24/7 Call Answering for catering
Never miss a customer call or booking request. Our AI receptionist handles calls professionally for catering, books appointments instantly, and captures every lead 24/7.
Why catering companies are switching to AI answering agents
Running a catering business means being in three places at once. You're prepping in the kitchen for tonight's corporate dinner, meeting a bride for a tasting, and coordinating delivery logistics for tomorrow's luncheon. When your phone rings with a potential $15,000 wedding inquiry, you're often elbow-deep in a sauce reduction or loading a van.
The timing problem is brutal for caterers. Your biggest leads call during your busiest prep times. A corporate event planner researching vendors calls at 10 AM when you're prepping for a noon delivery. A bride calls Saturday afternoon when you're on-site at a wedding. These are exactly the moments you can't step away, and exactly when the highest-value opportunities come in.
AI answering agents don't just take messages. They ask about event dates, guest counts, dietary restrictions, and budget ranges. They book tasting consultations directly into your calendar. The bride planning her wedding gets an immediate response and a confirmed appointment instead of leaving a voicemail and wondering if you're even still in business.
From the client's perspective, calling your catering company feels professional and organized. They explain their event, answer a few questions about their needs, and hang up with a tasting scheduled. That experience matters when they're deciding between three caterers for a $20,000 wedding reception.
For caterers already losing inquiries to voicemail or spending evenings returning calls after events, AI answering pays for itself fast. One wedding that would have gone to a competitor covers years of service. One corporate account that needed an immediate response covers the entire year.
This works whether you're a small operation with a home kitchen or a full-service catering company with multiple crews. If you're missing calls during events, prep time, or tastings, AI gives you the coverage you need without hiring additional office staff.
One missed wedding or corporate event to a competitor pays for years of AI answering service.
Most catering inquiries come when you're actively working events or deep in kitchen prep.
By the time you return calls after an event, clients have already contacted other caterers.
Common catering calls we handle
Our AI understands your business and handles these calls automatically.
| Call Type | Peak Timing | What AI Captures | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|
💒Wedding catering inquiry | Evenings, weekends | Wedding date, guest count, venue, cuisine style, budget range | Reservation booked |
🏢Corporate event booking | Business hours | Company name, event date, headcount, dietary needs, budget | Consultation booked |
🎉Private party inquiry | Evenings, weekends | Event type, date, guest count, cuisine preferences, location | Reservation booked |
🥗Menu and pricing questions | Business hours | Event type, guest count, cuisine style, dietary restrictions | Info provided |
🚨Last-minute event request | Anytime | Event date, headcount, location, contact info, urgency | Urgent transfer |
🌾Dietary accommodation inquiry | Anytime | Allergy/restriction type, event details, guest count affected | Callback scheduled |
📅Tasting appointment request | Business hours | Event type, date, guest count, availability preferences | Reservation booked |
❓"Do you cater small events?" | Anytime | Event size, type, date, contact info | Lead captured |
Integrates with your catering tools
After every call, NextPhone can update your CRM, add new contacts, book appointments, and trigger workflows automatically.
Total Party Planner
Sync events, proposals, and client details automatically
Caterease
Create bookings and update event records instantly
Better Cater
Add leads and schedule tastings directly
Tripleseat
Sync event inquiries and booking information
Google Calendar
Book tastings and consultations into available slots
Zapier
Send data to 5,000+ other apps
From ring to booked revenue.
NextPhone handles the entire booking process autonomously, creating a seamless flow of data from the first ring to your calendar.
Trained on your website
We customize NextPhone to YOUR services, pricing, and booking flow.
Books into your calendar
Checks YOUR availability in real-time and schedules jobs instantly.
Syncs to your stack
Everything flows to YOUR CRM, calendar, and tools automatically.
Call Resolution Rate
First 7 Weeks
Every call picked up,
and handled perfectly.
When phones get busy or the office is closed, NextPhone takes over instantly—no more voicemail black holes.
Unlimited calls included
Flat monthly rate. No per-call or per-minute charges, ever.
Instant transfers
Complex calls route to your team immediately when needed.
Phone numbers anywhere
Get local numbers from any US, Canadian, or international area code.
20+ languages
Serve customers in Spanish, French, Mandarin, and more.
I was losing wedding inquiries every time I was on-site at an event or prepping in the kitchen. Now every call gets answered and tastings get scheduled automatically. Last month alone, I booked three weddings I would have missed to voicemail.
Simple, transparent pricing
Most customers recover the monthly cost from a single appointment.
Nextphone Pro
For lean teams getting started.
- Converts leads to booked appointments automatically
- Syncs with your calendar & CRM
- Unlimited calls (no per-minute charges)
- Call transcripts & summaries
- Custom training included
- No contracts, cancel anytime
Nextphone Enterprise
For multi-location teams.
- Multiple lines & locations
- Advanced routing & integrations
- Dedicated onboarding support
- Priority 24/7 support
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about NextPhone
The AI receptionist is trained specifically for catering. It answers customer questions, collects booking information, and schedules appointments based on your availability. It works 24/7 to ensure you never miss a customer.
Yes! The AI can book appointments, consultations, and services instantly. It checks your calendar availability and confirms appointments with customers in real-time, sending automatic confirmations.
The AI is trained to handle common catering questions. For complex inquiries, it captures all customer details and schedules a callback with you, ensuring no lead is lost.
The AI works 24/7, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. It can book appointments, answer questions, or take messages when you are unavailable, ensuring customers always get a response.
Yes! You can configure the AI to ask qualifying questions about services needed, budget, timeline, and location. It routes qualified leads to you and filters out non-ideal customers.
The AI sounds natural and professional. We recommend transparency - you can configure it to identify itself as your virtual receptionist. Most customers appreciate the instant response regardless of whether it is AI or human.
Yes! NextPhone integrates with popular scheduling, CRM, and management tools for catering. Appointments and customer information sync automatically to your existing systems.
NextPhone costs $199/month with unlimited calls - no per-minute charges or hidden fees. Includes custom training, CRM integration, call transcripts, and summaries. No contracts, cancel anytime.
Still have questions? Contact our support team
Industries We Serve
NextPhone works for businesses like yours
Turn your phone lines into a
24/7 booking engine.
See a live demo and have NextPhone answering calls in under a week.