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Catering invoice template
Updated October 2026
Catering math is guest count times a menu price, then the people who work the room, then the things you rent, then whatever you already collected to hold the date. This sample is a 36-guest dinner that shows each of those.
36 guests × $34 = $1,224 of food in this example. Staffing is 16 hours total, not 16 people: four people for four hours at an example $26 an hour.
$500 deposit, already paid, credited on this invoice.
Balance due, and the guest count treated as final. The file uses November 7, 2026.
You are not chasing the food cost at the coat check. Rentals still go back.
Example prices
Bill to
Priya Desai
Event: Saturday, November 14, 2026, 6:00 pm
Venue: The Mill Hall, 200 River St
Guest count: 36
Menu: herb chicken dinner
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herb chicken dinner, per guest | 36 | $34.00 | $1,224.00 |
| Staff on site, total hours (example: 4 people, 4 hours) | 16 | $26.00 | $416.00 |
| Delivery, setup, and pickup | 1 | $180.00 | $180.00 |
| Linen and chafer rental | 1 | $150.00 | $150.00 |
| Service charge, example flat amount (about 18% of the menu) | 1 | $220.00 | $220.00 |
| Deposit received to reserve the date, credited here | 1 | -$500.00 | -$500.00 |
Payment methods on this sample: Bank Transfer, Credit/Debit Card, Check.
The generator loads the per-guest line, the staffing hours, rentals, the service charge, and the deposit credit. It sets the due date seven days from today so the sample is not already late. The download keeps November 7, 2026. Your business name stays whatever you saved.
Open this template in the generator. Start a blank invoice.
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Write these where the venue manager can see them
- Event date, start time, and venue address.
- Guest count, because it is the quantity on the food.
- Menu name, so 36 of something is not a mystery.
- Staff hours, with a note about how many people that was.
- Rentals passed through: linens, chafers, whatever you do not own.
- Service charge labeled as a charge you added, not as a tip.
- Deposit credited.
The downloadable files use the sample event dates. Whether a service charge is taxed, and whether a gratuity is optional, depends on where you plate the food. Check your state's rules. This sample does not promise that leftovers leave with the host.
Guest counts, deposits, and service charges
How does per-guest pricing land on the invoice?
The guest count is the quantity. This dinner is 36 guests at an example $34. Change the count and the food line moves. Do not hide the count inside a lump called dinner.
What is the difference between a service charge and a tip?
A service charge is a fee you add. On this sample it is a flat $220, about 18% of the menu, written as its own line. A tip is money the host or the guests choose to add. They are not the same thing, and tax rules for each one are not the same everywhere. Check your state's rules before you copy either line.
How do I show the deposit and what is left?
The deposit that reserved the date is a negative line. Five hundred dollars was paid earlier. The total due is the rest, not the whole event stacked on top of money you already have.
Where do the event date, venue, and guest count go?
In the client block, where a floor manager can see them without opening the menu notes. This sample uses November 14, 2026, The Mill Hall, and 36 guests.
What if the guest count changes after the deposit?
Update the quantity before you treat the balance as final. This story locks the count when the balance is due, seven days before the event. A later change is a new line or a revised invoice, not a shrug at the door.