Catering Cost & Quote Calculator Excel Google Sheets, Catering Estimate Template with Food Cost Price Book and Event Log, Instant Download

Price a full event in minutes and know your food cost and margin before you send the quote.

This is a costing and quoting workbook built for catering business owners and personal chefs. You build the event from a per-guest menu and staffing catalog, and the spreadsheet works out food cost, labor, overhead, markup, deposit, and your margin. Then it builds a clean client quote with your business name on it, ready to print or save as a PDF. No macros, no add-ins, no subscription.

WHAT'S INSIDE (6 TABS)

1. Start Here. Plain instructions, a 60-second setup checklist, how to clear the sample event, and Google Sheets import steps.
2. Settings. Your business info, staff rates, markup %, overhead %, tax rate and label, deposit %, and quote validity. Set these once and every quote uses them.
3. Price Book. A 96-item catering catalog across passed and displayed appetizers, plated courses, buffets and stations, desserts, beverage and bar service, staffing, rentals, and delivery. Food items are priced per guest as your raw food cost; staffing is priced by the shift. Every price is editable and you can add your own rows.
4. Estimate. Your internal view. Pick menu items and staffing from a dropdown and enter guest counts. Food cost, labor, and totals fill in automatically. A totals block shows food cost, labor, overhead, markup, grand total, margin %, and deposit due, so you can see the food-cost percentage and profit on every event.
5. Client Quote. The customer-facing sheet. Pulls your business header and the event details automatically, shows one clean price per menu category with no internal costs shown, and includes catering terms and a signature line. Print area is preset for letter paper.
6. Event Log. A running book of business. Log every quote with the client, guest count, event date, quote total, deposit, and status so you can track deposits and spot repeat clients at a glance. It is yours alone and never appears on the customer quote.

A complete sample event (an 80-guest plated wedding) is pre-filled so you can see how everything works before you clear it and start your own.

COMPATIBILITY

Works with Microsoft Excel 2016+ and Google Sheets (import steps included). Formulas use only functions both platforms support. No macros or VBA anywhere in the file.

INSTANT DOWNLOAD

This is a digital product. You get the .xlsx file immediately after purchase. Nothing is shipped.

SUPPORT

If something is unclear or a formula misbehaves, message us through Etsy and we will get you sorted. Buyers also receive fixes and improvements to this version of the workbook.

Please note: because this is a digital file, all sales are final. If you hit a problem, contact us first and we will make it right.

The prices in the price book are realistic starting points, not quotes for your market. Review and adjust them to your local food and labor costs before sending real quotes.

Designed by Wareloft. Built with AI assistance and human-reviewed.

RUN MORE THAN ONE TRADE?

This workbook is also part of the ALL-TRADES ESTIMATOR BUNDLE: all 21 Wareloft workbooks in one download, for less than the price of four bought separately. See the bundle listing here:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/4543437673/contractor-estimate-template-bundle-21