Event Catering Calculator
Pick your event type, enter guest count, get the full food and drink shopping list at industry-standard portions.
Sit-down dinner, 2-3 courses, 8-20 guests.
Estimated quantities for 50 guests
| Item | Per person | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Bread / dinner rolls | 2.0 pcs | 100 pcs |
| Salad (mixed greens) | 80 g | 4.0 kg |
| Main protein (cooked) | 175 g | 8.8 kg |
| Starch side (potato/rice/pasta) | 100 g | 5.0 kg |
| Vegetable side | 100 g | 5.0 kg |
| Wine | 250 ml | 12.5 L |
| Dessert | 100 g | 5.0 kg |
| Water | 500 ml | 25.0 L |
Conservative baseline. Add 10-15% buffer for important events — running short is worse than a small surplus.
6 Event Types Covered
- Dinner Party (plated) — Sit-down dinner, 2-3 courses, 8-20 guests.
- Buffet / Family Gathering — Self-serve buffet for 30-100 guests, 4-5 dishes.
- BBQ / Cookout — Backyard grilling event, casual, 10-50 guests.
- Brunch Buffet — Late morning brunch with eggs, pastries, fruit.
- Holiday Dinner (Thanksgiving / Christmas) — Roast-centered holiday meal with traditional sides.
- Cocktail Party / Reception — 2-hour standing reception, no full meal — finger food + drinks.
Catering Planning Tips
- Add a 10-15% buffer for important events. Running short embarrasses the host more than a small surplus, and leftovers usually disappear within a day.
- RSVP ≠ attendance. For casual events, expect 70-80% of the invited list to show. For formal events with hard RSVPs, plan for 90-95%.
- More starch than protein. If unsure, overshoot bread, rice, or pasta — they cost less and stretch a meal when guest counts grow unexpectedly.
- Drinks scale with weather + duration. Outdoor BBQ in summer: bump beverages to 750ml/person. Evening cocktail party: 3 drinks/person over 2 hours is standard.
- Account for cooking shrinkage. Raw meat loses 25-40% during cooking (water + fat). Buffer: USDA guideline says 450g raw bone-in turkey per person yields ~250g cooked meat.
Event Type Notes
- Dinner Party (plated): smaller, intimate event with controlled portions. Per-person estimates are precise — no buffet sprawl.
- Buffet / Family Gathering: guests serve themselves. Plan 25% more main protein than a plated dinner since some guests return for seconds.
- BBQ / Cookout: meat-heavy. Burgers, ribs, chicken wings — plan one main protein per person, possibly two for hearty eaters.
- Brunch Buffet: lighter overall, but eggs and pastries get devoured. Always have coffee + juice in 1:1 ratio.
- Holiday Dinner: leftovers are a feature, not a bug. Plan for 1.5× normal portions if you want guests to take home packages.
- Cocktail Party: not a meal substitute unless extended past 3 hours. Schedule clearly so guests know whether dinner is included.
Related Tools
- Recipe Scaling Calculator — scale recipes from 4 to 100 servings.
- Safe Internal Temperature — make sure all that protein is cooked safely.
- Food Storage Time — handle leftovers safely after the event.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much main dish per person for a buffet?▾
Industry standard: 200g (7 oz) cooked protein per person for a buffet with 2-3 sides. For BBQ where the meat is the centerpiece, plan 250g (about 9 oz). For a plated dinner party, 175g (6 oz) is usually enough.
How many appetizers for a 2-hour cocktail party?▾
8 pieces of finger food per person for a 2-hour reception, plus 80g cheese & crackers. If the event extends to 3+ hours or replaces a meal, double to 16 pieces and consider adding a substantial canapé like sliders.
How much turkey for Thanksgiving?▾
Plan 1 lb (450g) raw turkey per person — bones and shrinkage cut yield by ~40%, leaving 250g (9 oz) cooked meat. Want leftovers? Bump to 1.5 lb per person. Boneless breast roast: 200g raw per person is enough.
How much wine for a dinner party?▾
Estimate 250ml per person (a bottle yields ~5 glasses). For a 2-3 hour dinner party, that's about 2 glasses each. Heavy drinkers will hit 3-4. Always have non-alcoholic backup at 1:1 ratio.
How many guests will actually show up vs. invited?▾
Casual events (BBQ, open house): expect 70-80% turnout. Formal events with RSVPs: 90-95%. Always plan food for the higher number — leftovers are easier to handle than running out at the event.
Should I round up the buffer?▾
Yes — add 10-15% buffer for important events. Rule of thumb from professional caterers: never run out of bread or rice. These are cheap and easy to prepare extra; a guest leaving hungry is a worse failure than throwing food away.