Shopify for catering businesses
Shopify for catering: big orders, booked ahead
A caterer can take orders on Shopify with the right apps: a delivery date picker, a deposit app and a form for quote requests. A catering menu built for notice covers the first part. Here is an honest split of who does what.
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Free plan, 50 orders a month, 0% commission. Paid plans from US$17 a month.
The short answer
Two kinds of catering order
Menu orders: a platter for 20, sandwiches for an office, a lunch box per head, ordered from a fixed menu for a date a few days away. These need a date, notice, a minimum spend and delivery.
Quoted events: a wedding, a corporate dinner, a menu built with the client, priced by quote and secured with a deposit. These are a sales conversation more than a checkout.
Shopify can do both with apps: a date app for the first, a form app and a deposit app for the second. A catering menu on Menuthere handles menu orders with notice from Lite; for quoted events it doesn't do quotes or deposits, and our free quote and invoice tools fill that gap on paper.
- Delivery date and notice: a date app on Shopify; built in on Lite
- Minimum order: built into both
- Deposits: an app on Shopify; not on Menuthere
- Quote requests: a form app on Shopify; a free quote maker with us
One catering order
"Lunch for 25, Thursday 12:30, delivered to the office"
What each part of a menu order needs, checked on 20 October 2026.
| Part of the order | On Shopify | On Menuthere |
|---|---|---|
| Platters in small, medium, large | Built in: a size option with its own price | Built in: sizes, every plan |
| Thursday 12:30 | An app. Stellar Delivery Date & Pickup from US$14.99 a month, with prep and cut-off times | Fixed time slots on the days you choose, from Lite |
| At least 48 hours' notice | In the date app's settings | Earliest booking time on the catering dishes, from Lite |
| Minimum order US$150 for delivery | A minimum order per delivery zone, built in | A minimum order amount for the store, every plan |
| Vegetarian and allergy needs | A note, or an options app for choices | Add-on choices, the 14 allergens on each dish, and a note |
| Pay a deposit now | A deposit app. Downpay from US$29 a month | Not available: paid in full online (from Lite) or on delivery |
| An invoice for the company | Shopify's document templates in the admin | The customer bill for each order; a free catering invoice template for formal invoices |
Catering-specific gaps
What a caterer adds to Shopify
A delivery date and time
Shopify's own delivery and pickup settings don't let the customer pick a date. Stellar (free to 50 orders, US$14.99 unlimited) and Buunto (from US$12.99) add dates, slots, cut-offs and blackout days.
Deposits
Shopify's help pages say pre-orders need an app, and deposits come through it. Downpay plans are capped by order value: US$29 a month up to US$5,000, US$49 up to US$10,000, US$99 up to US$25,000.
Quote requests
A request form with a date field and file upload: Powerful Contact Form Builder is free for 1 form and 40 submissions a month, then US$14.90.
What Shopify does well
A minimum order per delivery zone is built in, and so are discount codes for repeat corporate clients. For shipped gift boxes, Shopify is the natural home.
A worked example
60 catering orders a month at about US$400 each
US$24,000 a month in office lunches and platters, delivered, booked 2 days ahead, deposits on the larger orders. Monthly billing in US dollars, before card fees.
| Cost line | Shopify setup | Menuthere Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Basic: US$39 | US$17 |
| Delivery date, slots and notice | Stellar Delivery Date & Pickup Starter: US$14.99 | Included |
| Deposits on up to US$25,000 of orders | Downpay Pro: US$99 | Not available |
| Quote request form | Powerful Contact Form Builder Premium: US$14.90 | Free catering quote maker, outside the store |
| Fee per order without Shopify Payments | 2% of sales on Basic: US$480 at US$24,000 | None |
| Monthly total before card fees | US$167.89 with Shopify Payments | US$17 |
If you can't use Shopify Payments in your country, the 2% fee on Basic adds US$480 at this volume; Grow (1%) or Advanced (0.6%) lower it. Shopify Basic is US$29 a month billed yearly; Menuthere's yearly billing charges 10 months for 12.
When Shopify is the better choice
Big events and deposits? Shopify plus apps.
Most of your income is quoted events with deposits. Shopify with a deposit app takes part-payment now and the balance later, which Menuthere doesn't do.
You ship corporate gift boxes to many addresses. That is a product with shipping, Shopify's home ground. Menuthere doesn't ship parcels.
Use both: Menuthere for menu orders delivered locally with notice, Shopify for deposits on events and gift boxes. Link Order catering on your Shopify site to your Menuthere menu.
How to start
Your catering menu, taking bookings this week
- 1
Create the free page
Go to get started and add your catering business. No card on Free.
- 2
Upload your catering menu
A photo or PDF of your price list. Then add sizes, per-head choices and allergens.
- 3
Set notice and slots
On Lite, tick the dishes that need notice and add your delivery slots and days.
- 4
Send it to clients
Email the link to regular clients, add it to your Google Business Profile, and link it from your website.
Questions owners ask
Answered, plainly.
Sources (8) · checked 2026-10-20
- Shopify pricing (US dollars) · Shopify, read 20 October 2026
- Setting up local delivery · Shopify Help Center, read 20 October 2026
- Setting up pre-orders · Shopify Help Center, read 20 October 2026
- Shopify Order Printer · Shopify Help Center, read 20 October 2026
- Delivery Date & Pickup Stellar · Shopify App Store, read 20 October 2026
- Buunto – Delivery Date Picker · Shopify App Store, read 20 October 2026
- Downpay: Partial Pay & Deposit · Shopify App Store, read 20 October 2026
- Powerful Contact Form Builder · Shopify App Store, read 20 October 2026
Catering orders with notice, one link
Make your catering menu from your price list and send it to clients. Free to start, 0% commission.
