End-to-end order workflow
Quote, order capture, deposit collection, kitchen pacing, fulfilment, invoicing, payment — all in one connected workflow. No spreadsheets, no email chains, no Word-doc invoices.
Catering management system
Total control and flexibility — on the go.
From the moment a catering order arrives online: generate the kitchen ticket, send the client invoice with a one-tap payment button, and get the deposit into your bank account the next day. All inside the Katalyst POS — no commissions, no hardware, no payment delays.
0% commission on direct orders
vs 15–30% on third-party catering platforms
24/7/365 storefront
customers book without phone calls or contact forms
Next-day deposit funding
deposits hit your account, not a third party’s
What you get
Catering at scale, without the spreadsheet chaos
Most catering programs cap out around $200K/year because the operations don’t scale: phone calls, Word-doc invoices, manual deposits, and accounting reconciliation eat the team’s time. Katalyst catering management replaces all of that with one connected workflow.
Lead-time and capacity controls
Per-package lead times (24h, 48h, 1-week minimums), capacity throttling per shift, and automatic blocks for impossible bookings — set the rules once, the storefront enforces them.
Automatic deposits and invoicing
30–50% deposit at booking, configurable per package. Invoices auto-generate with one-click payment links. No more chasing corporate accounts at month-end.
Hot, cold, delivery, pick-up
Per-item preparation type and fulfilment method. The customer-facing storefront only shows valid options based on what your kitchen can produce.
Loyalty and gift cards
Native integration with Katalyst loyalty and gift cards. Catering customers earn points like dine-in guests; corporate accounts can pay with gift card balances.
Catering revenue analytics
Catering revenue, repeat-customer rate, average order size, and top-corporate-clients reporting — alongside your dine-in numbers in the same Katalyst analytics dashboard.
24/7/365 storefront
Accepting catering orders around the clock
Native payment gateway integration reduces your per-transaction fees significantly. The storefront stays open at 2am Sunday morning when an office manager is finally getting around to booking next Friday’s lunch.
Upfront cash flow
Instant payment without waiting days or weeks for deposits — fund product purchases, production, and labour costs the moment the order is placed.
Consolidated view
Catering home view displays all upcoming catering orders and details, built directly into the POS platform.
24/7 storefront access
Customers can order online without filling out contact forms or making phone calls.
Order preparation
Neatly view and prepare for all incoming orders — throttled based on capacity and availability settings.
Order overview at a glance
Every catering order, every status, every kitchen pacing window — on one screen.
Custom preparation types
Hot or cold preparation and fulfilment methods including delivery or pickup.
Loyalty integration
Works natively with loyalty and gift cards, embedded directly within the POS platform.
Catering order input
Fast, accurate order entry with catering-specific modifier flows.
Customised modifiers
Modifiers and preparation settings curated specifically for catering orders.
Flexible navigation
Pay and navigate between catering orders, online orders, in-house tickets, and more.
Catering pricing detail
Transparent line-item costing for clients and your books.
Real-time availability
Universal control over item availability in real time, working in unison with inventory management control.
Lead-time management
Establish and control item lead times for specialty items or ones requiring advanced prep notice.
Transparent pricing
Unit pricing detail displayed for easy itemisation and costing.
The catering math
Why direct catering pays back in months, not years
A typical catering order runs $400–2,500 — 5 to 10× the size of a dine-in average ticket. The margin on catering runs 60–70% gross (vs 50–55% for dine-in) because labor scales sub-linearly: one prep cook makes 50 sandwiches in not much more time than 10. That’s why catering is the highest-margin revenue channel most restaurants underexploit.
The bottleneck is operations, not demand. Restaurants running catering on phone calls, sticky notes, and Word-doc invoices cap out around $200,000/year because the back-office work doesn’t scale. Add a manager whose job is catering and you can push to $400-500K/year — but the marginal ROI on that person is mediocre.
Katalyst catering management changes the slope: 24/7 storefront eliminates phone calls, automatic invoicing eliminates Word docs, and native payments eliminate the chase for deposits. Operators consistently scale catering to $1M+/year per location without hiring additional admin staff. For the deeper playbook, see our restaurant catering guide.
Trusted across the industry
Proud partners and sponsors
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
How is this different from third-party catering platforms like ezCater?
ezCater and similar marketplaces charge 12–30% commission per order and own the customer relationship. Katalyst catering management is your own branded storefront on your own URL — no commission, no shared customer database, no marketplace logo. Most operators run both: marketplaces for one-off discovery orders, direct for repeat corporate accounts.
Do I need separate hardware for catering?
No. Catering management runs on the same Katalyst POS terminals you use for dine-in. Orders flow into the same KDS, payments process through the same Katalyst Payments, and customer profiles share the same database. Zero new hardware required.
Can I set different lead times for different items?
Yes. Each menu item has its own lead-time setting — a sandwich platter might be 4 hours, a 50-person hot buffet might be 48 hours, a wedding cake might be 1 week. The storefront blocks impossible combinations automatically (customer can’t book a 200-person hot buffet for tomorrow morning).
How does deposit collection work?
Configurable per package — typically 30–50% at booking, balance at delivery. Customers pay via the same flow as the rest of the order. Deposits process through Katalyst Payments and land in your account on next-business-day funding. If a customer cancels, the deposit covers your food cost commitment automatically.
What about corporate accounts that pay net-30?
Net-30 (and other terms) are supported via the catering account feature. Corporate clients sign up once, get a billing profile, and pay invoices monthly via ACH or check. The Katalyst dashboard tracks outstanding balance and aging so you can chase late accounts proactively.
How long does it take to launch catering with Katalyst?
If you’re already on Katalyst POS, catering launches as a configuration toggle — typically 3–5 days to set up your menu packages, lead times, and deposit rules. If you’re switching from a different POS, full onboarding (POS + catering) runs 2–4 weeks for single locations.
How onboarding works
A simple, robust, and effective system
A streamlined POS solution designed to revolutionise your restaurant — and a clear, four-step path to becoming a member of our community.
- 1
Join the Katalyst community
Connect with like-minded business owners and unlock new possibilities for success.
- 2
Begin onboarding
We make onboarding a breeze. Our dedicated team handles the account setup process for you, ensuring a smooth transition to our POS system.
- 3
Training
Equip your team with top-notch training from our experts, ensuring they excel with our POS system.
- 4
Install and go-live
Hassle-free installation and a seamless go-live process. Our dedicated support team has you up and running in no time.
Let’s get in touch
Ready to scale your catering revenue?
A 30-minute walkthrough — your menu, your packages, on a working catering storefront. We handle the menu import.