Barbecue catering

Your BBQ business, organized

Smoked meats, by-the-tray orders, and backyard parties - quoted fast, run clean, and paid on time.

BBQ catering has its own rhythm. You're selling by the pound or by the tray, managing a roster of regulars who order for every family reunion and company cookout, and running events that range from a backyard birthday to a park party for a couple hundred. The admin should be the easiest part. Build your menu once, quote in minutes, collect the deposit upfront, and show up to every event with everything already locked down.

Smoked brisket and barbecue sides being served at an outdoor catered event - the kind of spread Catertoo is built to help manage.
5

Core workflows in one place

1

System, inquiry to payment

0

Spreadsheets required

Web

Any device, anywhere

The challenge

What makes BBQ catering admin messy

Quoting by the tray or by the pound is hard to standardize

BBQ menus aren't always priced like a plated dinner. Pulled pork by the pound, ribs by the rack, sides by the tray - building a clean, accurate quote from that mix by hand takes longer than it should and leaves room for pricing mistakes.

High repeat business that still needs proper confirmation

Your regular clients book you every summer - the same family reunion, the same company cookout. But "same as last year" still needs to be confirmed with an actual headcount and a signed agreement. Tracking which orders are verbal and which are locked down is harder than it looks.

Getting paid before you prep

You're buying a lot of meat and spending hours on the smoker before the event. Showing up and chasing a check at the end - or worse, a week later - is a cash-flow problem that compounds fast. Getting a deposit at booking is how you protect your margin.

Features

Menu built for BBQ pricing

Add your smoked meats, sides, and extras as catalog items with the right prices - per pound, per tray, per rack, or flat rate. Your menu catalog is the starting point for every quote, so you're never rebuilding pricing from scratch.

Quotes in minutes

Pull items from your catalog, set quantities for the headcount and order size, add a service or setup fee, and send a clean proposal link. The client can review and accept from their phone before you've even fired up the smoker.

Deposit at booking

Collect a deposit online when the client accepts the proposal. You commit to the prep, they commit to the event - both sides have a clear record of what was agreed. No more starting the smoke on a verbal promise.

Regular-client records

Keep a record for every repeat client - their order history, headcount ranges, dietary notes, and any standing preferences. When the Johnson reunion calls to book again, you already know what they ordered last time.

Repeat-client order history

Every repeat client keeps a full order history. When a regular books again, you can see exactly what they ordered last time and rebuild the quote in minutes - no digging through old emails or texts.

Every booking on one calendar

See all your confirmed and upcoming events in one view. No more double-booking or realizing the afternoon of that you have two events on the same day - your calendar reflects what's actually committed.

How it works

From inquiry to the pit

01

Log the inquiry

Client reaches out for a birthday party, corporate cookout, or family reunion. Log the date, headcount, and any notes immediately - nothing gets lost while you're busy with an active event.

02

Build the quote

Pull your meats, sides, and extras from your menu catalog. Set quantities, add a delivery or setup fee, and send a clean proposal the client can accept from any device.

03

Collect the deposit

Client accepts and pays the deposit online. The event is confirmed, the money is in your account, and you can start planning the smoke schedule.

04

Show up and collect the balance

Deliver the best BBQ the client has ever had. Collect the remaining balance online before or after the event. The full order history stays on the record for next time.

What changes

What changes for your BBQ business

  • Quote any size order in minutes - pull from your menu catalog instead of building from scratch each time.

  • Collect deposits upfront - no more starting the smoke on a verbal commitment.

  • Handle repeat clients faster - a full order history per client means you rebuild the quote in minutes.

  • See what's booked and what's pending - your whole event calendar in one place, no scattered notes.

Questions

Barbecue catering questions

Can I price items by the pound or by the tray?

Yes. Your menu catalog supports any pricing structure - per pound, per rack, per tray, per person, or a flat rate for the whole order. You build the catalog to match how you actually sell, and those items pull into every proposal automatically.

How do I handle repeat clients who book every year?

Each repeat client has their own record with a full order history. When they call to book again, you can see exactly what they ordered last time - items, headcount, pricing - and rebuild the quote from your menu in a couple of minutes, updating whatever's changed.

Can I collect a deposit before I start prepping?

Yes. When a client accepts the proposal, they pay the deposit online through our Stripe-powered checkout. You get the deposit in your account before you commit the prep time and food cost - not after you've already delivered.

Does it work for smaller events - a backyard party with 30 people?

Yes. There's no minimum order size or event complexity. Whether you're feeding 30 people at a backyard birthday or 300 at a park, the workflow is the same: log the event, build the quote, send it, collect the deposit, and show up ready.

Is this going to take a long time to set up?

No. Most BBQ caterers are sending their first proposal the same day they sign up. Add your menu items and prices, add your first client, create an event, and send the quote. The whole setup takes an afternoon - or less.

Get started

Ready to run catering the modern way?

Sign up free and send your first proposal this afternoon. No card, no setup, no contract.