Business
Catering price per person calculator
How much to charge per person for catering is part arithmetic, part market check. Enter your guest count, service style, and food cost per person, then price from either a target food-cost percentage — the classic rule is to charge about three times your food cost — or from your labor and overhead added on top. The calculator shows the resulting charge, the total quote for the event, and how your number compares with typical market ranges for plated, buffet, cocktail, and station service. Treat the comparison as a starting point for the client conversation, not a final quote: labor, rentals, tax, and gratuity usually ride on top of food.
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Catering Price Per Person Calculator
Set a per-person catering charge from food cost, labor, and your target margin.
Inputs used
Results
A sanity check against typical per-guest pricing — not a quote.
Additional notes
Your estimate
Results
A sanity check against typical per-guest pricing — not a quote.
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Digital portion scalePrice per person starts with knowing exactly what a portion weighs.Paid link · Check current price ↗As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.The math, plainly
How it works
- 01
The classic baseline is to charge about three times your food cost, which puts food at 30% of the price.
- 02
Pricing from labor instead marks your food up to the target percentage, then adds your per-person labor and overhead on top.
- 03
The range check compares your charge with typical market pricing for the service style; rentals, tax, and gratuity usually sit on top of food in real quotes.
Try a real scenario
40-guest buffet
InputsBuffet, $18 food cost, 30% target
ResultA $60 per-person charge, a $2,400 total quote, and a note that $60 sits inside the typical buffet range of $55–$110.
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Menu costing workbook (paid link)
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Mark prepared ingredients and storage containers in the kitchen.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.