Catering food quantity calculator
Estimate a mixed guest list, divide food across the dishes you choose, and round the high estimate into packages.
How the calculation works
Adults count as 1 guest equivalent. A teen counts as 1.1 and a child as 0.6. Appetite changes the owned portion table by 85%, 100%, or 120%.
Meal duration uses four bounded factors. Events up to two hours use 90%, three to four hours use 100%, five to six hours use 110%, and longer supported events use 120%.
The entered buffer applies to every category. Buffet and heavy feast service start at 10%. A substantial appetizer selection reduces full-meal mains by 10%.
Each category total is split evenly across selected dishes. Whole-piece remainders are assigned one at a time, so adding dishes never multiplies the category total.
| Service | Mains | Sides | Appetizers | Desserts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appetizer service | 0 served oz | 0 served oz | 8 to 12 pieces | 1 to 1.5 pieces |
| Buffet | 6 to 8 served oz | 6 to 8 served oz | 3 to 5 pieces | 1 to 1.5 pieces |
| Plated | 6 to 8 served oz | 5 to 7 served oz | 2 to 3 pieces | 1 to 1.25 pieces |
| Heavy feast | 9 to 12 served oz | 8 to 10 served oz | 4 to 6 pieces | 1.5 to 2 pieces |
Weight and package conventions
Main and side quantities use served or cooked ounces. Raw purchase weight appears only when the menu item has an owned cooked-yield factor.
Raw purchase weight equals served weight divided by cooked yield. Roast chicken uses 75%, pulled pork 65%, beef roast 70%, and baked salmon 80%.
A raw-weight package size is entered in pounds. Appetizer and dessert package sizes use pieces. Every package count rounds the high estimate upward.
Menu items without a stable yield stay labeled as served weight. Check a supplier or recipe yield before converting those dishes into raw purchasing quantities.
Frequently asked questions
Plan 6 to 8 ounces of cooked main dish and 6 to 8 ounces of sides per adult, plus 3 to 5 appetizer pieces and 1 to 1.5 desserts. Each course is shared evenly across the dishes you serve, so adding a dish does not add food.
The calculator counts an adult as 1 guest, a teen as 1.1 and a child as 0.6, then scales every portion by that total.
Buffets and heavy feasts start with a 10% buffer and plated or appetizer service with 5%. You can set anything up to 50%. Substantial appetizers cut full-meal mains to 90%.
Divide the served weight by the cooked yield. The calculator uses roast chicken 75%, pulled pork 65%, beef roast 70%, baked salmon 80%. Dishes without a stable yield stay in served weight.
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