How to price catering per person.

A per-person price hides the whole job. Cost out the menu by recipe, then add the people, the equipment and the day itself. Run the numbers on a real past event to see where the money went.

• Food cost per guest, by recipe, including waste, garnish and the extra portions you cook to avoid running out.
• Labor: shopping, prep, cooking, loading, travel, service staff, cleanup and your own time at the hourly income you want.
• Equipment and rentals: chafers, serving ware, tables, linens, fuel, and anything you rent for the day.
• Licenses, food-safety training, insurance and commissary or kitchen costs.
• Card and platform fees, taxes, and a margin for the weeks without events.

• Per person: a set menu at a price per guest, usually with a minimum guest count.
• Tiered menus: a smaller, a middle and a bigger menu, with the middle one as the one you want to sell.
• Per tray or by the pan: common for drop-off catering, where you do not stay to serve.
• Full service package: food, staff, equipment and cleanup as one price per guest.
• Drop-off versus served: price them as separate services, because staffing and equipment differ.

• Guest count: it changes food cost, but also staff and equipment. Set a minimum and a rule for late changes.
• Menu: proteins, specialty ingredients, dietary needs and live stations cost more than a simple buffet.
• Service level: drop-off, buffet, plated and passed appetizers need different numbers of staff.
• Venue and travel: kitchen access, load-in distance, a long drive and a tight setup window all add work.
• Date and season: a peak weekend, a holiday and ingredient costs in season each change your numbers.

Take a deposit at booking, with the balance due before the event, and set a final guest count date after which the count cannot go down. Cover what happens if the count changes or the event is cancelled after you have ordered ingredients. The deposit calculator shows an example split.

Set a minimum order or minimum guest count for each service so a small request still pays for the day. Raise prices when ingredient or labor costs rise, or when you are booked out. Recheck your food costs each season.

• Worked example in the calculator: enter [Hours: prep, cook, travel and service] and [Your hourly income], add [Food, rentals and staff] and [Delivery], then choose [Profit margin]. The calculator returns the package price and divides it by [Guests] to give a price per guest.
• Run it at your minimum guest count as well as your expected one. If the per-guest price changes a lot, set a minimum.

A starting price per guest, the minimum guest count and what is included set expectations before the first call. Say that custom menus and large events need a quote.

• A storefront page with your menus, photos and a booking link.
• Customers request a date and pay a deposit online.
• Card payments add a service fee for the customer on top of your price.