Catering Order Form: Free Template for Restaurants and Caterers

By Nicole Hullihen, former SaaS Chief Operating Officer and Microsoft MVP · Updated October 25, 2026

Catering can be some of the most profitable business a restaurant does, but one missed detail ruins it: the wrong delivery time, no vegetarian option, forgotten serving utensils. A catering order form captures every detail up front, so the kitchen, drivers and customer are all working from the same information.

This guide includes a free catering order form and explains what to include, how to price and confirm orders, how to handle deposits and cancellations and how to turn the order into prep and staffing plans.

Free Catering Order Form Template

What to Include on a Catering Order Form

Estimating Quantities

Quantities depend on your menu, the time of day and the crowd. Many caterers estimate by portions per guest and add a small buffer. Track what's left after events to improve your estimates.

Leftover tracking helps control food cost. See the restaurant food waste log.

Pricing Catering Orders

• Price per person, per tray or per item.
• Include food cost, labor, packaging and disposables.
• Add delivery, setup and staffing fees.
• Set minimum order amounts for delivery.
• Charge for rentals like chafing dishes or offer them with a deposit.

Some areas tax delivery fees, service charges or catered food differently. Check your state and local sales tax rules.

Deposits and Payment Terms

Deposits protect you from no-shows and cover food you buy in advance. Common approaches:

Write your terms on the form and in the confirmation. See how to bill a client for the first time.

Cancellation and Change Policy

Adjust the time frames to your prep schedule. Make sure customers see and acknowledge the policy.

Confirming the Order

1. Send a written confirmation with every detail from the form.
2. Ask the customer to reply to confirm.
3. Call or text a few days before to confirm guest count and timing.
4. Confirm the on-site contact and phone number.
5. Note any changes on the order and tell the kitchen.

From Order to Kitchen

Turn each confirmed order into a prep sheet: what to make, how much and when. Add catering items to the regular prep list, order ingredients ahead and schedule prep so it doesn't collide with service. See the restaurant prep list.

Staffing Catering Orders

Large orders need extra hands for prep, packing, delivery and service. Schedule catering staff based on the order, not just regular service. Track catering labor separately so you know which orders are profitable. See how to track labor costs by job.

Packing and Delivery Checklist

Log every delivery with time and signature. See the delivery log.

Food Safety for Catering

Catered food often sits out longer than food in the dining room. The FDA Food Code, which many state and local health departments base their rules on, generally calls for holding cold food at 41°F or below and hot food at 135°F or above. Use insulated carriers, chafing dishes and ice, and check temperatures before food leaves. Follow your local health department's rules, which may differ.

See the restaurant temperature log.

Example: A Neighborhood Deli

A deli took catering orders by phone on sticky notes. Orders arrived without dressing, a gluten-free platter was forgotten and one office got its lunch an hour late because the note said "noon" without a date. The owner switched to a one-page catering order form, a written confirmation email and a packing checklist. Mistakes became rare, and catering grew into a steady part of weekday sales.

Common Catering Order Mistakes

• Missing dietary needs and allergies.
• Unclear delivery times or addresses.
• No written confirmation.
• No deposit on large orders.
• Forgetting utensils and serving equipment.
• Not tracking catering labor and food cost.

Catering Order Checklist

Sample Completed Catering Order

This sample uses made-up details. Notice how specific the delivery instructions and dietary counts are. That detail prevents the most common catering problems.

Taking Catering Orders by Phone

1. Get the event date and time first, and check availability.
2. Ask for guest count and service style.
3. Walk through the menu and suggest quantities.
4. Ask about dietary needs and allergies.
5. Confirm delivery address, parking and on-site contact.
6. Review the total, deposit and cancellation policy.
7. Read the order back and send a written confirmation.

Use the form as a script so nothing is missed, even during a busy shift.

Online Catering Orders

An online order form can save time and reduce errors, since customers enter details themselves. Keep it short, require the most important fields like date, time, guest count and allergies, and follow up with a confirmation from a real person for larger orders.

