Why catering quoting is slow
A catering enquiry cannot be priced without the date, the guest count, the event type, the service format and the location, and it almost never arrives with them. So the first reply is a list of questions, and by the time the details come back a competitor has sent a proposal. Date availability is the other issue: popular dates are held verbally and then collapse because no deposit was attached.
What we build for a caterer
First, a menu package builder by headcount and event type, producing a consistent number instead of a hand calculation that differs per enquiry. Second, a date availability calendar, since that is the first question and the main constraint. Third, deposits taken at booking, which is what makes a held date real. Fourth, equipment, staffing and service format options priced, because those are what the client forgot and what the margin sits in.