You can create a Catering Contract for a single event, multiple events or for regular scheduled catering. Our simple Catering Contract template will help you create a complete and legally sound document. Follow these steps to ensure you create your document properly:
1. Provide catering details
Select the province where the service will be provided. When you use our Catering Contract template, we use this information to customize your document. Provide the full address of the venue along with the time (e.g., January 1-5, 2023 from 11:00 am to 2:00 every day).
Provide a brief description of the caterer’s services (e.g., prepare table settings, decorate the banquet hall, supply catering equipment, and cook and serve the agreed-upon menu items for the banquet). Be clear and specific when describing the tasks required, and indicate any important dates.
There are also some important catering menu and guest details you may wish to include:
- Determine if the client may request specific menu items
- Decide if you wish to specify a deadline for changes to the menu
- Decide if you wish to specify a deadline to confirm the number of guests
2. Provide details for both parties
Begin with providing the caterer's name and address. The caterer can be an individual or organization.
Next, provide the client’s name and address. The client can also be an individual or organization.
3. Provide the billing details
The billing options available depend on the duration of the contract. A flat fee is often suitable for a one-off event, but an hourly, weekly or monthly rate will be needed for longer term contracts featuring periodic payments. If the caterer requires a deposit, enter the amount here.
Next, for contracts where payment will be periodical, set the frequency of payment. Determine when the client is required to pay the invoice. Typically, 15-30 days after the client receives the invoice is enough time. You can also decide to set an interest rate on late payments. Reasonable late payment charges are up to 25% per year on unpaid sums. Legislation prohibits extortionate interest rates, even if the parties agree to them.
4. Establish contract terms
To ensure that your contract suits your needs, be sure to address the following terms.
Cancelling the contract
Sometimes events have to be cancelled. Decide whether either party may cancel the contract and how much notice is required.
For longer term contracts, or contracts of indefinite duration, there must be a mechanism for ending the contract. Typically, one week's notice is sufficient for most short-term contracts. If the contract is for more than a few months, it’s better to require a notice of at least 15-30 days.
Intellectual property
Determine who will own any intellectual property (such as recipes and menus) created under this contract. Intellectual property is any work that is a creation of the mind. The client can own intellectual property, or the caterer can retain ownership.
Confidentiality
During some contracts, parties may exchange confidential information. Confidential information refers to any of the client's business or personal information that isn’t publicly available. If this is relevant to your arrangement, decide whether obligations of confidentiality will last indefinitely or only until the end of the agreement. Keep in mind that information which is considered a trade secret must always be kept confidential.
5. Include additional clauses
If your contract requires it, you may draft and add your own custom clauses. Most contracts don’t need additional clauses. However, if you wish to include any terms that aren’t addressed above, this is the place to include them.
6. Sign the contract
If you know when both parties will sign the contract, you can include the date. You can include witness signatures if you like, though it isn’t a legal requirement. However, including witness signatures can help mitigate misunderstandings if they arise.
A witness should be an adult who doesn’t have any interest in the agreement and is capable of understanding the witnessing process.