LunchLink workplace catering guide
What information should you send a caterer?
Build a complete catering brief with the event, headcount, budget, dietary, delivery, service, equipment, billing, and decision details planners need.
LunchLink Editorial Team
Research and writing
LunchLink Catering Planning Team
Operational review
Direct answer
The short answer
Send a caterer one written brief covering who the meal is for, the event schedule, confirmed and possible headcount, full delivery address, room and access conditions, budget range, serving format, dietary requirements, service and equipment needs, billing details, and decision deadlines. The brief starts an inquiry; it does not confirm an order.
At a glance
Key takeaways
- Describe the event and desired eating time
- Separate confirmed attendance from possible additions
- Document dietary, room, delivery, and service requirements
- State the budget, billing process, and decision deadlines
Describe the event and schedule
Begin with the event type, date, desired eating time, agenda, and the amount of time available for delivery, setup, serving, and cleanup. A boardroom lunch, all-hands meeting, training session, and social event can require different formats even at the same headcount.
Identify whether attendees eat together, arrive in waves, remain at assigned seats, or need grab-and-go distribution. Include any hard timing constraint, but ask the proposed option to confirm a feasible delivery and setup window.
- Event name and purpose
- Date and desired eating time
- Agenda and meal-break length
- Delivery and setup access window
- Expected service end and cleanup timing
- Internal event owner
Provide a usable people and dietary count
List confirmed attendees, possible additions, guests, speakers, and the deadline for the final count. Do not use total company headcount when only part of the team is expected onsite.
Summarize dietary requirements without unnecessary personal or medical detail. Separate preferences, religious or cultural requirements, intolerances, allergies, stated cross-contact concerns, and label needs so the proposed option can explain what it can verify.
- Confirmed headcount
- Possible additions or attendance range
- Final-count owner and deadline
- Number and type of dietary requirements
- Individual label or named-meal needs
- Questions requiring provider confirmation
Document the complete delivery handoff
Supply the street address, building or tower, entrance, loading or parking instructions, reception or security procedure, elevator, floor, room, and a reachable onsite contact. Note who can meet the delivery and where food may be staged.
Include room constraints such as fixed seating, limited table space, restricted setup access, or waste-removal rules. Building procedures and temporary restrictions should be checked for the event date.
- Street address and building name
- Entrance, loading, and security instructions
- Floor, room, and elevator route
- Onsite receiver and mobile contact
- Serving-table and staging space
- Waste, pickup, and room-reset requirements
Define the food, format, and service scope
Describe the desired meal style rather than assuming a current package exists. State whether you are considering individually packed meals, platters, family-style service, buffet service, breakfast, snacks, beverages, or another practical format.
Ask who supplies plates, cutlery, napkins, cups, labels, serving utensils, tables, linens, holding equipment, setup, attendants, cleanup, and equipment pickup. The selected provider must confirm the exact inclusions and any food-holding requirements.
- Meal occasion and cuisine preferences
- Individual, shared, or buffet format
- Beverage and snack requirements
- Serviceware and serving utensils
- Setup, staffing, and cleanup
- Equipment, rental, or pickup needs
State the budget and approval process
Give a realistic budget range and explain whether it must include delivery, service, equipment, fees, and tax. If several people approve the purchase, name the decision owner and invoice contact so avoidable revisions do not delay the review.
Request current minimums, deposits, payment timing, change deadlines, cancellation terms, and proposal expiry in writing. Do not assume that a previous event or another provider uses the same terms.
- Budget range and approval limit
- Costs that must be included
- Billing entity and invoice contact
- Purchase-order or internal reference needs
- Decision date and approver
- Required written commercial terms
Check the brief before sending
A useful brief is complete enough to evaluate options but clear about uncertainty. Mark unknown values, distinguish requirements from preferences, and invite focused questions rather than guessing.
Sending the brief starts planning only. LunchLink uses the request to confirm current options, price, minimums, availability, delivery conditions, dietary handling, and terms; the request is not an order until those details are accepted and confirmed.
Evidence and review
How this guide was prepared
Last reviewed August 1, 2026. Sources are reviewed for the statements they support; current provider terms still require confirmation.
This checklist follows the approved public inquiry fields and adds the planning context needed to compare options: event purpose, people, timing, address, room, format, budget, dietary needs, service, equipment, billing, and decision deadlines.
- Submitting a brief is an inquiry, not an accepted order or a guarantee of serviceability.
- Current menus, prices, minimums, availability, delivery conditions, dietary handling, and commercial terms must be confirmed before acceptance.
