🍽️ Catering Portion Calculator
Enter your guest count and meal style to estimate the total food quantity needed for your event.
The three per-head constants
One multiplication, with the meal style choosing the rate:
total = guests × rate
appetizers 8 pieces per person
buffet 1 lb of food per person, across every dish
plated 0.5 lb (8 oz) of protein per personFifty guests therefore comes out as 400 pieces, 50 lb of buffet food or 25 lb of protein. The result is rounded to a whole unit and halves round up, so 51 guests on the plated setting shows 26 lb rather than 25.5.
What each rate assumes
| Style | Assumption behind the number | 50 guests |
|---|---|---|
| Appetizers | A 1.5 to 2 hour cocktail event with no meal after it | 400 pieces |
| Buffet | Self-service, one pass plus a partial second; 1 to 1.25 lb is the working band | 50-63 lb |
| Plated | A 6 to 8 oz cooked portion, sides counted separately | 25 lb |
- If the cocktail hour precedes dinner, 4 to 5 pieces a head is enough; 12 or more if it replaces dinner.
- Buffet runs higher than plated because guests serve themselves. Cut it back towards 0.75 lb only if staff plate the first round.
- The protein figure is cooked weight. Roasting loses roughly a quarter, and bone-in cuts more again, so order accordingly.
Frequently asked questions
How many appetizers per person for a cocktail party?
Eight pieces over a 1.5 to 2 hour party, which is 400 for fifty guests. Drop to four or five if a meal follows, and go past twelve if the appetizers are the meal.
How much food per person for a buffet?
About one pound across all dishes, or 50 lb for fifty guests. Allow 1.25 lb if the buffet stays open all evening or the menu is heavy on salads and vegetables, which weigh a lot per portion.
How much meat do I need for 100 people?
50 lb of cooked protein at the plated rate of 8 oz a head. Order nearer 65 lb raw for anything roasted, and more again for bone-in cuts.