Catering Online Ordering System for Restaurants

Phone calls, voicemails, email threads, sticky notes. That's how most restaurants still take catering orders — and it's costing them business.

Today's corporate buyers and event planners expect to browse a menu, customize their order, pick a date, and pay online. If your restaurant doesn't offer that, they'll find one that does.

FlashCater gives your restaurant a professional catering online ordering system — branded to your business, with zero per-order commissions.

Why online ordering matters for catering

Catering customers aren't impulse buyers. They're planning ahead, comparing options, and often ordering for 20, 50, or 100+ people. They want to:

• See your full catering menu with pricing, photos, and descriptions
• Customize their order with dietary options, quantities, and add-ons
• Choose a date and time that fits their event
• Pay securely with a credit card or request an invoice
• Get a confirmation without waiting for a callback

If any of those steps require a phone call or email exchange, you're adding friction — and friction kills conversions.

What FlashCater's ordering system includes

Branded ordering page

Your catering ordering page lives on your domain and matches your restaurant's branding. Customers see your name, your logo, your menu — not a third-party marketplace.

Catering-specific menu builder

Build menus designed for catering, not just bigger versions of your takeout menu:

• Per-person pricing for buffet-style packages
• Minimum order amounts and lead time requirements
• Modifier groups for dietary options, sides, and drink selections
• Package deals that bundle popular items together
• Item-level descriptions and photos

Scheduling and availability

Customers choose their delivery or pickup date and time. You control:

• Lead time requirements — how far in advance orders must be placed
• Blackout dates — block holidays, closed days, or fully booked dates
• Delivery windows — set available time slots
• Order cutoff times — stop accepting changes after a certain point

Secure payment processing

Accept credit card payments at the time of ordering. For larger orders or corporate accounts:

• Deposit collection — require a percentage upfront for large orders
• Invoicing — send invoices to corporate clients for net-30 payment
• Tax calculation — automatic sales tax based on delivery location

Order management dashboard

Every order flows into a centralized dashboard where you can manage your catering pipeline efficiently:

• View upcoming orders by date, status, or size
• Accept, modify, or decline orders
• Send automated confirmation and reminder emails
• Print kitchen tickets and packing lists
• Track order history and repeat customers

How it compares to other options

The cost of not having online ordering

Every catering inquiry that requires a phone call or email exchange has a drop-off rate. Industry data suggests that 60-70% of catering inquiries that start via phone or email never convert to an order — because of delays, back-and-forth, or the customer finding an easier option.

Online ordering removes that friction. Customers can place an order at 10pm on a Sunday without waiting for your restaurant to open Monday morning. According to Toast's restaurant industry report, restaurants with digital ordering channels consistently see higher catering volumes.

Getting started

Setting up FlashCater's catering online ordering system takes less than a week:

1. We build your ordering page — based on your existing catering menu
2. You review and customize — adjust items, pricing, availability, and settings
3. Add the link to your website — embed it or link from your navigation and Google Business Profile
4. Start receiving orders — customers order online, you manage everything from the dashboard

No technical skills required. No developer needed. No long implementation timeline.