The planner called three caterers today. The first real number wins.
We answer the inquiries your team can't get to and capture the date, headcount, venue, and service style. FirstEstimate drafts an itemized estimate from your own menu, your team approves it, and the customer has it that night.
~24 hrs
Median wait for a human reply to an event inquiry (Hermetic study, 734 venues)
19%
Of event inquiries in that study never got a reply
Same night
When your customer gets an itemized estimate with FirstEstimate
Why this happens to caterers and venues
- !Inquiries land while your team is plating, setting a room, or driving a delivery. By the time someone calls back, the planner has two other numbers.
- !An estimate means pulling the menu, bar packages, staffing, service charge, and delivery into one document. That's an hour your sales manager doesn't have on a Friday night.
- !Venues have to price the room and the food. Two prices for one inquiry, and the customer is comparing you to three other halls.
- !Holiday party season stacks corporate inquiries into a few weeks, and the ones that arrive after 5pm wait until morning.
- !Your phone system, call-tracking numbers, and Caterease or Tripleseat setup took years to get right. You don't want a tool that makes you replace them.
Recommended for Caterers & venues
Growth bundle
$597/mo + setup
Growth includes FirstEstimate, 24/7 coverage, and about 500 minutes a month, which covers most single-kitchen caterers and venues. Multiple brands or kitchens usually fit Premium.
Typical value for caterers and venues: $3,000-$50,000 per event. One booking from an inquiry you'd have missed usually covers the monthly fee several times over.
Questions from caterers and venues
Who we help
See it with your own prices
Answering in about 48 hours, fully set up in about a week. No long-term contract.
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