Catering inquiry management for a 40-person lunch order

We set up the workflows described here during Custom Build or Enterprise setup, using your records, tools, and approval rules. We agree on the scope with you first. Custom workflows are not included in the Pilot. Examples illustrate a possible setup, not a promise that every step is ready in a free workspace.

Catering inquiry management is the work between a "can you feed 40 people?" email and a deposit in the bank. The AI employee reads the menu, catering rules, kitchen calendar, and allergy policy, then drafts a quote and a deposit request. The price, the deposit, and any customer reply wait for the manager's approval.

Catering inquiry management is the work between a "can you feed 40 people?" email and a deposit in the bank. Each step is small, and together they eat an afternoon.

Here is one inquiry at a fictional restaurant, Fennimore Kitchen. Marcus is the manager and approves from his phone. Beth is an office manager who needs lunch for her team.

What does a catering inquiry look like when it arrives?

At 4:52 p.m. on a Friday, an email reached the catering inbox. AI employee Mia, the chief of staff, logged it as a record so nothing depended on someone remembering to open it.

A caller would have reached Mia on the restaurant's own number instead. AI phone answering is available. This one was an email, so it came in through Gmail.

What does catering inquiry management read before drafting?

Four records mattered, because each one could change the answer.

The records came in by CSV import, and the kitchen calendar sat in Google Calendar. Omni connects tools through Composio during setup; confirm the specific connection and account scope with our team.

What does a catering quote and deposit draft include?

One reply to Beth. It had a quote, two menu options, a vegetarian choice, and a deposit request. It also said what the kitchen could not promise.

The deposit request was set up for Stripe. It was only a draft. No charge and no request went anywhere yet.

What waits for the manager before a catering quote goes out?

The price and the deposit. A quote commits the kitchen to a date and a cost, and a deposit request asks a customer for money. In Omni Studio, sending, spending, signing and changing records wait for approval by default.

Marcus saw the draft, the records behind it and the reasons. At 8:10 a.m. on Saturday he reduced delivery to $35, approved the revised $755 quote and $377.50 deposit request, and declined nothing. The decision and the edit are logged.

What happens after the catering quote is approved?

The reply went out at 8:11 a.m. Beth answered at 9:30 a.m. and asked how to pay the deposit. AI employee Nora, the AI employee for billing, drafted the invoice and the Stripe request, and both waited for Marcus before they went out.

What if a guest has an allergy the kitchen cannot rule out?

Beth mentioned one guest with a peanut allergy. The allergy policy said the kitchen uses peanut oil in one dressing and shares a fryer. The draft did not say "peanut free" and did not guess.

Instead it flagged the line for Marcus at the top of the card. It preserved the allergy note and offered a call with the kitchen before the date was held. The draft did not label any dish safe.

A kitchen that cannot be sure should say so, and leave the decision with a person who knows the line. Allergy rules differ by place, so check yours with your local health department.

How do you try catering inquiry management on sample data?

The reservations and catering page illustrates the workflow. Confirm the catering setup and scope with our team. For a wider view, read the restaurant implementation guide and the phone answering post for restaurants. We set up the restaurants workspace is set up with you.

Mia, Cody, and Nora are three of the seven AI employees. Mia is the only one on the outside phone line. The Pilot includes AI usage; see the pricing page for its current price, and the 14-day workspace on sample data is free, with no credit card.