Catering > Accounts
- Click New Corporate Account
- Enter company details:
- Company name
- Billing address
- Tax exempt status (if applicable)
- Primary contacts
- Credit terms
- Save account
Credit Terms
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Net 30 | Payment due in 30 days |
| Net 15 | Payment due in 15 days |
| Prepaid | Payment before event |
| Credit Limit | Maximum outstanding balance |
Corporate Account Benefits
- Streamlined ordering - Pre-filled info
- Invoice billing - Pay later option
- Volume pricing - Automatic discounts
- Order history - Easy reordering
- Dedicated contact - Account manager
Banquet Event Order (BEO)
What is a BEO?
A Banquet Event Order is the operational document for executing the event:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ BANQUET EVENT ORDER BEO-2026-0156 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ EVENT: Acme Corp Quarterly Lunch │
│ DATE: Friday, January 24, 2026 │
│ TIME: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM (Setup by 11:30 AM) │
│ GUESTS: 75 confirmed │
│ LOCATION: 123 Business Park Dr, Suite 400 │
│ CONTACT: Jane Smith (555) 123-4567 │
│ │
│ ═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ FOOD PRODUCTION │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Item Qty Prep Notes │
│ House Salad 75pp Pre-dress 50% │
│ Grilled Chicken 40 Mark containers │
│ Beef Medallions 35 Mark containers │
│ Roasted Vegetables 4 pans │
│ Garlic Mashed Potatoes 4 pans Keep warm │
│ Assorted Mini Desserts 75pp Display platters │
│ │
│ BEVERAGES │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Iced Tea 5 gal w/ cups, ice │
│ Lemonade 5 gal w/ cups, ice │
│ │
│ EQUIPMENT │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ [✓] 4 × Chafing dishes [✓] Sternos (8) │
│ [✓] Serving utensils [✓] Disposable service set │
│ [✓] Beverage dispensers (2) [✓] Ice cooler │
│ │
│ STAFFING │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ Driver: Carlos M. Depart: 11:00 AM │
│ Setup Lead: Maria L. Arrive: 11:15 AM │
│ │
│ SPECIAL NOTES │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ • 3 vegetarian guests - mark veggie options clearly │
│ • Client allergic to shellfish - verified no shellfish │
│ • Back entrance for loading - use freight elevator │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
BEO Distribution
BEO automatically sent to:
- Kitchen (for prep)
- Catering manager
- Delivery staff
- Front desk (if on-site)
Order Modifications
Making Changes
- Find order in Catering > Orders
- Click Edit
- Make changes:
- Guest count
- Menu items
- Date/time
- Location
- System recalculates pricing
- Send updated quote if needed
- Collect additional payment if applicable
Change Policies
| Change | Timeframe | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Guest count increase | Any time | Additional cost |
| Guest count decrease | 48+ hours | No fee |
| Guest count decrease | Under 48 hours | Charged original count |
| Cancellation | 7+ days | Full refund |
| Cancellation | 3-7 days | 50% refund |
| Cancellation | Under 3 days | No refund |
Voice Commands
| Task | Say |
|---|---|
| New quote | "Hey Maximus, start a catering quote" |
| Find order | "Hey Maximus, find catering order for Acme" |
| Check deposit | "Hey Maximus, has the deposit been paid for order 156?" |
| Today's orders | "Hey Maximus, what catering orders are today?" |
Best Practices
Quote Conversion Tips
- Respond quickly - Same-day quotes when possible
- Follow up - Contact after sending
- Be flexible - Offer alternatives
- Add value - Suggest enhancements
- Confirm details - Verify everything
Deposit Collection
- Require deposits - Protects against cancellations
- Clear policies - Communicate terms upfront
- Easy payment - Multiple payment options
- Track diligently - Monitor outstanding payments
Related Guides
- Catering Menus - Menu management
- Event Management - Calendar and capacity
- Fulfillment - Prep and delivery