Stop Losing Catering Gigs to Booking Chaos Automate Appointments and Reclaim Your Time
Imagine saving 15+ hours a week on manual scheduling while boosting your customer satisfaction scores by 30%—without the hassle of clunky calendars or missed calls.
Join 250+ businesses with streamlined operations and happier clients
The "Event Scheduling" Nightmare
Juggling phone calls and emails for wedding or corporate event dates eats into kitchen prep time for sauces and appetizers
Double-bookings lead to awkward client apologies and lost revenue
Manual calendar checks during busy holiday seasons cause delays in confirming off-site catering orders and last-minute menu adjustments
Forgetting to follow up on inquiries means missing out on high-value wedding receptions or corporate boxed lunch gigs
Inconsistent availability updates frustrate clients waiting on your response
Inconsistent availability updates for peak banquet hours frustrate clients waiting on responses for plated dinner options
Our Custom AI Booking System Built Just for You
We've helped over 100 food service teams ditch the scheduling headaches with tailored automations that fit like a glove.
Why Choose Us
Let's be honest, catering isn't just about the food—it's about nailing the timing. At AIQ Labs, we build a custom appointment booking automation that's woven into your exact workflow. No off-the-shelf nonsense. We start by mapping your event types, from intimate dinners to massive galas, then integrate AI that handles inquiries via email, phone, or your site. It checks availability against your kitchen calendar, suggests slots based on staff and inventory, and even sends personalized confirmations with menu previews. You're probably thinking, 'How does this save me time?' Simple: it automates the back-and-forth, slashing response times from hours to minutes while ensuring no overlaps with prep schedules.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Time Savings That Boost Your Bottom Line
Save 15-20 Hours Weekly on Scheduling
Save 15-20 Hours Weekly on Scheduling: Here's the thing: manual booking is like prepping a feast with one hand tied behind your back. Our system automates it all, freeing your team to focus on what matters—creating memorable events with fresh, customized menus. Clients book directly for cocktail hours or full buffets, see real-time slots tied to kitchen capacity, and get instant confirmations. Result? You capture more gigs without the overtime costs, turning saved hours into an extra $5K in monthly revenue for a mid-sized caterer handling 20+ events.
Achieve 3x Faster ROI Through Efficiency Gains
Achieve 3x Faster ROI Through Efficiency Gains: You're probably thinking about the investment. Fair point. But with our custom build, you see payback in under 3 months for seasonal peaks. No more wasted shifts chasing confirmations on plated meals—our AI handles follow-ups, reducing no-shows by 40% even for outdoor events. For one catering firm specializing in corporate luncheons, this meant a 25% productivity boost, letting them handle 15 more events per quarter without hiring extra sous-chefs.
Elevate Customer Experience with Instant Responses
Elevate Customer Experience with Instant Responses: In catering, timing is everything—like plating the perfect dish right when it's hot. Our automation responds to inquiries in seconds, personalizing options based on event size, cuisine prefs like gluten-free or vegan, or venue constraints. This cuts frustration and builds loyalty; one client saw their repeat business jump 35% after ditching email tag for automated proposals on wedding dessert stations.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ, we'd spend afternoons untangling booking mix-ups for 100-guest weddings, losing at least two potential events a month due to overlapping kitchen prep schedules. Now, the system flags conflicts instantly and books seamlessly— we've added 12 more gigs this quarter without adding staff, boosting our quarterly revenue by $8K."
Maria Gonzalez
Operations Manager, Savory Events Catering (specializing in destination weddings)
"Our team was buried in calls during corporate season for boxed lunch orders, delaying quotes and frustrating clients with tight deadlines. After implementing their custom automation, responses are automatic, and we've cut scheduling time by 18 hours a week. It's like having an extra coordinator who never sleeps, allowing us to focus on sourcing fresh ingredients."
Jamal Carter
Owner, Urban Feast Caterers (experts in corporate and gala events)
"I was skeptical about AI for something as personal as Italian catering bookings, but this setup integrates our menu system perfectly with real-time checks for pasta and seafood inventory. No more manual checks—clients see available dates tied to our stock levels, and we've reduced cancellations by half in just two months, saving us from $3K in waste."
