Question 1

What is Catermi?

Accepted Answer

Catermi is an AI-powered multi-tenant catering management SaaS platform designed for professional catering businesses. It manages the entire order lifecycle—from order creation through kitchen production, packing, and delivery—via 7 dedicated role-based dashboards for Admin, Chef, Packer, Driver, Sales, Support, and Kitchen Station Staff. Catermi integrates AI route optimization, real-time WebSocket operations, and deep accounting integrations into a single platform.

Question 2

What features does Catermi include?

Accepted Answer

Catermi includes: AI route optimization using OR-Tools VRPTW and Google Maps Distance Matrix; real-time order management; kitchen production dashboard; QR-based packing verification; GPS driver tracking with offline PWA; AI voice and chat ordering via Twilio; WhatsApp ordering channel; pgvector semantic search; customer churn prediction; ingredient inventory auto-deduction; online storefront with custom subdomain; multi-gateway payments (Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net); accounting integrations (QuickBooks, Xero, Sage Intacct, Restaurant365, Wave); 2FA authentication; and a complete subscription billing system with Stripe.

Question 3

How much does Catermi cost?

Accepted Answer

Catermi offers three plans: Starter at $99/month (up to 15 team members, 500 orders/month), Professional at $249/month (up to 50 members, unlimited orders, AI features), and Enterprise at $599/month (unlimited members, multi-location, custom AI, dedicated success manager). Annual billing saves 20%. All plans include a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Question 4

Does Catermi integrate with QuickBooks?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Catermi integrates with QuickBooks Online, Xero, Sage Intacct, Restaurant365, and Wave Accounting via a pluggable provider architecture. Integrations use OAuth2 or credentials. Invoice generation, dish syncing, and ingredient expense tracking all sync automatically in the background via Laravel job queues.

Question 5

How does AI route optimization work in Catermi?

Accepted Answer

Catermi solves the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW) using Google's OR-Tools running in a dedicated Docker microservice. It pulls real-world distances from the Google Maps Distance Matrix API and generates optimal delivery sequences for each driver schedule, minimizing total drive time while respecting delivery time windows. Drivers also receive AI-generated personalized tips for each stop.

Question 6

Can I build an online ordering store with Catermi?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each catering company on Catermi gets a fully customizable online storefront accessible via a dedicated subdomain (e.g., your-company.catermi.com) or custom path. The store supports custom branding (colors, fonts, layout), menu display with dietary tags, and multi-gateway checkout: Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, or offline payment methods (cash on delivery, bank transfer).

Question 7

Does Catermi have a mobile app for drivers?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Catermi includes a Progressive Web App (PWA) optimized for drivers. It supports offline mode, Firebase push notifications, AI-optimized route navigation, stop-by-stop delivery instructions, digital signature capture, photo upload at delivery, and real-time GPS tracking. No app store installation required — drivers access it from any mobile browser.

Question 8

What makes Catermi different from other catering management software?

Accepted Answer

Catermi differentiates through: (1) AI-first architecture with genuine OR-Tools VRPTW route optimization, not heuristic estimates; (2) true multi-tenant SaaS with complete data isolation and per-company customization; (3) 7 purpose-built role dashboards instead of generic staff access; (4) event-driven notification system configurable without code changes; (5) pluggable accounting integrations supporting 5 major platforms; (6) pgvector-powered semantic search on orders, dishes, and inventory; and (7) complete online storefront with payment processing included at no extra cost.

Question 9

Is there a free trial for Catermi?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Catermi offers a 14-day free trial on all plans with no credit card required. The trial grants full access to all features of the selected plan. Trial periods are available only once per company. After the trial ends, you can subscribe to any paid plan or cancel without being charged.

Question 10

What technology does Catermi use?

Accepted Answer

Catermi is built on Laravel 12 (PHP 8.2+) for the backend API, Vue 3 SPA with PrimeVue and Pinia for the frontend, PostgreSQL with pgvector for semantic search, MongoDB for AI interaction logs, Redis with Laravel Horizon for job queues, and Laravel Reverb for real-time WebSocket communication. Route optimization runs in a separate Docker container using OR-Tools. AI features use OpenAI GPT-4o and GPT-4o-mini models.

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