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Catering inquiry form template
Turn catering inquiries into briefs you can actually quote. Collect the date, guest count, venue, menu preferences and service style in a free event inquiry form for independent caterers.
No account needed to edit. Create a free account to publish.
Inside the template · 14 questions
What should a catering inquiry form include?
“A party for about 40 people” is a start, not a complete brief. Ask about the event date and venue, guest count, service style, approximate budget and menu preferences before preparing a proposal.
Buffet delivery shows a delivery-time question. A fully staffed dinner shows a question about staff and equipment instead. Corporate lunches also ask for the company name; weddings and private parties skip that question.
Dietary needs have their own space. Treat those answers as the start of a discussion, and confirm what you can accommodate before agreeing a menu.
Edit the wording, add or remove questions, and change the look in the editor.
Use this template-
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What is your name?
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2
Where should we send your proposal?
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3
What kind of event are you planning?
A wedding · A corporate lunch · A private party
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4
When is the event?
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5
Where will the event take place?
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6
About how many guests are you expecting?
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7
What service style would you like?
Buffet delivery · A fully staffed dinner · Pickup
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8
What is your approximate total catering budget?
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9
What food or menu do you have in mind?
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10
Are there dietary needs or allergies to discuss?
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11
What staff or equipment will you need?
Asked after “A fully staffed dinner”
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12
What time should the buffet delivery arrive?
Asked after “Buffet delivery”
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13
What is your company or organization called?
Asked after “A corporate lunch”
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14
Anything else we should consider?
From inquiry to next step
An event brief, before the proposal
The same inquiry link can live on your catering website or be sent when someone asks for a proposal. It brings the event details together before you discuss the menu, staffing and price.
This template supports the inquiry stage. It is not a menu checkout, a catering contract or a confirmed booking. Keep proposal approval, payment and event operations in your existing workflow.
Illustrative completed inquiry
- Event
- A private party · May 15, 2027
- Venue
- A community hall in Portland
- Guests
- About 40
- Service style
- Buffet delivery · arrive at 5 pm
- Total catering budget
- $1,200–$1,600
- Menu and dietary needs
- A seasonal buffet; vegetarian options to discuss
Example answers, not a customer testimonial or a confirmed menu. Completed event inquiries can be reviewed in your trulyform response inbox.
From catering request to a useful brief
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01
Adapt it to your catering service
Change the event types and service styles to the options you offer. Use Preview to try buffet delivery, a staffed dinner and pickup, then adjust the conditional questions.
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02
Publish the same form
Choose Publish and create a free account. The questions and design you edited stay with you through signup.
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03
Share it before you quote
Add the link to your catering inquiry button or embed the form on your site. Review completed briefs, clarify any requirements and prepare your proposal through your own process.
Good questions
A few things you might wonder.
Still curious? Send us a note.
Planning how many responses you’ll collect? See Free plan limits.
Is this a catering order form or an inquiry form?
It is an inquiry form for the details you need before quoting. It does not sell menu items, calculate a total, collect payment or confirm an order. If someone searches for a catering request form, this template covers the initial request stage.
Can it handle weddings, corporate lunches and private parties?
Yes. Those event types are included. Corporate lunches show a company-name question. You can change the event choices and add other follow-ups in the editor.
Do delivery and staffed events get different questions?
Yes. Buffet delivery shows a delivery-time question; a fully staffed dinner shows a staff-and-equipment question. Pickup skips both. The rest of the event brief is shared.
Is this catering inquiry form template free?
Yes. Edit it without an account, then create a free trulyform account to publish and collect responses within the Free plan’s monthly allowance.
Should the form ask about food allergies?
The template includes an optional question about dietary needs and allergies so you can discuss them before preparing a menu. Collecting an answer is not a guarantee that you can accommodate it; confirm requirements directly with the client.
Can I embed it on my catering website?
Yes. Publish the form, open Share your form and copy the embed code into an HTML or embed block on your website. You can also use the public link for an inquiry button or send it by email.
How do I see new catering inquiries?
Completed inquiries appear in your response inbox and can be exported as CSV. The organization owner gets an email after the first completed response; later completions are grouped into summaries, sent at most once an hour.