Catering food quantity calculator
Shopping plan
Your quantities will appear here
Add the guest mix, choose the service and menu, then calculate. The result stays on this device and does not need an account.
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.
Swipe to view all columns
| 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.