Catering and bulk order quote messages

A catering quotation message is sent by caterers, restaurants with a party menu, cloud kitchens doing office lunches and home chefs who take bulk orders, usually within an hour of someone asking "do you do catering for 50 people". The enquiry almost always arrives on WhatsApp with half the details missing. The one thing that makes these messages work is asking for the five details first (date, headcount, veg or non-veg, venue and budget per plate) and then sending one clear quote with a per-plate price, the advance amount and a validity date. A quote that leaves out the advance is a quote that gets a "we will confirm" and then silence.

Reply to every enquiry within an hour, even if only to ask for details. Keep the quote itself under 350 characters: menu summary, per-plate or per-box price, what is included (service, packaging, delivery), advance required to block the date, and how long the quote holds. Use placeholders for the numbers so staff fill in the same format every time. Ask for the advance by payment link rather than account transfer so it is recorded against the order; collecting advance payments for food orders explains why. Quotes and confirmations are replies to a customer's request, so no opt-out line is needed.

Hi [Name], thank you for asking about catering from [Restaurant]. To send you an exact quote, please share: date and time of the event, number of guests, veg or veg and non-veg, venue area, and a rough budget per plate. We reply with a full quote within 2 hours of getting these.

नमस्ते [Name], [Restaurant] से catering के बारे में पूछने के लिए शुक्रिया। सही quote भेजने के लिए ये बता दीजिए: event की तारीख और समय, कितने लोग, सिर्फ veg या veg और non-veg दोनों, venue का इलाका, और per plate का अंदाज़न budget। ये मिलते ही 2 घंटे के अंदर पूरा quote भेज देंगे।

Hi [Name], quote from [Restaurant] for [Number] guests on [Date]. Menu: 2 starters, 1 paneer, 1 dal, 1 seasonal sabzi, rice, roti, raita, salad and 1 sweet. [Amount] per plate, including disposable plates and 2 serving staff. Delivery to [Area] included. 50% advance to block the date. Quote valid till [Date].

नमस्ते [Name], [Date] को [Number] लोगों के लिए [Restaurant] का quote। Menu: 2 starter, 1 paneer, 1 dal, 1 seasonal सब्ज़ी, rice, roti, raita, salad और 1 sweet। [Amount] per plate, disposable plates और 2 serving staff के साथ। [Area] तक delivery शामिल। तारीख block करने के लिए 50% advance। Quote [Date] तक valid है।

Hi [Name], [Restaurant] can do [Number] lunch boxes for [Date]. Each box: paneer or chicken curry, dal, rice, 3 rotis, salad and a sweet, in a sealed 5-compartment box. [Amount] per box, delivered to [Area] by [Time]. Minimum 25 boxes. 50% advance by [Date] confirms the order.

नमस्ते [Name], [Restaurant] [Date] के लिए [Number] lunch box बना सकता है। हर box में: paneer या chicken curry, dal, rice, 3 roti, salad और एक sweet, seal किए हुए 5-खाने वाले box में। [Amount] per box, [Area] में [Time] तक delivery। कम से कम 25 box। [Date] तक 50% advance देने पर order confirm।

Hi [Name], two options from [Restaurant] for [Number] guests on [Date]. Option A: 1 starter, 2 mains, dal, rice, roti, sweet at [Amount] per plate. Option B: 3 starters, 3 mains, dal, rice, roti, raita, 2 sweets, live chaat counter at [Amount] per plate. Both include staff and delivery. Reply A or B and we send the booking details.

नमस्ते [Name], [Date] को [Number] लोगों के लिए [Restaurant] के दो options। Option A: 1 starter, 2 main, dal, rice, roti, sweet, [Amount] per plate। Option B: 3 starter, 3 main, dal, rice, roti, raita, 2 sweet और live chaat counter, [Amount] per plate। दोनों में staff और delivery शामिल। A या B reply करें, हम booking की details भेज देंगे।

Hi [Name], to confirm [Restaurant] catering for [Number] guests on [Date], the advance is [Amount] (50% of [Amount]). Pay by UPI or card here: [Link]. The date is blocked as soon as the payment goes through, and we send a confirmation with the full menu. Balance is due on the day, after service.

नमस्ते [Name], [Date] को [Number] लोगों की [Restaurant] catering confirm करने के लिए advance [Amount] है ([Amount] का 50%)। UPI या card से यहाँ pay करें: [Link]। Payment होते ही तारीख block हो जाएगी और हम पूरे menu के साथ confirmation भेज देंगे। बाकी रकम उसी दिन service के बाद।

Hi [Name], advance of [Amount] received. [Restaurant] is confirmed for [Date] at [Time], [Number] guests, [Venue]. Menu as quoted on [Date]. Our team reaches the venue 90 minutes before service. Balance [Amount] after the event. Booking ID [Order ID]. Final headcount needed by [Date].

