Online catering orders: from enquiry to delivery

Catering involves more than a portion count. The customer needs to know what is included, the kitchen needs final production details and the delivery team needs the right contact. A good digital flow makes these handovers clear.

Separate an order from an enquiry

Start with a defined range, such as lunch boxes for collection or a buffet with fixed contents. State portion size, minimum quantity, ordering deadline and what the price includes.

A larger event with service staff, a custom menu or complex delivery is better suited to a quotation process. Explain whether the form sends an enquiry or creates a binding order under the terms. An automatic acknowledgement should not look like confirmation that the job has been accepted.

Collect the details customers would otherwise phone about

The order record should contain the date, portions, meal choices, requested time, collection or delivery, and contact details. Deliveries also need an address, access instructions and an on-site contact.

Explain whether crockery, cutlery, setup, service and equipment collection are included. Show delivery charges and other additions before the customer decides. A per-person price is hard to compare if one package includes service and another only food.

Confirm kitchen capacity

A catering order can compete with normal lunch service for refrigeration, preparation time and staff. Check the whole workload, including packing and transport, before accepting it.

Set deadlines that fit your menu and suppliers. A fixed 48-hour rule is one possible approach, not an industry-wide standard. Verify which date, time and capacity rules the ordering system actually supports.

Give allergen questions a clear route

Customers need the required allergen information before purchase, including when ordering remotely. The EU Food Information Regulation, Article 14 explains the information requirements. A free-text box for a customer’s allergy does not replace the restaurant’s information about the food.

Have responsible staff confirm possible adaptations and how meals will be labelled and handed over. Collect no more participant information than necessary. Recipe changes must reach both the customer and kitchen.

Establish a final version before production

Set a deadline for numbers and changes. Confirm updates in writing and identify the version the kitchen should use. Otherwise an earlier confirmation and a later email may describe two different jobs.

The customer also needs clear payment and cancellation terms. State due dates, any advance payment and what happens after changes. Terms must fit the customer type and job; do not copy arbitrary fees from another operation.

VAT depends on what is supplied. Food delivery may be a sale of food products, while catering with sufficient supporting services is a catering service. From 1 April 2026 to 31 December 2027, food products generally carry 6% VAT in Sweden and restaurant and catering services 12%. See Skatteverket’s guidance for classification.

Test an actual catering setup

Vendion Online can form part of the ordering flow alongside the POS and kitchen. Bring your package, advance-order rules and payment needs to the review. Confirm which steps are supported directly and which need separate handling.

Then run a trial order through packing and collection. The digital process becomes useful when everyone works from the same final information.