Stop Losing Hours Manually Crafting Quotes for Every Catering Gig Automate It All with Custom AI
Imagine slashing your quote prep time from 4-6 hours per event to just minutes, boosting your weekly productivity by 20+ hours and unlocking real ROI through faster client wins.
Join 150+ food service businesses with streamlined operations
The "Manual Quote Chaos" Problem
Sifting through scattered emails and scribbled notes to track client preferences for appetizers, bar packages, and guest counts during every wedding inquiry
Manually recalculating menu costs for fluctuating seasonal produce like summer berries or holiday seafood, plus overtime for extra line cooks during peak events
Juggling last-minute custom menu tweaks like swapping plated dinners for family-style buffets and adding dessert stations without a single hub for recipes and pricing
Blowing peak-season quote deadlines for corporate luncheons or holiday parties because of delayed manual data entry from tasting notes and vendor invoices
Overlooking key dietary restrictions such as vegan options or nut allergies, or venue details like on-site kitchen access, in hastily prepared catering proposals
Struggling to track multiple quote versions for sprawling 300-guest weddings, leading to confusion over final headcounts, linens, and floral integrations during client follow-ups
Our Custom AI Quote Generator: Built for Your Catering Workflow
We've powered quote automation for over 50 food service teams, turning chaotic event prep into seamless efficiency.
Why Choose Us
Here's the thing: in catering, every event is unique—like a custom wedding feast versus a corporate lunch rush. We don't slap on generic tools. Instead, we build a tailored AI system that integrates your inventory lists, supplier pricing, and client CRM right into one smart workflow. It pulls event details automatically, crunches numbers on the fly, and spits out polished PDFs. You're probably thinking, 'Will it handle my weird add-ons like vegan desserts?' Absolutely. We map your exact processes, ensuring it's like having an extra planner who never sleeps. Short version: less hassle, more bookings.
What Makes Us Different:
Unlock Tangible Time and Cost Wins
Save 15-20 Hours Weekly on Quote Prep
Save 15-20 Hours Weekly on Quote Prep: No more late nights tallying cocktail hours with premium liquor upgrades or intricate buffet setups for 150 guests. Our system automates the grunt work like auto-populating plating costs and staff ratios, letting you focus on perfecting tasting menus and charming clients at consultations. That's time reclaimed for growing your catering empire—think landing that big corporate gala for 500 attendees instead of wrestling spreadsheets.
Achieve 25% Faster Quote Turnaround with 40% Cost Reduction
Achieve 25% Faster Quote Turnaround with 40% Cost Reduction: Quotes for events like beachside weddings or office holiday spreads fly out in minutes, not days, impressing clients with your speed and precision. Efficiency gains mean fewer staff hours wasted on revisions for add-ons like charcuterie boards, directly cutting operational costs on ingredients and overtime. It's like streamlining your kitchen line during rush hour—everything flows smoother, food waste drops by optimizing portions, and your bottom line thanks you within the first quarter.
Boost Productivity and Close Rates by 35%
Boost Productivity and Close Rates by 35%: With error-free, personalized proposals that auto-incorporate client notes on wine pairings or eco-friendly disposables, clients say yes quicker to your event packages. We've seen teams handle 50% more inquiries for bar mitzvahs or galas without burnout, scaling from 10 to 15 events per month. Picture this: your ROI kicks in within 2-3 months, as automated accuracy turns hesitant leads into confirmed bookings with upsold dessert bars.
What Clients Say
"Before AIQ, quoting for our 200-guest weddings took my assistant a full afternoon—lots of back-and-forth on passed hors d'oeuvres, open bar tabs, and linen setups. Now, it generates everything in 10 minutes, including auto-calculated staffing for servers, and we've cut errors that used to cost us $500 in last-minute ingredient refunds last year. Bookings are up 20% this quarter, especially for summer receptions."
Maria Gonzalez
Operations Manager, Fiesta Catering Co., specializing in Latin-inspired wedding events in Miami
"Corporate events mean constant changes—gluten-free passed apps one day, integrated AV for keynote lunches the next. Manual quotes were killing us during Q4 busy seasons with holiday party surges. Their custom AI nailed our workflow by auto-adjusting for venue power needs and allergen flags; we saved 12 hours a week and landed a $15K executive luncheon contract we almost missed due to a deadline crunch."
David Chen
Owner, Urban Bites Catering, focused on tech-sector corporate events in San Francisco
"I was skeptical about AI handling our seasonal menu fluctuations, like summer BBQ pricing with ribeye spikes or fall harvest salad upsells. But after a quick two-week setup, it auto-adjusts for ingredient hikes from local farms and even suggests add-ons like craft cocktail pairings. ROI hit in two months—our team's not buried in Excel tracking produce yields anymore, and client satisfaction is through the roof with zero mix-ups on custom vegan stations."