नमस्ते [Name], [Amount] का advance मिल गया। [Restaurant] [Date] को [Time] बजे, [Number] लोगों के लिए, [Venue] पर confirm है। Menu वही जो [Date] को quote किया था। हमारी team service से 90 मिनट पहले venue पहुँचेगी। बाकी [Amount] event के बाद। Booking ID [Order ID]। Final headcount [Date] तक चाहिए।

Hi [Name], your [Restaurant] event is on [Date]. We start shopping tomorrow, so please confirm the final guest count by [Time] today. The quote is for [Number] guests; we can go up to [Number] at the same per-plate rate. After today, reductions cannot be adjusted in the bill.

नमस्ते [Name], आपका [Restaurant] event [Date] को है। हम कल से सामान खरीदना शुरू करेंगे, इसलिए आज [Time] तक final guest count बता दीजिए। Quote [Number] लोगों का है; उसी per plate rate पर [Number] तक बढ़ा सकते हैं। आज के बाद guest कम होने पर bill में adjust नहीं हो पाएगा।

Hi [Name], checking in on the [Restaurant] quote for [Date]. The date is still open on our side, but we have another enquiry for the same evening. If you would like to go ahead, the advance link is here: [Link]. If the menu or price needs a change, tell us what would work and we will adjust.

नमस्ते [Name], [Date] के [Restaurant] quote के बारे में पूछ रहे थे। तारीख अभी हमारी तरफ से खाली है, लेकिन उसी शाम के लिए एक और enquiry आई है। आगे बढ़ना चाहें तो advance का link यहाँ है: [Link]। Menu या दाम में कुछ बदलना हो तो बताइए, हम adjust कर देंगे।

Hi [Name], updated quote from [Restaurant] for [Date]: guest count changed from [Number] to [Number], so the total is now [Amount] at [Amount] per plate. Menu and staff unchanged. Advance already paid: [Amount]. Revised balance after the event: [Amount]. Reply OK to confirm the change.

नमस्ते [Name], [Date] के लिए [Restaurant] का updated quote: guest count [Number] से बदलकर [Number] हो गया है, तो अब total [Amount] है, [Amount] per plate के हिसाब से। Menu और staff वही रहेंगे। Advance जो मिल चुका है: [Amount]। Event के बाद बाकी रकम: [Amount]। बदलाव confirm करने के लिए OK लिखें।

Hi [Name], the [Restaurant] team has left for [Venue] with food for [Number] guests and will reach by [Time]. Our on-site contact is [Staff Name], [Phone]. After service, the balance of [Amount] can be paid here: [Link]. Thank you for choosing us for your event.

नमस्ते [Name], [Restaurant] की team [Number] लोगों के खाने के साथ [Venue] के लिए निकल चुकी है और [Time] तक पहुँच जाएगी। वहाँ हमारे contact [Staff Name] हैं, [Phone]। Service के बाद बाकी [Amount] यहाँ pay कर सकते हैं: [Link]। अपने event के लिए हमें चुनने के लिए शुक्रिया।

Tips for sending these on WhatsApp

• Never quote without the five details. A per-plate price for an unknown headcount at an unknown venue is a number you will have to walk back, and walking back a price is how you lose the booking.
• Always include the advance and the validity date. The advance separates real enquiries from price-checkers, and the validity date gives you a reason to follow up.
• Send the advance request as a payment link, not a bank account number. The link records who paid what against which event, and the customer gets a receipt without asking. Catering orders on WhatsApp walks through the full flow.
• Put the final headcount deadline in the confirmation, not in a message sent the day before. Customers plan around what they read when they paid.
• If you take many bulk orders, list your party menus with per-plate prices on your store page and let customers place a scheduled order for a future date; on Tezzu the advance can be collected at checkout and the order sits in the dashboard with the event date.

Frequently asked questions

What should a catering quotation message include?

The event date, the number of guests, a short menu summary, the per-plate or per-box price, what is included such as staff, disposables and delivery, the advance needed to block the date, and a validity date for the quote. Keep it under 350 characters so it reads in one screen. Attach a PDF or a store-page link only if the customer asks for the full menu with item names.

How much advance should a caterer ask for?

Fifty percent at booking is the common practice for events, with the balance on the day after service. For bulk lunch boxes on a repeat basis, many kitchens take full payment in advance for the first order and move to weekly billing once the customer is regular. Whatever the split, state it in the quote and collect it through a payment link so the booking and the payment are tied together.

How quickly should I reply to a catering enquiry?

Within an hour during working hours, even if the reply is only a request for details. Customers planning an event usually message three or four caterers at once, and the first useful reply sets the benchmark. If you cannot quote immediately, say when you will, and send the detailed quote within two hours of getting the headcount, date and venue.