Catering Pricing Calculator
Every catering quote answers two questions: what should this menu cost per person, and what does the whole event cost? This page answers both. Cost one guest's plate — protein, sides, dessert, disposables — get your per-person price with the standard food-cost method, then build the full event quote with service charge, staffing, delivery, and rentals, and see exactly where every dollar goes.
1Your business settings
Set these once — they apply to every menu and every quote. A 30% food cost target is the industry standard for staffed events; the other 70% covers shopping, prep-day labor, kitchen overhead, and your profit.
2What does one guest's plate cost you?
Cost one serving of the full menu — including the plate, napkin, cutlery kit, and chafing fuel share. Disposables are a real cost that most new caterers forget.
Build the event quote
3The event
The per-person price carries over from Step 2 — edit it if you're quoting a different menu. Staff hours are total person-hours: two servers for a six-hour call is 12 hours, and the call includes setup and teardown, not just service.
Catering per-person price guide
Use the calculator above for your real prices — your plate costs, not ours. But here's what catering typically sells for per person across most US markets. Big cities run the high end or above it; small markets run the low end:
| Drop-off (no staff) | |
| Corporate boxed lunch | $12–$16 |
| Taco, pasta, or sandwich bar | $14–$20 |
| BBQ buffet, drop-off | $15–$22 |
| Staffed events | |
| Brunch buffet | $18–$30 |
| Staffed buffet dinner | $25–$40 |
| Appetizer / cocktail reception | $28–$45 |
| Plated dinner, full service | $45–$75 |
| Add-ons | |
| Dessert & coffee bar | $8–$14 |
| Late-night snack service | $10–$16 |
Notice the pattern: nobody staffs a plated wedding dinner for $20 a head. If your calculator result lands way below these ranges, your plate cost is probably missing something — the disposables, the chafing fuel, the third side dish that "doesn't count."
Not every event should hit 30%
The 30% food cost target is a starting point, not a rule for every service style. The more labor an event carries, the leaner the food cost has to run — because the other side of the plate is funding that labor:
| Drop-off catering (no staff on site) | 33–38% |
| Staffed buffet | 28–32% |
| Plated, full-service dinner | 25–30% |
| Appetizer / cocktail reception | 25–30% |
This is why a drop-off taco bar can be $16 a head while the same kitchen's plated dinner is $60: it's not the food, it's everything wrapped around the food. In the calculator above, just change the food cost target when you switch service styles — the per-person price follows.
The pricing mistakes that sink new caterers
1. Quoting before costing the menu. The client asks "what would 50 people run me?" and a number comes out of your mouth. Now you're negotiating against a guess. Cost one plate first — every time, even for menus you've made a hundred times. Ingredient prices move; your quotes have to move with them.
2. Forgetting disposables, ice, and chafing fuel. Plates, cutlery kits, napkins, serving utensils, sterno, and ice add $1.00–$2.50 per guest on a buffet. At 50 guests that's up to $125 of real cost — an entire margin's worth — quietly missing from the quote.
3. Leaving out shopping and prep-day hours. A Saturday event is a Thursday shop and a Friday prep day. Those hours live in the 70% side of your food-cost math — which is exactly why you can't let the food cost percentage creep: it's not padding, it's payroll you owe yourself.
4. Skipping the service charge. An 18–22% service charge on the food total is standard across the industry and clients expect it. Skip it and you're funding tastings, planning calls, and equipment out of your own paycheck — thousands a year, donated.
5. Underestimating staff hours. A "4-hour reception" is a 7–8 hour call: load the van, drive, set up, serve, break down, load out, unload. Quote the call, not the party — and bill staff at a rate above what you pay them, because scheduling, no-show risk, and payroll taxes are your problem, not the client's.
6. No deposit, no contract. You're buying food and turning away other events for that date. A 25–50% deposit with a signed contract, final guest count locked 7–14 days out, balance due before the event. A booking without a deposit is a rumor.
Common questions
How do caterers price per person?
The industry-standard starting point is food cost percentage: add up what one guest's plate actually costs you — protein, sides, bread, dessert, and the disposables — then divide by your target food cost percentage. A plate that costs $6.45 at a 30% target is $6.45 ÷ 0.30 = $21.50 per person, rounded to a menu-friendly $21.95. The other 70% pays for shopping, prep-day labor, kitchen overhead, and your profit. Staffing, delivery, and rentals are then quoted as their own line items on top — which is exactly how the quote builder above works.
What is a good food cost percentage for catering?
Most profitable caterers run 28–32% on staffed events. Drop-off catering can stretch to 33–38% because it carries far less labor per guest, while labor-heavy plated dinners should run leaner — 25–30%. If your food cost creeps past 38%, your per-person price is too low or your portions are drifting.
What is a service charge, and is it a tip?
No — and the difference matters legally and financially. A service charge (typically 18–22% of the food total) is revenue that belongs to the business: it funds admin time, menu planning, tastings, equipment, and coordination. A gratuity is voluntary and belongs to the staff. Put the service charge on every quote, label it clearly, and state in writing that it is not a gratuity.
How much deposit should I require?
A 25–50% deposit to hold the date, balance due before the event — commonly 7–14 days out, when the final guest count locks. Catering buys food, books staff, and turns away other events for a date; a signed contract and a real deposit are what make a booking a booking.
Should I charge for delivery and setup?
Yes. The van, the fuel, the load-in, and the chafing setup are real costs of getting hot food to a venue. Charge a flat delivery and setup fee based on distance, and pass big rentals — tables, linens, china — through at cost or with a small handling fee, as their own line on the quote.
Is this calculator really free?
Yes. No account, no email, no ads. The calculator runs in your browser and the numbers you enter are never sent to us. We use basic traffic analytics, described in our privacy policy.
Estimates only: results are based on the numbers you enter and average U.S. costs. We work hard to keep the math and defaults accurate, but labor rates, material prices, taxes, and regulations vary by location — always verify your own numbers before setting your prices. MyPricingCalculator.com is not responsible for pricing or business decisions made using these tools.