SaucebookQuote catering per person with confidence
Saucebook turns your recipes into a catering food cost per guest, so every quote starts from real numbers. Scale a recipe to 50 or 500, see what it costs, and price the event.
How to price catering per person
Start with the food cost per guest: every menu item, scaled to the headcount, plus disposables. Then add labor, delivery and your margin. Many caterers aim for food at roughly 25 to 35 percent of the per-person price before rentals and service.
Recipe scaling without the guesswork
Scale a recipe from 8 servings to 120 and the calculator scales every ingredient with it, so your shopping list and your cost stay in step.
Yield matters more in catering
Pork shoulder loses a lot of weight in the smoker, and trimmed produce shrinks. Count cooked yield, or a big order quietly costs more than you quoted.
Worked example: a 50-guest slider lunch
Ana from Saucy's Bistro, our sample restaurant, is quoting a 50-guest pulled pork slider lunch. Here's the food cost per guest with example prices, yours will vary.
| Ingredient | Amount used | Example price paid | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pulled pork (cooked yield) | 5 oz per person | $2.40 per lb raw, 60% yield | $1.25 |
| Slider buns | 2 per person | $4.80 per 24 | $0.40 |
| Coleslaw | 4 oz | $1.60 per lb, made in house | $0.40 |
| Mac and cheese | 5 oz | $2.56 per lb, made in house | $0.80 |
| BBQ sauce | 2 fl oz | $9.60 per gallon | $0.15 |
| Plates, napkins, cutlery | 1 set | $0.35 per set | $0.35 |
| Food cost per guest | $3.35 | ||
Food and disposables come to $3.35 per guest, or $167.50 for 50. At a 30% food cost, the food portion of the quote is $11.17 per person; labor, delivery and rentals go on top.
Inside the app
Screens use sample data and sample prices.
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Catering pricing questions
How do I price catering per person?
Add up the food cost per guest for every menu item, including disposables, then divide by your target food cost percentage. Add labor, delivery, rentals and service on top.
What should catering food cost be?
Many caterers target roughly 25 to 35 percent food cost on the per-person price, depending on service style and labor.
How do I scale a recipe for a big event?
Multiply every ingredient by the same factor, then round to sensible package sizes. The calculator scales the whole recipe and its cost in one step.
Should I include plates and napkins in catering food cost?
Yes. Disposables are a real per-guest cost and are easy to forget on a big order.