FAQ — For Caterers
Everything you need to know about listing your catering business and growing with Cennaire.
Getting Started
How do I list my catering business on Cennaire?
Register for an account and select Caterer as your role during onboarding. You'll walk through an 8-step wizard to set up your business profile: name, city, photos, cuisine types, bio, capacity, an optional first package, and optional verification documents.
Is there a verification process?
Yes. You can upload business documents from your dashboard (Dashboard → Verification) or during onboarding. Our team reviews submissions manually — typically within two business days. Once approved, a verified badge appears next to your name on your profile, caterer card, and dashboard.
Can I set my service area?
Yes. You can set your city and the guest count range your business can accommodate. Clients filter by these criteria, so accuracy helps you receive the right leads.
How do I add packages?
You can create your first package during onboarding, or manage packages from Dashboard → Menus → Packages. Each package has a title, description, price per head, guest count range, cuisine type, and dietary options.
How do I manage menu items?
From Dashboard → Menus → Items you can create and manage individual menu items. These items can be pulled into quotes using the quote builder's "Add from menu" feature, making it fast to build itemised proposals.
Leads and Quotes
How do I receive quote requests?
When a client posts a request that matches your cuisine type, city, and guest capacity, it appears in your Leads tab on the dashboard. You can then review it and decide whether to submit a quote.
Can I filter the types of requests I see?
Your profile settings (cuisine types, city, guest capacity) act as your filter. Leads shown to you already match your advertised capabilities.
How does the quote builder work?
The quote builder (Dashboard → Quotes → New Quote) lets you create professional, itemised proposals. You can add line items with quantities and unit prices, percentage or fixed fees (e.g., service charge, delivery), a cover message, deposit terms, and a validity date. A live preview shows exactly what the client will see.
Can I save a quote as a draft before sending?
Yes. Quotes default to Draft status. You can save your work and come back to edit it later. Drafts are only visible to you — the client won't see them until you submit.
Can I create quotes without a client request?
Yes. Standalone quotes let you send a professional proposal to anyone — even clients you've spoken to outside the platform. Just fill in the client details manually in the quote builder.
Can I export quotes as PDF?
Yes. Every submitted quote can be exported as a PDF from the quote detail page.
What are share links?
Each submitted quote gets a unique share link. You can send this link to clients via email, WhatsApp, or any channel. The client can view the full professional quote and accept or decline directly from the link — no Cennaire account required.
Is there a limit on how many quotes I can submit?
No. You can quote on as many open requests as you like on both Free and Premium tiers.
Do my quotes expire?
Yes — you set the validUntil date when creating a quote (defaults to 14 days). Once that date passes, the client can no longer accept your quote and it is marked as expired.
What happens if a client doesn't respond before my quote expires?
The quote closes automatically. You can submit a new quote on the same request if it's still open, or reach out to the client through Messages.
Messages and Calendar
How do I communicate with clients?
Use the built-in messaging system at Dashboard → Messages. Conversations are organised by event context (request or booking) and show unread counts in the sidebar.
Is there a calendar view?
Yes. Dashboard → Calendar shows your bookings and quote deadlines in a visual calendar with month and week views. Bookings appear in gold and quote deadlines in blue. Click any date for event details.
Will the calendar sync with Google Calendar?
Yes — this is coming soon. You'll be able to connect your Google account from Settings. Once connected, new bookings will be pushed to your Google Calendar automatically, and your personal Google Calendar events will appear on your Cennaire dashboard calendar in green so you can see your full schedule in one place.
Bookings and Payments
What happens after a client accepts my quote?
A booking is created and appears in your dashboard under Bookings and on your Calendar. You'll see the event date, guest count, and agreed total. Use Messages to coordinate logistics and payment with the client.
How does payment work?
Payment is handled directly between you and the client — Cennaire does not process payments between caterers and clients at this time. In-platform payments are on the roadmap.
What if I need to cancel a booking?
Contact the client as early as possible via Messages. Cancellations should be handled directly and professionally. Repeated cancellations may affect your standing on the platform.
Free vs. Premium
What's included in the Free tier?
On the Free tier you get: a full business profile and storefront, the quote builder with line items and PDF export, messages, calendar, verification, the ability to receive and respond to quote requests, basic dashboard access, and standard search placement.
What additional features does Premium unlock?
Premium ($50/month) adds: priority placement in search results (Premium caterers appear first), access to the Analytics dashboard (6 key metrics), and priority support.
How does priority listing work?
In search results and on the browse page, Premium caterers are shown before Free caterers. Within each tier, caterers are sorted alphabetically by business name.
How do I upgrade to Premium?
Go to your Dashboard and click the upgrade banner, or visit your Profile page and click Upgrade to Premium. You'll be taken to a Stripe-hosted Checkout page.
Can I cancel my Premium subscription?
Yes, at any time from your Profile page using the Manage Subscription button. Cancellation takes effect at the end of your current billing period — you keep Premium benefits until then.
What happens to my listings if I cancel Premium?
Your profile and packages remain active on the platform. You revert to Free tier: standard search placement and no analytics access. No content is deleted.
Is there a free trial for Premium?
There is no free trial at this time. You can use the Free tier indefinitely to evaluate the platform before upgrading.
Reviews
When can a client leave a review?
Clients can leave a review once a booking linked to your catering service is marked as completed.
How is my star rating calculated?
Your overall rating is the average of all verified review scores (1–5 stars). It's shown on your public profile, caterer card, and detail dialog.
Can I respond to reviews?
Review responses are on the roadmap. For now, reviews are displayed as submitted.
Profile & Photos
What image sizes are recommended?
- Logo: Square format, at least 200×200px
- Cover image: Landscape, at least 1200×400px
- Gallery photos: Any aspect ratio; minimum 800px wide for best quality
How many gallery photos can I upload?
There is no hard limit. We recommend 4–8 high-quality photos showing your food, presentation, and events.