Elena Rossi
Event Coordinator, Bella Italia Catering (family-owned Italian specialists)
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Mapping
We dive into your catering workflow—event types, peak times, and pain points—to design a system that fits like your favorite apron. No templates here; it's all custom.
Build and Integrate
Our engineers craft the AI backbone, linking it to your calendars, CRM, and even inventory tools. We test rigorously to ensure it handles real scenarios, like last-minute changes for 200-guest banquets.
Launch and Optimize
Go live with training for your team, then monitor and tweak based on your first bookings. We stick around to refine, ensuring it evolves with your growing business.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does this automation handle last-minute changes in catering events?
Last-minute tweaks are a caterer's reality, especially with weather or client whims. Our custom AI system is built to adapt quickly. When a client requests a change via email or portal, it instantly rechecks availability against your current schedule, inventory levels, and staff rotations. For instance, if they shift a 150-person wedding from Saturday to Sunday, the system flags any overlaps and suggests alternatives in real-time. We integrate this with your tools, so approvals ping your team via mobile notifications. In practice, this has cut resolution time from hours to under 10 minutes for our clients, minimizing stress and keeping events on track. Plus, it logs all changes for easy auditing, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks during busy seasons.
Will this work with our existing catering software and calendars?
Absolutely, integration is our specialty at AIQ Labs. We don't force you into new tools; instead, we build bridges to what you already use, like QuickBooks for invoicing, Google Workspace for calendars, or specialized platforms such as Planning Pod. During discovery, we map your workflow—say, syncing event bookings directly to your prep roster—and create secure, two-way APIs that keep data flowing without manual entry. One catering company we worked with had a mishmash of Excel sheets and an old CRM; we unified it all, eliminating errors that used to cost them hours weekly. The result? A single view of bookings that updates in real-time, so your team always knows what's cooking.
What's the typical timeline to get this up and running for my catering business?
We keep it efficient because we know downtime hurts in food service. For most catering companies, the full build—from initial chat to live system—takes 4-6 weeks. Week one is discovery: we interview your team to understand event flows, like handling cocktail hours versus full plated dinners. Weeks two and three involve coding the AI logic and integrations, with weekly check-ins so you see progress. By week four, we're testing with your real data, simulating busy scenarios like a festival rush. Launch includes hands-on training, and we monitor the first two weeks to iron out any kinks. This phased approach ensures minimal disruption, and clients often report their first automated booking within a month, saving immediate time.
How much does a custom appointment booking automation cost for a small catering operation?
Costs vary based on your setup, but let's break it down honestly. For a small team handling 20-50 events monthly, expect $15,000-$25,000 for the full custom build. This covers discovery, development, integrations, and three months of support. Why the range? It depends on complexities like multi-venue syncing or voice AI add-ons. The ROI kicks in fast—saving 15 hours weekly at $50/hour staff rate means $30,000+ annual gains, often paying for itself in 3-4 months. We avoid subscription traps; you own the system outright. During your free consult, we'll audit your workflow and provide a precise quote, factoring in your scale and needs, so there's no surprises.
Can this system handle special requests like dietary restrictions during booking?
Yes, we make it a core feature because catering thrives on personalization. Our AI prompts clients to note details like vegan options or allergies right in the booking form, then tags them automatically in your system. For example, when booking a corporate luncheon, it can suggest menus based on group size and prefs, pulling from your database. This data flows straight to your kitchen prep list, reducing miscommunications that lead to unhappy guests. We've seen clients cut related complaints by 50%, as the system even flags potential issues, like allergen crossovers in shared venues. It's all tailored to your menu offerings, ensuring smooth handoffs from booking to plating.
What if my catering business grows—will the system scale with us?
Scalability is baked in from the start. Unlike rigid templates, our custom builds use robust frameworks that handle volume spikes, like jumping from 30 weekly inquiries to 100 during wedding season. We design with modular AI that learns from your data—optimizing suggestions as your event portfolio expands, say adding destination weddings. For one growing caterer, we scaled their system to support a 3x event increase without performance dips, integrating new features like multi-location dispatching. Post-launch, we offer optimization sessions to adapt to changes, ensuring it grows as seamlessly as your business does, without costly rebuilds.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.