Sarah Patel
Event Coordinator, Gourmet Gatherings, boutique caterer for farm-to-table weddings in Austin
Simple 3-Step Process
Discovery and Mapping
We dive into your daily grind—reviewing sample quotes, event types, and pain points like rush-hour inquiries. This ensures the AI fits your catering style perfectly, no cookie-cutter nonsense.
Custom Build and Integration
Our engineers craft the AI from scratch, linking it to your calendars, inventory, and client notes. Test runs mimic real scenarios, like a last-minute 100-person gala, to iron out kinks.
Launch and Optimization
Go live with training for your team, then we monitor and tweak based on feedback. Expect full ROI tracking from day one, with ongoing support to keep things humming through peak wedding season.
Why We're Different
What's Included
Common Questions
How does the AI handle custom requests like themed events or special dietary needs?
Let's be honest, catering is all about personalization—think a pirate-themed BBQ with vegan options. Our system starts by ingesting your master menu and client inquiry data. The AI intelligently categorizes requests, cross-references against your inventory (e.g., flagging gluten-free alternatives), and generates tailored sections in the quote. If something's ambiguous, like 'low-carb hors d'oeuvres,' it prompts for clarification via integrated chat. We've built this for real scenarios, so it learns from your past events to suggest accurate pricing and feasibility. Result? Quotes that wow clients without you spending hours on research. Setup takes about a week, and it evolves with feedback to match your style perfectly.
What kind of time savings can I realistically expect for my catering team?
You're probably thinking, 'My team's already stretched thin with prep and deliveries.' Fair point. For most catering companies we work with, manual quoting eats up 4-6 hours per event—chasing details, pricing out stations, formatting docs. Our custom AI cuts that to under 15 minutes by automating data pulls from emails, CRM, and suppliers. One client saved 18 hours a week during wedding season, redirecting time to client follow-ups. That's not fluff; we track it via built-in metrics. ROI? Often pays for itself in 1-2 months through faster turnarounds and fewer errors, like overestimating portions that waste ingredients.
Is this automation secure for sensitive client and pricing data?
In food service, trust is everything—clients share event details like celebrity guest lists or budgets. We prioritize security from the start, using enterprise-grade encryption for all data in transit and at rest. Your quotes, menus, and supplier costs stay locked down, with role-based access so only your team sees what they need. Compliant with standards like GDPR and food industry regs, we've audited our builds for vulnerabilities. No shared servers or risky APIs; it's a dedicated system you own. Think of it like securing your kitchen against contamination—thorough and reliable. If concerns arise, we provide a full security rundown during discovery.
How do you customize it to my specific catering workflow?
No two caterers are alike—one might specialize in intimate dinners, another in massive conferences. We kick off with a deep dive: reviewing your sample quotes, event calendars, and bottlenecks like seasonal pricing swings. Then, we map your processes—say, how you calculate bar tabs or add AV fees—into the AI's logic. It's not a template; we code it bespoke, integrating tools you already use, like QuickBooks for invoicing or Google Calendar for bookings. Testing involves real mocks, like a 150-person gala quote. Post-launch, we refine based on your usage. This tailored approach ensures it feels like an extension of your team, boosting efficiency without disrupting your flow.
What if I need to scale this for busier seasons or more staff?
Peak times in catering—like summer weddings or holiday parties—can overwhelm any system. Our AI is built scalable, hosted on robust cloud infrastructure that handles spikes without a hitch. Start with your current volume (say, 20 quotes a month), and as you grow to 100, it just ramps up—no extra costs or slowdowns. We design for multi-user access, so your coordinators can collaborate in real-time on revisions. One caterer we helped went from 15 events quarterly to 50 after launch, saving 25 hours weekly. We monitor performance and optimize proactively, ensuring it supports your expansion. It's like prepping extra dough for a rush—ready to rise with demand.
How quickly can I see ROI from this quote automation?
Here's the thing: you shouldn't wait months for payback in a fast-paced industry like catering. Most clients see initial wins in the first week—time savings alone from ditching manual entry. For a mid-sized operation quoting 10-15 events monthly, expect 15-20 hours freed up weekly, translating to $1,500-$3,000 in labor costs at typical rates. Add higher close rates from polished, speedy proposals, and ROI hits in 4-8 weeks. We provide a custom projection during consultation, based on your numbers, like past quote volumes and error rates. Track it all in the dashboard. It's practical math: less waste, more revenue, tailored to your books.
Ready to Get Started?
Book your free consultation and discover how we can transform your business with AI.