Restaurant receipt template
Restaurant receipt template for business meals: date, covers, each dish and drink, the service charge on its own line and the tip, ready for an expense claim.
Templates by industry
- Set lunch menu, per guest
- House wine, half-litre carafe
- Dessert of the day
- Service charge as stated on the menu
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Match the payment to the invoice
Example: check the payment for "Set lunch menu, per guest" against the invoice it settles: the invoice number, the amount received and any balance still owed.
Record the payment
Enter the payment date, the payment method and the amount received, and check each line this payment covers, down to "Service charge as stated on the menu".
Send the receipt
Send the receipt to the customer and mark the invoice as paid; if a balance remains, keep the invoice open for it.
Most diners never ask for more than the till slip, but a guest paying for a business lunch often needs a receipt that an accountant will accept: the date, how many people ate, what was served and what was added for service. This template lists the set menu per guest, the drinks and the desserts separately and puts the service charge on a line of its own, so a tip added by card does not get lost.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Set lunch menu, per guest, House wine, half-litre carafe, Dessert of the day, Service charge as stated on the menu: the lines this payment covers, as they appear on the invoice it settles.
- Set lunch menu, per guest
- Price set menus per guest and give the number of guests, which expense rules often ask for.
- House wine, half-litre carafe
- Name the drink and the size; some employers reimburse alcohol differently, so it should not hide inside the food total.
- Dessert of the day
- Keep desserts on their own line even when they came with a menu upgrade, so the bill can be checked against the order.
- Service charge as stated on the menu
- State the service charge as a fixed charge if the menu says so; a voluntary tip belongs on a separate line or in the notes.
- Payment details
- Record the payment date, the method (bank transfer, card or cash) and the amount received, exactly as it arrived.
- Invoice reference
- Quote the number of the invoice this payment settles; for a part payment, note the balance still owed.
- Scope to agree
- Give the date, the number of guests and each course or drink, keep any service charge on its own line, and let the guest add the business purpose themselves.
Before sending
- Does “Set lunch menu, per guest” match the line on the invoice this payment settles?
- Has the money for “House wine, half-litre carafe” actually arrived, in full or in part?
- Is “Dessert of the day” shown at the amount received, with any balance still owed noted?
Show 4 more
- Does “Service charge as stated on the menu” match the line on the invoice this payment settles?
- Confirm the money has actually arrived before you issue the receipt.
- Check that the amount received matches the invoice, and note any difference as a balance or an overpayment.
- Quote the invoice number it settles, and keep receipt numbers in a sequence of their own.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 4 lines in USD, with an example tax rate of 8%.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Set lunch menu, per guest | 4 × $24.00 | $96.00 |
| House wine, half-litre carafe | 1 × $22.00 | $22.00 |
| Dessert of the day | 2 × $8.00 | $16.00 |
| Service charge as stated on the menu | 1 × $13.00 | $13.00 |
| Subtotal | $147.00 | |
| Sales tax (8%) | $11.76 | |
| Total | $158.76 | |
Amount received $158.76, of which sales tax $11.76.
What the document must show
The details a receipt has to show, and why each one matters, are set out in the guide below.
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Full requirements: What a receipt must show (and receipt vs invoice)
Frequently asked questions
The guest wants the receipt made out to their company. What do I add?
The company name, and its address or tax number if they give it. Write who attended and the reason for the meal only if the guest asks; that is their information to provide.
Is a restaurant receipt enough for the guest to reclaim tax?
That depends on the country and the amount: some accept a simplified receipt, others want a full tax invoice with your registration details. Find out what your guests’ employers need and print those details.
How is the sales tax worked out on this receipt?
The worked example above uses an example rate of 8%: $11.76 on a net amount of $147.00, for a total of $158.76. The editor recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a price or the country.
Can I download it as Excel, Word or PDF?
Yes. A PDF needs no account: fill in the template and use Print / PDF. The Excel and Word files download from this page with a free account, and the spreadsheet keeps its formulas, so changing a quantity updates the tax and the total.
How is the document numbered?
QuoteBill gives each new document a unique number of its own. A member can switch to numbers in sequence in settings, such as REC-2026-0001: one sequence for each kind of document, starting again every calendar year. A number you type yourself is kept as it is.
Read next
Reading for the Restaurant receipt template: What a receipt must show (and receipt vs invoice) and Quote, proforma, invoice, receipt, credit note: which to use. To add tax or check a total, use the VAT and GST calculator.