What I’d start with
One catering form, one event tracker and one kitchen brief template.
CAFÉS & CATERERS
One catering order. One clear brief.
For a café taking office lunches, party orders or small events alongside its daily trade. Keep the latest order details together, from enquiry to kitchen handover.
See the automation flowIllustrative example · a possible starting point for your business
THE PROBLEM
“Actually, can we make that 24 people?”
You’re serving the lunch rush when a catering customer changes the numbers. Someone else asks about delivery. By the time the kitchen needs the details, you’re searching the inbox to work out which version is current.
- Retyping event details into a calendar and kitchen sheet.
- Losing a headcount or delivery-time change in an email thread.
- Preparing a handover before important details are confirmed.
THE SOLUTION
How the automation would work
I’d use a short catering form and one event record. Your team records any changes agreed by email or phone in that record. The workflow then rebuilds the brief from the latest details, ready for approval.
- 01 / TRIGGER
Catering enquiry arrives
Collect the date, headcount, delivery details and requirements in a short form.
- 02 / AUTOMATION
Build the event record
Create one record and flag missing information. Your team adds confirmed changes to the same record.
- 03 / AUTOMATION
Prepare the handover
Draft a customer response and a kitchen brief, clearly marked as provisional.
- 04 / YOUR DECISION
You confirm the order
Check capacity, pricing and requirements, then approve the final brief and calendar entry.
WHEN SOMETHING NEEDS CHECKINGThe headcount changes or a requirement is unclear?
Mark the existing brief as needing review. Flag the change and regenerate it after confirmation, so an old version doesn’t pass for the final one.
WHAT YOU GET
The kitchen brief, in one place
The same confirmed details can feed the kitchen handover and delivery calendar. The team can see whether the order is ready or still needs a decision.
An example of the outputSAMPLE DATA
- Event
- Sample office lunch · Tuesday
- Headcount
- 24 · updated from 20
- Delivery window
- 12:00–12:30
- Delivery address
- Awaiting customer confirmation
- Requirements
- Dietary details need direct confirmation
- Brief status
- Provisional · owner review needed
Fictional example. Dietary information is passed through for a direct check, never interpreted as an automated food-safety decision.
INTEGRATIONS & HOSTING
How I could build it
| Tool | Its part in the workflow |
|---|---|
| Google Forms & Sheets | Collect the enquiry and maintain one event record with a clear version and status. |
| Google Docs & Calendar | Create the kitchen brief and add the confirmed event to the delivery calendar. |
| Gmail | Holds a reply draft asking for missing details or summarising the order for confirmation. |
The technology
For a café using Google Workspace, I’d connect these tools with Google Apps Script. A structured form and document template can handle this without AI.
Where it runs
The script runs on Google’s servers under your agreed business account. Event records and briefs stay in your Workspace. I’d confirm access, retention and usage limits before the trial.
Platform details, if you’d like to go deeper
A SENSIBLE FIRST PROJECT
Start small. Check it helps.
How we’d judge it
Compare time spent preparing each brief and check how often staff search messages for missing details.
What stays under control
The record shows who confirmed a change. A revised brief needs approval; pricing and dietary checks remain with you.
Are catering details scattered across the inbox?
Tell me how it works today. If we agree a suitable first automation, I’ll build it for free and give you 30 days to try it. We agree the ongoing monthly price and any software costs before starting.