Free catering menu template
Updated October 20, 2026
Open our free catering menu template, add your trays and boxed lunches with their prices, and download a print-ready PDF to send with quotes: it's a Modern layout in slate with a clean sans heading, party trays in half and full sizes with how many each serves, boxed lunches with a minimum order, and desserts and drinks by the platter or gallon. No sign-up, no email and no watermark. Below: how to turn tray sizes into a per-person quote, and how long catered food can sit out under the FDA Food Code.
In short
- The template: Modern layout, slate, Plus Jakarta Sans heading; Party trays, Boxed lunches, Desserts and drinks.
- Sizes that sell headcounts: "Half tray, serves 10" and "Full tray, serves 20" on one line.
- Holding: hot food at 135°F or above, cold at 41°F or below; or up to 4 hours without temperature control if you mark the discard time (Food Code 2026).
- Full-service meal prices rose 3.8% in the 12 months to September 2026 (BLS); quote from this year's costs.
What's in the catering menu template
It opens as "Harvest Table Catering, trays for offices, parties and events".
| Section | Example items | Sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Party trays | Grilled chicken, Baked ziti, Garden salad, Roasted vegetables | Half tray (serves 10), Full tray (serves 20) |
| Boxed lunches | Sandwich box, Grain bowl box | Per box, minimum 10 |
| Desserts and drinks | Cookie platter (24 / 48), Iced tea or lemonade (1 gallon, serves about 10) | Per platter or gallon |
In the UK? See our UK catering menu templates, with VAT and allergen wording.
Worked example: an office lunch for 30
The client wants a hot lunch for 30 with a salad, a vegetarian main and dessert. From the template's prices:
| Item | Order | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grilled chicken | 1 full tray (serves 20) | $140 |
| Baked ziti (vegetarian) | 1 half tray (serves 10) | $55 |
| Garden salad | 1 full tray + 1 half tray (serves 30) | $95 |
| Cookie platter | 1 × 48 cookies | $68 |
| Iced tea | 3 gallons | $54 |
| Food and drink total | $412 | |
| Per person | $412 ÷ 30 | $13.73 |
Mains add up to 30 servings (20 + 10), and the salad covers everyone. Add delivery, setup and sales tax as separate lines. The catering quote maker prices an event per plate and makes a quote PDF for the client, and the catering invoice template bills it afterwards. US full-service meal prices rose 3.8% in the year to September 2026, so a price list from last year may be underquoting.
How long can catered food sit out?
The FDA Food Code 2026, which health departments adopt in some edition, sets two ways to keep catered food safe:
| Method | Rule (Food Code 2026) | On a catering job |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Hot food held at 135°F (57°C) or above; cold food at 41°F (5°C) or below (§ 3-501.16) | Chafing dishes and ice baths; check with a thermometer |
| Time as a public health control | Up to 4 hours without temperature control, if the food starts at 41°F or below or 135°F or above, is marked with the time 4 hours later, and is thrown away after that (§ 3-501.19) | Write the discard time on a label on each tray. Your health department may require written procedures in advance |
For drop-off orders, put a short card in the box: "Keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Eat within [4] hours of delivery, or refrigerate." The 4 hours is the Food Code's limit for your own time control; tell the client what your health department requires you to say.
Copy-ready catering menu (Word or Google Docs)
[CATERING NAME] · Catering menu Order [48] hours ahead · Minimum order $[ ] · Delivery $[ ] · [Phone] · [Email]
PARTY TRAYS · Half tray (serves 10) / Full tray (serves 20) [Dish] .......... $[ ] / $[ ] [Vegetarian dish] .......... $[ ] / $[ ]
BOXED LUNCHES · minimum [10] [Box]: [main, side, dessert] .......... $[ ] each
DESSERTS & DRINKS · [Platter] $[ ] · [Drink], 1 gallon (serves about 10) $[ ]
Prices do not include sales tax, delivery or setup. Tell us about any food allergies when you order.
Take catering orders ahead
Menuthere has no separate catering checkout, but two things help: on Lite (US$17 a month) customers can pre-order for a date and time, and you can make dishes like trays bookable only with notice. Start with your free ordering page (50 orders a month at 0% commission) and see online ordering for catering.
FAQs
Is this catering menu template free?
Yes. Edit it and download it as a PDF or an image for free, with no sign-up and no watermark.
How do I price catering per person?
Add up the trays, boxes and drinks the group needs and divide by the headcount. In our example, a lunch for 30 costs $412 in food and drink, or $13.73 a person, before delivery, setup and tax.
How many people does a catering tray feed?
It depends on your portions. The template uses a half tray for 10 and a full tray for 20 as examples; weigh your own portions and print the serving count on your menu.
How long can catered food sit out?
Under the FDA Food Code, hot food should stay at 135°F or above and cold food at 41°F or below. Without temperature control, food can be used for up to 4 hours if it is marked with its discard time and thrown away after that.
Is there a catering menu template for Google Docs or Excel?
The menu maker downloads PDFs and images. Use the copy-ready layout on this page in Google Docs or Word, and the free catering quote maker for the price breakdown.
Sources (2)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Food Code 2026, § 3-501.16 (135°F / 41°F) and § 3-501.19 (time as a public health control, up to 4 hours: starting temperatures, marking, discard, written procedures). https://www.fda.gov/food/fda-food-code/food-code-2026 (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CPI Table 2, September 2026: full service meals and snacks +3.8% (unadjusted, 12 months). https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.t02.htm (accessed 20 Oct 2026)