How to write a catering request that gets you an accurate quote fast

A good catering request is a short email that answers the questions I would otherwise have to ask you. I read and price every request myself, and the difference between a quote that goes out in an hour and one that takes three days of back-and-forth is almost never the size of the order. It is whether the first message had the date, the headcount and the address in it.

The short answer: A catering request needs seven details: the date, the delivery time or window, the headcount, the full address, the kind of meal (lunch, dinner or a snack alongside other food), any dietary needs, and your phone number. Add the occasion and a rough budget if you have one. With those, most caterers, including Maggie’s, can send an accurate quote the same business day.

Here is why each detail matters, a template you can copy, and what happens on my end once your request lands.

The seven details every catering request needs

I have organized these in the order I read them. If your email has all seven, I can write your quote without replying with questions first.

1. The date. Obvious, and still the most commonly missing detail. Include the day of the week too; it catches typos.
2. The delivery window. When you want the food to arrive, not when the event starts. For a noon lunch, ask for 11:15 to 11:45. If you do not know, tell me when people will eat and I will suggest a window.
3. The headcount. A range is fine: “about 40, could be 50.” I plan in dozens, so I would rather have an honest range than a false precise number. My guide to how many tamales per person helps you turn people into dozens.
4. The full address. Street, suite or building, city, and any gate code or loading door. Richardson, Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney and Dallas are all in our delivery area, and each has its own quirks; a Plano business park and a Dallas high-rise need different notes.
5. The kind of meal. Lunch means two tamales per person, dinner means three, and a snack alongside other food means one or two. This single word changes the quote more than anything else.
6. Dietary needs. Gluten, dairy, nuts, spice-shy guests, kids. Our masa is gluten-free corn, our chicken tamales use chicken breast, and I can keep salsas on the side; I just need to know.
7. Your phone number. For the day-of contact, and because some things are faster to settle in a two-minute call than in six emails.

The details that make the quote better, not just faster

The seven above get you a quote. These three make it a good one.

The occasion. “Office lunch for a training day” and “rehearsal dinner in the backyard” both might be forty people, but one wants foil-wrapped burritos and boxed convenience while the other wants pans of tamales, rice, beans and a proper salsa station. Tell me what the day is and I will shape the menu to it. Our parties and celebrations page shows what a family event usually looks like, and the office catering page shows the workday version.

The budget, roughly. Hosts hesitate to name a number, but it saves everyone time. If you tell me you have about $300 for tamales, I know that is five dozen, which is a lunch for thirty, and I can tell you straight away whether that fits your headcount. At $5 per tamal the math is transparent, so there is nothing to lose by saying it.

The service style. Buffet-style with serving spoons, salsas and crema, or individual boxed meals? Both are fine; they are packed differently. If you are unsure, describe the room and I will suggest one.

A catering request template you can copy

Here is the request I wish every first-time host would send. Replace the details and paste it into the quote form or an email.

Hi Maggie, I would like a quote for a catered lunch on Friday of next week for our office in Plano. About 36 people, could be up to 42. Please deliver between 11:15 and 11:45 AM to 1200 Example Parkway, Suite 210, Plano; the loading door is on the north side. Buffet-style, tamales with rice, beans, chips and both salsas. Two people are gluten-free and a few prefer mild, so salsas on the side please. Our budget for the tamales is around $360. My cell is (555) 555-0100 and I will meet the driver. Thank you!

That is eight sentences, and it contains everything I need. Read it back and you will see all seven details and the three extras. I would price that as six dozen tamales ($360) plus the sides on the quote, with a suggestion to consider seven dozen if the 42 is likely, since $60 more covers six extra people and leftovers freeze well.

If your request is for a holiday, add the words “holiday order” near the top. The weeks before Thanksgiving and Christmas fill first, and our holiday tamales page explains how those pre-orders work.

What a request looks like at different headcounts

Hosts often ask what their headcount translates to before they write, so here is the tamale part of the arithmetic at the delivery price of $60 per dozen. The sides are added on the quote.

If your number sits between rows, round up to the next dozen. The full tamale menu lists the three-tamale plate, the half-dozen and the dozen with delivery prices, so you can sanity-check any quote against it.

Common mistakes that slow a quote down

• Asking “how much for catering?” with nothing else. I cannot price a mystery. Even “about 30 people, lunch, Richardson, next month” is enough to start.
• Giving the event start time instead of the delivery time. If the party starts at 6 PM and you write 6 PM, the food arrives while guests are walking in. Say when you want the truck.
• Leaving out the city. Delivery windows depend on it. Our Richardson and McKinney catering pages, for instance, describe very different drives from the kitchen.
• Sending the request from an address you do not check. The quote usually comes back the same business day; if it sits unread for a week, the date may fill.
• Waiting until the headcount is exact. Send the range now and confirm the number later. I explain the whole sequence in my guide to ordering catering for the first time.

What happens after you send it

Your request comes to me. I read it, do the dozens, think about the room you described and write a quote with a menu, the delivery window and the total, usually the same business day during kitchen hours. If something is unclear, I call. Once you approve, the date is held and the details of payment and any deposit are confirmed with the quote; I describe what that looks like in catering deposits and payment.

If you are comparing caterers, the same request works for all of them, and you can judge them partly by how they answer it. My list of questions to ask a caterer before booking is a good companion; a caterer who answers a clear request with a vague quote has told you something useful.

Ready to send your catering request?

Whether it is a lunch for twelve or a celebration for a hundred and fifty, Maggie’s reads every request personally and answers with a menu and a price the same business day. Copy the template above, fill in your date, headcount and address, and send it through the form. Send your catering request or call the kitchen and I will take the details over the phone.

Frequently asked questions

What should I include in a catering request?

The date, the delivery window, the headcount or a range, the full address with suite and gate details, the kind of meal (lunch, dinner or snack), any dietary needs, and your phone number. Add the occasion, a rough budget and the service style if you know them. With those in one message, a caterer can usually send an accurate quote without asking follow-up questions.

How far in advance should I send a catering request?

As soon as you have a date and a rough headcount. For a party or office lunch, two to four weeks ahead is comfortable; for holidays and events over a hundred guests, earlier is better because those dates fill first. You do not need a final menu or exact number to write; send a range now and confirm the details about a week before the event.

Do I need to know the exact headcount before requesting a quote?

No. A range such as “about 40, could be 50” is more useful than a guess presented as a fact. Tamales are ordered by the dozen, so I price the range and suggest a buffer. You confirm the final number closer to the event, and small changes are usually easy; the exact cutoff for changes is written on the quote.

Should I mention my budget in a catering request?

Yes. It saves a round of emails and lets the caterer propose a menu that fits. Our prices are simple, $5 per tamal or $60 a dozen, so a budget of $300 is five dozen, a lunch for thirty. Saying the number does not raise the price; it lets me tell you right away whether your headcount and budget agree, and what to adjust if they do not.

How quickly will I get a quote back?

At Maggie’s, usually the same business day during kitchen hours, which are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM. A request sent on Thursday or Sunday is answered on the next kitchen day. Requests with all seven details are the fastest; a request missing the date, the headcount or the address needs a reply before it can be priced.

Can I request catering by phone instead of email?

Of course. Call (469) 888-8398 during kitchen hours and I will take the same seven details over the phone. For larger or more detailed events I still like to send a written quote afterward so you have the menu, the window and the total in one place. The online quote form works the same way and is easiest if you want to paste in the template.