A catering invoice prices food per guest, times the final headcount, then lists staff time, rentals and delivery as separate lines. The sample below shows an 85-guest staff lunch with the math visible on every line.
A made-up job, filled in to show how it's written. No sign-up, no email. US Letter, 1 page, 31 KB.
The sample PDF, made with the same invoice layout the Invoice Maker app prints. US Letter, 1 page, 31 KB.
What's on this sample
Invoice INV-377 from Saffron & Sage Catering to Lakeline Credit Union. Issued 31 Oct 2026. Due 14 Nov 2026.
Description
Qty
Unit price
Amount
Staff lunch Oct 30, buffet menu B, per guest
85
$24.50
$2,082.50
Dessert table, per guest
85
$6.00
$510.00
Serving staff, 4 staff x 5 hours (staff hours)
20
$35.00
$700.00
Linens and chafing dish rental
1
$180.00
$180.00
Delivery, setup and breakdown
1
$95.00
$95.00
Subtotal
$3,567.50
Sales tax (8.25%)
$294.32
Total
$3,861.82
The notes printed at the bottom
Final headcount of 85 confirmed by email on Oct 28. Guests added after the final count are billed at the per-guest price.
12 vegetarian and 3 gluten-free plates were included in the count.
Sample tax rate: use the rate that applies where you cater.
Why it's written this way
Food is priced per guest with the final headcount as the quantity, so the math is visible: 85 x $24.50.
Staff time is written as total staff hours (4 staff x 5 hours = 20) at one hourly rate.
Rentals and delivery are flat lines, so the client can see they are not food.
The app applies one tax rate to the whole invoice. The 8.25% here is only an example; use your own local rate.
How to write a catering invoice
The event: date, place, and what it was (staff lunch, wedding reception, office breakfast).
Food per guest: the menu name and per-guest price, with the final headcount as the quantity. Add a line per menu if guests chose different ones.
Staff time as total staff hours at one rate: 4 servers for 5 hours is 20 hours.
Rentals (linens, chafing dishes, glassware) and delivery, setup and breakdown as their own lines.
Sales tax at your local rate.
The final headcount and the date it was confirmed, in the notes.
The due date and how to pay.
Invoice the final headcount, not the estimate
Quote the event with an estimate at the expected headcount. Agree a date for the final count, a few days before the event, and say that guests added after it are billed at the per-guest price. Then invoice the confirmed number. Putting the count and its date in the notes ends most disputes before they start.
Dietary plates
Special plates (vegetarian, gluten-free) usually sit inside the headcount at the same price. If they cost more, give them their own line with their own count. Either way, note how many there were.
Tax on catering
Whether food, service charges, staff time or rentals are taxed depends on your state, and sometimes your city. Invoice Maker applies one tax rate to the whole invoice. If part of the bill is taxed and part isn’t where you work, check with your state’s revenue department or your accountant how to invoice it. The 8.25% on the sample is only an example.
Deposits
Caterers often take a deposit to hold the date. The app has no deposit lines: invoice the deposit on its own, then invoice the balance after the event and mention the deposit in the notes.
