Catering

Catering online ordering: orders land priced, paid, and on your calendar

Offices order catering, group lunches, and meals for later on your own site. You set the lead time and the minimum, and you confirm every order.

Start free Take a test drive

Works withSquareShopifyToastCloverDoorDashand any system that gives you API access

Big orders still arrive by phone and email

A catering order is the best ticket of the week. It's also the one most likely to go wrong.

An office emails a headcount and no order.
The quote goes back and forth three times.
Payment waits until the driver is at the door.
Someone forgets to add the tax exemption.
Lunch for twelve arrives as twelve separate orders.
A Friday order comes in on Thursday night.

A catering menu per location

Mark trays and boxes as catering, with how many each one serves and a minimum quantity. Each location keeps its own catering menu.

Headcount, time, and company

The guest picks a headcount, the items, and a pickup or delivery time. They add a company name and a contact for the day.

Your lead time and limits

Set a minimum lead time, which starts at 24 hours, and a minimum order amount. A daily limit keeps catering from filling the kitchen.

You confirm every order

Each catering order waits for you to accept it. An order you don't confirm in time is cancelled and refunded before the guest's deadline.

Deposit or pay in full

Take full payment at checkout or, with a Stripe account, a deposit now and the balance 24 hours before the event.

Tax exempt orders

A guest can enter a tax exemption certificate number. The quote keeps tax until you approve the certificate, then drops it.

On the console calendar

Every catering order shows on the calendar in the console. You see the week's events next to the headcount and the time.

ezCater orders on the same calendar

Connect ezCater with a token from ezManage. Orders you accept there appear beside your own catering and print in your POS.

One link for the whole office

A host shares a link, and each person adds their own items without an account. Up to 50 people can join one group order.

Names on every ticket

Each item carries the name of the person who added it. The name prints on the kitchen ticket and the bag label.

The host pays once

At the deadline the cart locks, and the host checks out for everyone. The link stops working after checkout or 24 hours.

Order up to 14 days ahead

Guests pick a day and a time slot at checkout. You choose how far ahead they can book and how many orders fit in each slot.

Sent to the kitchen on time

A scheduled order reaches the kitchen and your POS when it's time to start cooking. It never lands at breakfast for a dinner pickup.

Build the catering menu

Pick the items you cater, then set servings and minimums. Prices come from your menu, so nothing is typed twice.

Set the rules for each location

Choose the lead time, the minimum order, the daily limit, and whether you take a deposit.

Add delivery if you want it

Turn on DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct for a location, or send your own staff. Pickup works from day one.

A real quote at checkout

The guest sees the courier's price for their address. An address out of range gets no quote, so the order can't be placed.

See online ordering

Courier cost at cost

Appetier adds no markup on the courier. You can cover part of the fee or add a fixed amount per location.

See pricing

Tracking and a full tip

The guest follows the courier on a tracking page, and the tip goes to the driver in full. Marketplace orders keep their own drivers.

See marketplace orders

Catering reaches your POS and your couriers

Catering orders print in your POS like any direct order. Accepted ezCater orders join them. Couriers come from DoorDash Drive or Uber Direct, and deposits run on Stripe.

See integrations

Square
Shopify
Toast
Clover
Revel
Micros
ezCater
DoorDash Drive
Uber Direct
Stripe

Catering FAQs

What owners ask before they move catering off the phone.

Do catering orders count toward the Growth fee?

Yes. A catering order on Appetier checkout pays 5% of its food subtotal, and the fee still stops at $199 a month per location. Tax, tips, and delivery fees don't count.

Is Appetier commission-free catering software?

Once a location's fee reaches $199 in a month, yes. Catering orders after that carry no commission. Before the cap, a catering order pays 5% of its food subtotal.

How much notice do I get for a catering order?

The default minimum lead time is 24 hours, and you can change it per location. A daily limit caps how many catering orders one day can take.

Can I take a deposit instead of full payment?

Yes, if the brand runs payments on Stripe. The guest pays a deposit at checkout, and the saved card is charged the balance 24 hours before the event. Other processors take payment in full.

How do tax exempt orders work?

The guest enters their certificate number at checkout. The order keeps tax until you approve the exemption, and then it is requoted without tax.

Can each person in a group order pay for their own food?

No. The host pays for the whole group order in one checkout. Everyone else just adds their items under their name.

Who pays for courier delivery?

The guest pays the delivery fee with the order. Appetier bills you the courier's cost at cost on your monthly statement, and delivery fees never count toward the Growth fee.

Can our ezCater orders come into Appetier too?

Yes. Generate a token in ezManage and paste it into the console. Orders you accept on ezCater land on the same calendar and in your POS, with no Appetier fee.

Online ordering

The branded storefront and checkout that catering orders run through.

See online ordering

What catering costs you

One fee on direct orders, capped each month per location.

See pricing

Marketplace orders

DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub orders in one queue and in your POS.