Party Food & Catering Calculator

Plan your perfect party with our food quantity calculator. Just enter your event details and preferences to get estimated food amounts.

Number of Guests*

Enter the total number of guests attending your event.

Party Duration (hours)*

Type of Event*

Appetizer Preference*

Light (4 pieces/guest/hour)

Moderate (6 pieces/guest/hour)

Heavy (8 pieces/guest/hour)

Main Course Preference*

Single Dish (1.0 serving/guest)

Two Dishes (1.5 servings/guest)

Buffet Style (2.0 servings/guest)

Side Dish Preference*

Light (1.0 serving/guest)

Moderate (1.5 servings/guest)

Heavy (2.0 servings/guest)

Estimated Appetizers:

0 pieces

Estimated Main Course:

0 servings

Estimated Side Dishes:

0 servings

Based on your inputs, these estimates provide a good starting point for planning your party's food. Adjust as needed for your guests' specific appetites and dietary needs.

Made with Minform

How to calculate Party food & Catering calculator?

The calculator multiplies guest count by event duration and the serving intensity you choose to estimate appetizers, main-course servings and side servings.

Key formula for appetizers: appetizers_pieces = number_of_guests × appetizer_rate_per_guest_per_hour × duration_hours

Using the Party food & Catering calculator calculator: an example

Example values: 80 guests, 4 hours, Appetizers = Moderate (6 pcs/guest/hour), Main = Buffet (2.0 servings/guest), Sides = Moderate (1.5 servings/guest).

Step-by-step calculation:

Calculate appetizers: 80 guests × 6 pieces × 4 hours = 1,920 pieces.
Calculate main course servings: 80 guests × 2.0 servings = 160 servings.
Calculate side dish servings: 80 guests × 1.5 servings = 120 servings.
Apply a buffer (commonly 10%): appetizers ≈ 2,112 pieces, mains ≈ 176 servings, sides ≈ 132 servings; round as needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I count children the same as adults?

Children often eat less; a common approach is to count young children as 0.5 adults or adjust based on ages and expected appetite.

How much extra buffer should I add?

A buffer of 5–15% is typical. Use the lower end for predictable groups and the higher end for large or varied crowds.

Can I convert appetizer pieces to weight?

Yes. Estimate an average weight per piece (for example 30–50 g) and multiply by the number of pieces to get total weight; confirm with your caterer for accuracy.