📈

Catering Price Per Person Calculator

Quote a catering job: food and drink cost per guest, staff hours and wages, rentals and other costs plus your profit margin — price per person, total quote and food cost as a percentage of price.

Guests

Food cost per guest

Drinks cost per guest

Staff (cooks, servers, bartenders)

Hours per staff member (incl. setup)

Labour cost per staff hour

Rentals & equipment (total)

Transport, disposables & other (total)

Profit margin

Loading calculator…

How it works

food & drink = guests × (food + drinks per guest) · labour = staff × hours × labour cost per hour · cost = food & drink + labour + rentals + other · quote = cost ÷ (1 − margin) · price per person = quote ÷ guests

Caterers usually quote per person, but the price has to cover much more than food: staff for prep, service and clean-up, rentals such as chafing dishes, linens and tableware, transport and disposables. Fixed costs like rentals are spread across the guest count, so small events cost more per head. A common health check is food cost as a share of the price — many caterers aim for roughly 25–35%. Taxes, service charges and gratuities depend on local rules and are added on top.

Worked example

A 100-guest event with $9 of food and $3 of drinks per guest costs $1,200 for food and drink. Six staff for 6 hours at $18 cost $648, rentals $400 and transport and disposables $150, for a total cost of $2,398. With a 30% margin the quote is $3,425.71 — $34.26 per person — and food and drink are 35.03% of the price.

Sources: U.S. SBA — Calculate your startup costs · Investopedia — Profit margin

Frequently asked questions

How do caterers price per person?

They add food and drink cost per guest, then spread labour, rentals, transport and overhead over the guest count and add a profit margin. Dividing the total by guests gives the per-person price.

What food cost percentage should a caterer aim for?

Roughly 25–35% of the selling price is a common target. Much higher usually means the price is too low for the labour and overhead involved.

Why are small events more expensive per person?

Staff minimums, delivery and rentals cost about the same for 30 guests as for 60, so each guest carries a bigger share. Many caterers set a minimum guest count or a minimum order.

Related calculators

Wedding Cost Per Guest Calculator

See what each guest really costs by dividing your wedding budget and catering spend by the head count — the fastest way to right-size the list.

Catering Staff Count Calculator

Estimate how many servers, bartenders and kitchen staff your event needs based on guest count and service style.

Portion Cost & Food Cost % Calculator

Turn a batch’s ingredient cost into a per-portion cost and, against your selling price, the food cost percentage every kitchen watches.

Menu Price From Food Cost Calculator

Set a menu price backwards from a target food cost percentage — enter the plate cost and the food cost you want, get the price to charge.

Event Staffing Ratio Calculator (Servers, Bartenders, Security)

Staff an event from the guest count and service style: servers per guest for plated, family-style, buffet, stations and cocktail service, bartenders and barbacks for beer and wine, full or craft-cocktail bars, bussers, captains, kitchen, security, registration, coat check and restroom attendants, with paid hours, minimum shifts, labour cost per guest and the service-charge line.

Planning estimate only. Prices depend on your real costs, local taxes and regulations, and what your market will pay — check them before you quote.