To build a per-person catering quote, split your costs into two groups: what multiplies with every guest (food, overproduction, disposables) and what costs the same for the whole event (staff, transport, rentals, fuel). Divide the second group by the guest count, add it to the first, then divide by (1 − your margin). That is your price per person. Run the same sum for a few event sizes and set a minimum order, because below a certain guest count the per-person price climbs fast.
The two groups of costs
Per-guest costs. These rise one for one with each person:
- The cost of each dish on the menu, from your recipes.
- The overproduction you choose (what you cook extra so you never run short), as a percentage on the food.
- Disposables: plates, cutlery, cups, napkins.
Event costs. You pay these once, whether 30 or 50 turn up:
- Staff: your hours at the rate you put on your time, plus what you pay each helper or server. Staff go up in steps, not person by person. The guide to catering staff costs explains how to set those steps, and the one on labour cost covers pricing your own hour.
- Transport: trips for the shopping and the van to the venue with the hot boxes, both ways.
- Rentals: chafing dishes, insulated carriers, platters, tables. The guide to event rentals and transport goes into what to rent and how to charge for it.
- Fuel for chafing dishes and the large batches.
The formula:
cost per guest = food with overproduction + disposables + (staff + event costs) ÷ guests
price per guest = cost per guest ÷ (1 − margin)
Worked example: an office lunch for 50
A company asks for a lunch buffet for 50: chicken thighs with rice, green salad, bread rolls, brownies and lemonade. You want a 30% margin.
1. Food per guest (from your recipes)
| Item | Cost per guest |
|---|---|
| Chicken thighs with rice | $4.60 |
| Green salad | $1.10 |
| Bread roll | $0.40 |
| Brownie | $0.70 |
| Lemonade | $0.45 |
| Total | $7.25 |
With 8% overproduction (your own number, from past events): 7.25 × 1.08 = $7.83. Plus disposables at $1.20 a guest: 7.83 + 1.20 = $9.03 per guest.
2. Event costs for 50 guests
| Item | Working | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Your time | 14 h × $25 | $350.00 |
| Two servers | 2 × $120 | $240.00 |
| Transport | shopping trips and van | $60.00 |
| Chafing dish rental | 4 × $20 | $80.00 |
| Fuel | $25.00 | |
| Total | $755.00 |
3. Price per guest
- Event costs per guest: 755 ÷ 50 = $15.10 (staff 11.80 + the rest 3.30)
- Cost per guest: 9.03 + 15.10 = $24.13
- Price: 24.13 ÷ (1 − 0.30) = 24.13 ÷ 0.70 = $34.47
- Rounded up: $35 per person, total 35 × 50 = $1,750
- Total cost: 24.13 × 50 = $1,206.50
- Real margin: (1,750 − 1,206.50) ÷ 1,750 = 543.50 ÷ 1,750 = 31.1%
Your time is already inside the cost: the $543.50 profit comes on top of the $350 you pay yourself for your hours.
The table by guest count
The same client, or the next one, will ask about 30 or 80 people. Staff change in steps: for 30 you bring one server and work fewer hours; for 80, three servers and more hours. Transport, rentals and fuel stay at $165.
| Guests | Staff | Cost per guest | Price (30%) rounded | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | your 11 h ($275) + 1 server ($120) = $395 | 9.03 + 13.17 + 5.50 = $27.70 | 27.70 ÷ 0.70 = 39.57 → $40 | $1,200 |
| 50 | $590 | 9.03 + 11.80 + 3.30 = $24.13 | $35 | $1,750 |
| 80 | your 18 h ($450) + 3 servers ($360) = $810 | 9.03 + 10.13 + 2.06 = $21.22 | 21.22 ÷ 0.70 = 30.31 → $31 | $2,480 |
In each row, staff and the $165 are divided by that row's guests: for 30, 395 ÷ 30 = 13.17 and 165 ÷ 30 = 5.50; for 80, 810 ÷ 80 = 10.13 and 165 ÷ 80 = 2.06.
With this table you can answer any enquiry in a minute without redoing the sums.
The minimum order
Look at 20 guests: your 9 hours ($225) and one server ($120) make $345 of staff.
- Cost per guest: 9.03 + 345 ÷ 20 + 165 ÷ 20 = 9.03 + 17.25 + 8.25 = $34.53
- Price: 34.53 ÷ 0.70 = $49.33, so $50 per person
Few clients will pay $50 a head when a 50-guest event pays $35. That is why a minimum makes sense. A simple version: minimum 30 guests or $1,200, which is the total of your smallest tier. If someone wants lunch for 22, you charge the $1,200 ($54.55 a head) or you say no. Your call, but with the number in front of you.
Put the minimum, the price per extra guest and the deadline for the final headcount on the quote. What to ask as a deposit and when the balance is due is covered in the guide to catering deposits and terms.
What goes on separate lines
Table service, real china or a drinks bar are extras the client may or may not want. Quote them as separate lines so your per-person price compares fairly and you do not absorb a cost you never worked out. Do all of this before any sales tax, then add what applies where you work.
For the shorter version of this method, with one event size and what to do when a client asks for a discount, see how to price a catering order. For how much food to make per guest, see the guide to buffet quantities.
Do it with the calculator
Put each dish on the menu into the food cost calculator to get your cost per guest, then use the per-person catering quote tool to add staff, transport and rentals and reach a price per person.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my per-person price change with the guest count?
Because transport, rentals and much of your staffing cost nearly the same for 30 guests as for 50. With fewer guests, those costs are shared across fewer plates.
What is a minimum order and how do I set one?
It is the amount below which you do not take an event. A simple way: the per-person price of your smallest tier times the guest count of that tier. If a client wants fewer people, they pay the minimum or you decline.
Should servers be inside the per-person price?
It depends how you sell. If you always bring the same crew, include them. If clients can choose drop-off or full service, quote floor staff as a separate line.
Do I add sales tax to the quote?
Work out everything before tax, then add whatever tax applies at the end. Check your local tax rules or ask an accountant, and state on the quote whether tax is included.