ILLUSTRATIVE SAMPLE
Example catering studio
Catering · Brooklyn, NY · USD
Unresolved charges may increase the final price.
$146.40 / guest · $2,928.00 / coverage hour
Clarify before comparing
Unresolved costs could change the decision. Get written answers before treating this as an all-in price.
Confidence reflects entered cost completeness, not vendor quality or market value.
The cost breakdown
Known charges leave $1,360.00 within your stated vendor budget, before unresolved charges.
| Item | Treatment | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Base package × 100 guests | Added once | $12,000.00 |
| Service charge (22% of base) | Added | $2,640.00 |
| Delivery | Not in subtotal | Unknown |
| Deposit toward total | Payment timing only | $3,000.00 |
Deposits toward the total are not additional charges. Optional gratuity is excluded. No tax or percentage basis is assumed.
Costs to clarify
- Delivery: amount unresolved
The vendor has not supplied a confirmed amount here. It is excluded from the known subtotal.
- Tax treatment is unclear
Confirm the taxable items, rate, and tax total. No local tax rate has been assumed.
- Gratuity is unclear
Ask whether gratuity is included, required, or optional. A service charge does not establish this.
- What does the service charge cover?
Ask which services it covers and whether it includes staff gratuity. This is a clarification, not evidence of overcharging.
Deliverables to confirm
Checklist items not explicitly matched in your entered scope. These may be included under different wording.
- Cleanup
- Guest minimum
Local benchmark context
No reliable local/category benchmark available.
We won’t substitute a national wedding average for your vendor’s scope. Collect two or three quotes with the same location, date, guest count, hours, and deliverables.
Questions you can send
A starting point for a respectful conversation. Edit before sending.
- Could you confirm the final all-in price for 100 guests, including mandatory charges and tax?
- What is the final dollar amount for Delivery, and what is it based on?
- Which items are taxable, at what rate, and what is the tax total?
- Is gratuity included, required, or optional? Does the service charge include it?
- Could you spell out cleanup in the quote?
- Could you spell out guest minimum in the quote?
- If we need to reduce the price, which scope changes or date/time options would lower the total? Please itemize the difference.
Your entered scope & notes
Seasonal three-course menu; staffing includes four servers. Rentals include plates and flatware.
Did this make the quote clearer?
Contract-related outputs are informational, not legal advice. Verify prices and scope with the vendor.