In short
- Three reconstructed examples, not real quotes: house party (30 guests), corporate event (80), wedding (150).
- The food figures are indicative national ranges, based on industry estimates.
- Extra staff, hire and transport are items to be quoted: that is where the differences between two offers arise.
- Use the examples as a template for requesting and comparing your own quotes.
A quote is easier to understand when you see a complete one. Here you will find three examples built line by line, for three typical events in Rome. They are not offers from a caterer: they are our own reconstructions, with figures taken from stated public sources.
Where no reliable figure exists, the item stays "to be quoted". That is where you need to ask questions. The method for reading each line is in the guide on how to read a catering quote.
How the examples are built
- The food uses the ranges and, for the wedding, the average.
- Staff use the indicative ratios from industry guides, already explained in the guide on how many waiters you need. We give the number of people, not their cost.
- VAT is at 10%, the standard rate for catering with service.
- All totals are indicative: ranges multiplied out, not prices.
Example 1: house party, 30 guests
A Saturday evening birthday in a house with a garden in Monteverde. Standing apericena (an aperitivo generous enough to replace dinner), delivery and service, no cooking on site.
| Item | What it contains | Indicative figure |
|---|---|---|
| Apericena | Finger food, two hot dishes, a first course in a small bowl, dessert | €15-25 per person (aperitivo and cocktail ranges) |
| Food total | 30 guests | €450-750 |
| Drinks | Water, wine, soft drinks | to be quoted: included or separate |
| Staff | 1-2 attendants, roughly one for every 25-30 guests for passed food | to be quoted, with hours |
| Crockery and linen | Disposable, or ceramic and glass | to be quoted |
| Transport | Delivery and collection | to be quoted, often included within a certain distance |
| Cake | Outside pastry shop | ask about any cutting fee |
| VAT | 10% if there is service | check whether included |
What to look at: with 30 guests many caterers have a minimum order. Below that threshold the price per person goes up. Ask in your first message. For parties at home there is also the guide to the apericena at home.
Example 2: corporate event, 80 guests
A training day in a room at EUR, from 9 am to 5 pm. Welcome coffee, afternoon coffee break, buffet light lunch. Invoice to the company.
| Item | What it contains | Indicative figure |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome coffee | Coffee, tea, juices, sweet and savoury baked goods | €7-15 per person |
| Light lunch | Cold and hot buffet, water | €12-18 per person |
| Afternoon coffee break | Coffee, fruit, dry pastries | €7-15 per person |
| Food total per person | Three services | €26-48 |
| Food total | 80 guests | €2,080-3,840 excluding VAT |
| VAT at 10% | €208-384 | |
| Total with VAT | €2,288-4,224 | |
| Staff | Station attendants for three moments | to be quoted: continuous presence or in slots |
| Espresso machine | With attendant or self-service | to be quoted |
| Set-up | Buffet tables, linen | often the venue's, to be checked |
| Access and loading | Building hours, goods lift | to be checked with the venue |
What to look at: in quotes to companies the price is often exclusive of VAT. Ask whether the staff stay all day or arrive only for each service: it changes the bill a great deal. The ranges for each format are in the guide to corporate catering prices.
Example 3: wedding, 150 guests
A Saturday in June in an empty villa (no in-house caterer) in the Castelli Romani. Aperitivo with stations in the garden, served dinner, dessert buffet, open bar after the cake.
| Item | What it contains | Indicative figure |
|---|---|---|
| Banquet | Aperitivo, served dinner, desserts | around €125 per person on average, or €90-150 |
| Banquet total | 150 guests | around €18,750 (average) or €13,500-22,500 (range) |
| Children's menu | Reduced price, age to be asked | to be quoted |
| Suppliers' meal | Photographer, musicians, wedding planner | to be quoted |
| Wine with the meal | Labels, bottles per guest | included or separate |
| Open bar | Duration, drinks, bartenders: industry guides suggest one bartender per 50-75 guests, so 2-3 | separate item to be quoted |
| Waiters | Industry guides suggest 1 per 15-20 guests for a served meal, so 8-10 | hours included and extra hour to be quoted |
| Hire | Tables, chairs, linen, crockery in an empty villa | to be quoted |
| Field kitchen, generator | If the villa has no kitchen | to be quoted |
| Cake | The caterer's or a pastry shop's | included, or cutting fee |
| Transport | Distance to the Castelli | possible supplement |
| VAT | 10% | check whether included |
What to look at: in an empty villa, hire can weigh heavily. At a venue with an exclusive caterer it is often already included. The starting ranges for weddings are in the guide on how much wedding catering costs.
What the three examples teach
- Food is the easiest part to estimate. Public ranges give a credible order of magnitude.
- The real differences lie in the "to be quoted" lines. Two quotes with the same price per person can have very different totals.
- The format weighs as much as the guests. A corporate day with three services costs more than one with a single service, even with fewer people.
- VAT must always be aligned. Bring all offers to the same basis before comparing them.
The items that often appear only on the invoice are listed in the guide to catering extra costs.
Questions to ask the caterer
- Can you send me a quote with one line for each item, as in the examples?
- Is the price inclusive or exclusive of VAT?
- Is there a minimum number of guests or a minimum spend?
- How many staff do you plan, in which roles and for which hours?
- How much does each extra hour cost?
- Are drinks and coffee included?
- Are hire, transport and set-up included or separate?
- How much do the children's menu and the suppliers' meal cost?
- By when can I change the number of guests?
From template to your quote
Copy the table that most resembles your event and send it to caterers with the date, guests and area. Ask them to fill in every line. That way the answers arrive already comparable. You can start from the list of caterers in Rome, from those for private parties or for corporate events, and then request a quote.
