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Industries · Catering and events

For catering and event businesses

Many business owners in the trade know these situations well. Under each one you can read what Ainio does for you.

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  • The quote request is missing the venue, the time or the serving style, and the details are chased one message at a time.

    You get a ready message that asks the customer for everything that’s missing in one go.

  • The menu, guest numbers and dietary needs are in different places, and the quote is put together from scratch every time.

    You get the quote ready with the prices from your price list. The venue, menu and dietary needs have their own section in it.

  • The final guest numbers and dietary needs only come out at the last minute on the phone.

    The customer confirms guest numbers and dietary needs from a link a week before, and any change goes on the final invoice as its own row.

  • The customer cancels a week before, and nobody remembers what was agreed about cancellations.

    Your cancellation terms show in the quote, and when you press Customer cancels, Ainio works out the cancellation fee from them.

  • More requests come in for the same week than you can handle, and it isn’t clear which ones are worth taking. In the Huippu plan

    Ainio tells you which of the jobs on offer fit into your week and which of them earn you the most. You also see why the others were left out.

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Try it free for 30 days and get set up in about 10 minutes. Nothing goes to the customer without your approval.

A catering chef in a professional kitchen
Video

See how the paperwork gets done during the day

2 min 43 s, no sound

Example · Catering

How one party runs through Ainio

A company wants food and serving staff for its Christmas party. Ainio does the paperwork, and you decide what goes to the customer.

Laid tables in a banquet hall in blue light
  1. Message

    The customer asks for a quote

    Insinööritoimisto Vire asks by email whether you could do the catering for their Christmas party for 80 people.

    Ainio drafts the reply.
    Reply to VireChristmas party, 80 people
    Ready

    Hello, thanks for your message! Where and at what time is the party, and do any guests have special dietary needs? I’ll send a quote as soon as I know.

    Send
  2. Quote

    You send the quote

    Vire gives the venue and the time. You check the quote and press Send.

    Ainio makes the quote with the prices from your price list, and your cancellation terms are included.
    Quote
    Insinööritoimisto Vire Oy · Christmas party, 80 people
    Christmas buffet, 80 people€4,160
    Waiting staff, 3 people, 5–11 pm€756
    Total (excl. VAT)€4,916
    Cancellation terms includedSend
  3. Calendar

    The party goes into the calendar

    Vire accepts the quote online, and the date is booked.

    Ainio puts the party in your calendar with the venue and the contact person.
    FRI17:00
    Christmas party, 80 peopleAccepted
    Vire Oy · Sanna KoskiTehdassali, Tampere
    RouteCall
  4. Invoice

    The invoice is ready right after the party

    The party is over, and you mark the job as done.

    Ainio prepares the invoice. If it isn’t paid on time, you get a reminder ready to send.
    Invoice
    Insinööritoimisto Vire Oy · Christmas party, 80 people
    Christmas buffet, 80 people€4,160
    Waiting staff, 3 people€756
    Total (excl. VAT)€4,916
    Due in 14 daysSend

Nothing goes to the customer without your permission. Insinööritoimisto Vire and Pitopalvelu Kide are made up, and the prices are examples.

These 4 things are included in every plan

Plans start at €99 a month (+ VAT), and during the trial you get the full Huippu plan (with trial usage limits).

See all features →See plans and prices →

Try the same steps yourself

The demo shows the everyday work of a sample business. It opens in your browser without signing up, and nothing is sent from it. Parts of the demo are in Finnish.

Open the demo →
Frequently asked questions

What catering and event businesses often ask

Here are the answers to the questions catering and event businesses ask before they start using Ainio.

Does Ainio suit caterers and event businesses?

Yes, when you sell events to businesses or private customers based on quotes. Ainio answers quote requests, makes quotes from your price list, keeps the event details in one place and makes the invoices. Ainio doesn’t handle table bookings or a till.

How does confirming the final guest numbers work?

The card of an accepted event has a Request confirmation button. Ainio writes a message and a link for the customer, and the message goes out only once you approve it. The customer can change the guest numbers and dietary needs up to a week before the event, and you get an email about it.

What happens if the customer cancels?

You enter your cancellation terms once, for example free up to 30 days before, 50% of the quoted price 14–29 days before and 100% less than 14 days before. The terms go into every quote and onto the approval page. The Customer cancels button works out the fee from the terms the customer accepted, and you see the calculation before you record it. The terms are your own, so check them before you start using them.

Do the menu and special diets show in the quote?

Yes. When you enter the date, venue, guest numbers, serving style, menu, drinks and dietary needs on the event card, they go into the quote and onto the approval page as their own section. Dietary needs are saved as numbers without names.

Can part of it be invoiced in advance?

Yes. Choose a booking fee and a final invoice as the billing method. The booking fee can be invoiced as soon as the customer has accepted the quote, and the amount already invoiced is deducted from the final invoice. If the customer cancels after the booking fee, the cancellation is recorded by hand.

Can the customer choose the menu or extras themselves?

Yes. Alongside the basic version of a quote you can make a larger one, for example a buffet and a three-course dinner, and add extras such as coffee service or a drinks package. The customer chooses what they want from the approval link, and the options also show in the quote PDF.

Does Ainio handle hire equipment and shifts?

Not yet. Tableware and equipment and the number of serving staff are recorded in the event details, but Ainio doesn’t yet have a booking calendar for hire equipment, a run sheet for the event day or invitations for gig workers.

Is Ainio quoting and invoicing software for caterers and event businesses?

Yes, and a bit more. You make your quotes and invoices with Ainio, and you also get replies to customer messages ready, jobs in your calendar and a view of which invoices have been paid. The bookkeeping is still done in your accounting software.

How much does Ainio cost?

Plans start at €99 a month (+ VAT), and depending on the plan you can have up to 3, 8 or 15 users. You can try Ainio free for 30 days, and during the trial you get the full Huippu plan (with trial usage limits). There is no lock-in, and you can cancel at any time.

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