How much deposit is normal for catering?

Fifty percent on booking is standard across most of the UAE market, with the balance due shortly before the event. Taier Al Monal takes 50 percent on booking and the remaining 50 percent three days before the event.

What happens if fewer guests turn up than I booked?

The bill stands at the guest count you booked. Food for that number has already been bought, prepped and staffed, so it cannot be reduced on the day. This is standard across the industry.

Is a catering deposit refundable?

Usually not, because it covers ordering and staff scheduling committed on your behalf. Always check the specific clause before signing, since policies differ between caterers.

Is there a minimum order for catering in Sharjah?

Taier Al Monal has a minimum order of AED 3,000 for outdoor catering. Smaller groups are usually better served by booking inside the restaurant instead.

Catering Deposits and Payment Terms in the UAE

Catering is one of the few things people commit thousands of dirhams to without reading the terms first. It is worth ten minutes, because the clauses that matter are not the price ones.

How much deposit is normal

Fifty percent on booking is the standard across most of the UAE market, with the balance due shortly before the event. Some caterers take 25 or 30 percent on larger contracts; very few take less, because the deposit is what covers ordering and staff scheduling if an event is cancelled.

Our terms are 50 percent on booking and the remaining 50 percent due three days before the event. Outdoor catering has a minimum order of AED 3,000.

The clause that actually costs people money

It is not the deposit. It is what happens when the headcount moves.

Our position, stated plainly: any change to guest numbers has to reach us three days before the event. If fewer guests turn up than you booked, the bill stands at the number you gave us. If more turn up, the bill is adjusted upward to match the number who actually attended.

That first half is the one to understand before you book anything, with us or anyone else. Food for a hundred is bought, prepped and staffed for a hundred. A caterer cannot un-buy it on the morning, so no caterer will refund it. If a company tells you they will, read that clause twice.

How to book numbers sensibly

Book the number you are confident will attend, not the number you invited. UAE events routinely see 15 to 25 percent of an invited list not arrive, and the terms above mean you pay for optimism.

Because the bill adjusts upward for extra guests, under-booking slightly is the safer error. Over-booking is the expensive one.

What to check in any catering contract

The deposit percentage, and whether it is refundable at all
When the balance falls due, and by what method
The final numbers deadline, and what happens either side of it
Whether a minimum order applies, and whether it is per event or per package
What is included in the per-head price and what is charged on top
Whether staff, setup, crockery and transport are inside the number or outside it

That last one is where quotes diverge most. A low per-head figure with setup, service and equipment billed separately can land higher than a complete one.

What our per-head price includes

Salads and sauces, a soup, the main courses you choose, a grill selection, bread, dessert, and water with soft drinks. Packages are AED 45, AED 65, AED 85 and AED 110 per person, and the AED 110 Premium includes a whole mutton dam pukht ouzi served on rice.

Charged on top and clearly listed: french fries and nuggets at AED 5 per person on the 45, 65 and 85 packages; a live BBQ, live tandoor or live jalebi counter at AED 10 each; a live puri counter at AED 15; and table and chair setup at AED 15. Everything is on the catering menu.

For the timing side of a booking, see how far in advance to book.