Catering an Event in Spanish: Business Terms for Quotes, Menus and Contracts
Learn Latin American Spanish phrases to request catering quotes, negotiate per-person prices, discuss menus and confirm an event contract.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
Catering an event is a business negotiation, not a market haggle. In Spanish, you will usually request a cotización (quote), specify the number of guests, ask about precio por persona, and confirm details in writing. This lesson gives you practical Latin American Spanish phrases for that conversation, with notes on polite register and regional differences. You will practice asking for a quote, adjusting a menu, discussing a deposit, and confirming an event order without sounding either too blunt or too vague.
By the end, you can…
- request a catering quote and specify guest numbers, date and venue.
- negotiate price per person, menu changes and deposit terms politely.
- confirm an event order and ask for a written contract or factura.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Quisiera solicitar una cotización para un evento.
I would like to request a quote for an event.
kee-SYEH-rah so-lee-see-TAR oo-nah ko-tee-see-OHN pah-rah oon eh-BEHN-toh
Polite opening for a phone call or email. Quisiera softens the request more than quiero.
¿Cuál es el precio por persona?
What is the price per person?
kwahl ehs el PREH-syoh por per-SOH-nah
Standard way to ask for per-person pricing. In some regions you may also hear costo por persona.
Somos aproximadamente ochenta invitados.
We are approximately eighty guests.
SOH-mohs ah-prok-see-mah-dah-MEN-teh oh-CHEN-tah een-vee-TAH-dohs
Use aproximadamente to leave room for changes. Confirm the final number closer to the event.
¿Podría incluir una opción vegetariana?
Could you include a vegetarian option?
poh-DREE-ah een-kloo-EER oo-nah op-SYOHN beh-heh-tah-RYAH-nah
Podría is a polite conditional. Useful for menu adjustments without sounding demanding.
Necesito un anticipo del treinta por ciento.
I need a thirty percent deposit.
neh-seh-SEE-toh oon ahn-tee-SEE-poh del TREYN-tah por SYEHN-toh
Anticipo is common for deposits in business contexts. In some countries, seña or depósito may be used.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Use quisiera + infinitive to make polite business requests: Quisiera solicitar una cotización, Quisiera confirmar el menú, Quisiera saber si el precio incluye servicio. This pattern is softer than quiero and works well in emails and phone calls. For written follow-up, you can also use le agradezco si me envía la cotización por correo. Keep the request specific: include date, number of guests and venue so the provider can quote accurately.
When to use it
Use business catering language when you are comparing providers, not bargaining at a market. Ask ¿Cuál es el precio por persona? and ¿Qué incluye el paquete? to clarify whether service, staff, tables and cleanup are included. If the quote is too high, respond with ¿Habría posibilidad de ajustar el precio si aumentamos el número de invitados? This keeps the tone collaborative. For final confirmation, ask ¿Me puede enviar el contrato y la factura? so the agreement is documented.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buenos días, quisiera solicitar una cotización para un evento el quince de junio.
Good morning, I would like to request a quote for an event on June fifteenth.BWEH-nohs DEE-ahs kee-SYEH-rah so-lee-see-TAR oo-nah ko-tee-see-OHN pah-rah oon eh-BEHN-toh el KEEN-seh deh HOO-nyohCon gusto. ¿Cuántos invitados serían y en qué lugar sería el evento?
With pleasure. How many guests would there be, and where would the event be?kohn GOOS-toh KWAHN-tohs een-vee-TAH-dohs seh-REE-ahn ee en keh loo-GAR seh-REE-ah el eh-BEHN-tohSomos aproximadamente ochenta invitados, en un salón en el centro. ¿Cuál es el precio por persona?
We are approximately eighty guests, in a hall downtown. What is the price per person?SOH-mohs ah-prok-see-mah-dah-MEN-teh oh-CHEN-tah een-vee-TAH-dohs en oon sah-LOHN en el SEN-troh KWAHL ehs el PREH-syoh por per-SOH-nahEl precio por persona es de veinticinco dólares e incluye servicio y menú de tres tiempos.
The price per person is twenty-five dollars and includes service and a three-course menu.el PREH-syoh por per-SOH-nah ehs deh beyn-tee-SEEN-koh DOH-lah-rehs eh een-KLOO-yeh ser-VEE-syoh ee meh-NOO deh trehs TYEM-pohsA little context goes a long way
In Latin American business Spanish, politeness often comes from softening requests with quisiera, podría or ¿habría posibilidad? rather than from direct commands. Written quotes and contracts are common and expected for events; verbal agreements may be followed up by email. Regional terms vary: anticipo is widely understood for a deposit, but seña is common in some Southern Cone contexts, and factura versus boleta depends on the country and tax system.
One thing to watch for
Using quiero directly for every request, as in Quiero una cotización.
Try this instead: Use Quisiera solicitar una cotización or ¿Podría enviarme una cotización? for a more professional tone. Quiero is not wrong, but in a first contact it can sound abrupt. For example, Quisiera confirmar el menú y el anticipo sounds more courteous in a business email.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you politely ask for a per-person price for an event?
Show a sample answer
¿Cuál es el precio por persona?
This directly asks for the per-person rate. You could also ask ¿Cuánto cobran por persona? in a more conversational tone.
2You need to change the menu to include a vegetarian option. What polite phrase can you use?
Show a sample answer
¿Podría incluir una opción vegetariana?
Podría makes the request polite and conditional. Another valid option is ¿Sería posible agregar una opción vegetariana?
3What phrase asks the provider to send a contract and invoice?
Show a sample answer
¿Me puede enviar el contrato y la factura?
This requests written documentation. In some countries, you might say comprobante or boleta instead of factura depending on tax rules.
For catering in Spanish, start with Quisiera solicitar una cotización, ask ¿Cuál es el precio por persona?, clarify what the package includes, and confirm the anticipo, contrato and factura in writing.
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