A holiday party catering quote template, passed apps through coat check.
This is a free holiday party catering quote template built for the cocktail-format event: passed hors d'oeuvres and stationed appetizers per guest, bar packages from full to mocktail, staffing priced people-times-hours, and rentals and décor. Load it in the builder, set the headcount, and price the rest. It works for any cocktail reception, not only December parties.
Cocktail-format quotes have their own math: pieces per person. A cocktail hour before dinner plans four to six pieces per guest; a party where the apps are dinner plans twelve to eighteen, and a quote that doesn't plan for the difference runs short on food. The per-guest menu lines carry that planning, and the bar section keeps packages separate from bartender hours, because the client buys drinks per person and you schedule staff per hour.
What’s in the template
This is the exact checklist that loads in the builder, with each line’s unit already set. Delete what this job doesn’t need.
Menu & Food5 lines
Passed and stationed apps per guest with the pieces-per-person plan in the line name, the buffet dinner, dessert, and the late-night snack.
- Passed hors d'oeuvresperson
- Stationed appetizersperson
- Buffet dinnerperson
- Dessert displayperson
- Late-night snackperson
Per person. Cocktail-only events: plan 12–18 pieces per guest.
Bar & Beverage5 lines
Bar packages per guest from full to mocktail, the signature cocktail, and bartenders priced by the hour, separate from the drinks.
- Full bar packageperson
- Beer & wine packageperson
- Signature cocktailperson
- Mocktail / NA packageperson
- Bartendershour
Staffing3 lines
Servers priced people-times-hours, the event captain, and the coat-check attendant.
- Servershour
- Event captainhour
- Coat-check attendanthour
Unit: hour. Quantity = staff count, multiplier = hours.
Rentals & Décor4 lines
High-tops and linens, glassware per guest, the décor package, and event lighting.
- High-top tables & linenseach
- Glasswareperson
- Holiday décor packageflat
- Event lightingflat
Logistics3 lines
Delivery and setup, breakdown and cleanup, and staff gratuity as its own visible line, separate from the service charge.
- Delivery & setupflat
- Breakdown & cleanupflat
- Staff gratuityflat
Questions
Units, tax, deposits and exports are covered in the Help guide.
What does a holiday party catering quote include?
Five sections: menu and food per guest (passed hors d'oeuvres, stationed appetizers, buffet dinner, dessert display, the late-night snack), bar and beverage (full bar, beer and wine, signature cocktail, NA package, bartenders by the hour), staffing priced people-times-hours including coat check, rentals and décor, and logistics ending with a visible staff gratuity line. It covers any cocktail reception.
What does holiday party catering go for in 2026?
Holiday office parties commonly run $35 to $80 per person, with hors d'oeuvres receptions at roughly $15 to $40 a head for drop-off trays and $60 to $90 staffed, and light-bites formats at $10 to $25. A casual hundred-person party lands near $2,000 while a formal one runs closer to $4,000, and a 75-person party with a premium buffet and full bar can reach $5,000. Clients should budget 20 to 30 percent over the food number for service fees, gratuity, and tax, which this quote shows as lines.
How many appetizers per person should the quote plan for?
It depends on the format. Four to six pieces per guest covers a cocktail hour before dinner; eight to ten covers a reception with heavy stations; twelve to eighteen pieces per guest is the number when the appetizers are the dinner. The per-guest menu lines carry whichever plan you quote, and writing the assumption into the line name records what was planned.
Is the holiday party catering quote template free to use?
Yes. The builder runs without an account, and the free plan includes every estimate export: client PDF, Excel, CSV, an internal budget export, and a read-only share link that carries a client-safe copy inside the link itself. A free account adds one cloud-saved estimate. Pro is a one-time purchase, not a subscription: your branding on client exports, no Estimatery footer, invoice exports, unlimited cloud saves, and a Saved Items catalog of your standard lines.
Cost figures are national ranges compiled from ZeroCater (date not shown), Giggster (date not shown), Thumbtack (updated Jan 21, year not shown), Yelp (updated Oct 2026), Fash (Mar 15, 2023), accessed October 2026. Your market sets the real number.
Related catering templates
Boxed lunches through plated dinners, delivery to staffed.
Per-guest menu, bar, staffing, rentals, and logistics.
Event packages with minimum guarantees and service windows.
General information for pricing your own work. Not legal, tax or accounting advice. Deposit caps, licensing, lien and permit rules vary by state.