Catering Menus That Work

• Offer packages by guest count to simplify ordering.
• Choose items that travel well and hold temperature.
• Include clearly labeled vegetarian and gluten-free options.
• Price add-ons like drinks and desserts separately.
• Keep the catering menu shorter than your regular menu.

Catering Calendar

Keep all catering orders on one calendar the kitchen and managers can see. Block prep time and delivery windows. Set a daily cutoff for how many orders you can handle so catering doesn't overwhelm regular service. See how to make a work schedule for scheduling staff around busy days.

Tracking Catering Profitability

Track a few orders closely to see whether your pricing covers food, labor, packaging and delivery. Many caterers find that small drop-off orders with long drives barely break even, which leads to delivery minimums or zone-based fees.

Catering Order Form for Staffed Events

Staffed events, where your team serves on site, need extra details on the order form:

Price staffed events with labor hours that include travel, setup, service and breakdown. Check whether service charges are distributed to staff or kept by the business, and make sure your wording matches what you do. Rules on service charges and tips vary, so check federal and state guidance.

Delivery Timing

Plan to arrive 15 to 30 minutes before the requested ready time for drop-off orders, and longer for setups. Account for traffic, parking, building security and elevators. Tell the customer when to expect you and send a quick message when the driver is on the way.

Following Up After the Event

• Thank the customer and ask how everything went.
• Collect any balance due.
• Pick up rental equipment as scheduled.
• Ask for a review or referral if they were happy.
• Note feedback on the order for next time.

Repeat corporate customers are the backbone of most catering programs. A quick follow-up keeps you top of mind for their next meeting.

Catering Order Form Quick Reference

Labeling Individual Meals

For boxed lunches and individual meals, label each one with the item and any dietary information: vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free or contains common allergens. When guests have specific allergies, label the meal with the guest's name and pack it separately. Clear labels prevent mix-ups once food is laid out and save the customer from guessing.

Training Staff on Catering Orders

1. Show staff the catering order form and where orders are kept.
2. Walk through a sample order from phone call to delivery.
3. Practice reading orders back to customers.
4. Explain allergy labeling and packing separately.
5. Review the packing checklist and delivery etiquette.

Catering often involves staff who don't normally handle orders, like cooks packing and drivers delivering. A short training session keeps everyone working from the same process.

Growing Your Catering Business

Most catering growth comes from repeat business customers. Keep a list of past catering customers with what they ordered and when. Reach out before busy seasons, like the holidays or the start of school, and offer to repeat a previous order. Add a catering flyer to takeout bags and mention catering on receipts. A reliable experience, built on a clear order form, is what turns one-time orders into regular accounts.

Handling Last-Minute Changes

Customers often call the day before to add guests or change items. Decide in advance what you can accept: small headcount increases may be fine, while menu changes after ingredients are prepped may not be. Note every change on the order with the time and who took it, send an updated confirmation and tell the kitchen right away. If a change affects price, confirm the new total before the event, not on the invoice afterward.

Having a clear change policy on the form makes these conversations easier, because the customer agreed to it when they ordered.

Catering Order Form Checklist for Managers

• Every order has a completed form and written confirmation.
• Deposits and balances are tracked.
• Allergies are flagged for the kitchen.
• Prep and staffing are scheduled.
• Packing checklist completed before every delivery.
• Feedback recorded after each event.

Review this list weekly during busy catering seasons. It takes a few minutes and catches problems before they reach a customer's conference room.

Start by printing the form and using it for every catering call this week. After a handful of orders, adjust the fields to match your menu and service style, then save it as your standard.

Keep completed forms on file too. They become a record of what each customer likes to order.

Run Catering Smoothly With Updoot

Updoot's scheduling staffs catering orders, the employee time clock tracks catering labor and the invoice generator bills business accounts.

Sources

• U.S. FDA: FDA Food Code

Frequently Asked Questions