Catering Quote Calculator: turn your food cost into a price per head and a full event quote.
Most new caterers underprice themselves and don't find out until they're booked solid and broke. Enter what a menu costs you per person, set your target food-cost percentage, and this builds your price per head, your event quote, and the guaranteed-minimum floor that protects it — every benchmark pulled straight from documented catering pricing data, not a number we made up.
Price your next event
The math is yours: price per head = food cost per head ÷ your target food-cost %, then multiply by headcount. The only fixed numbers are the sourced benchmark bands used to sanity-check your quote. Nothing here is invented; every band traces to our published catering guides below.
Your event
Enter your real per-person food cost and target. The quote updates as you go.
Your quote
Built from your food cost and target — a profitable floor, not a ceiling.
Where these numbers come from
The core math is yours and carries zero guesswork: price per head = your food cost per head ÷ your target food-cost %, and event quote = price per head × headcount. The only fixed figures are the sourced benchmark bands used to sanity-check your quote. Nothing here is invented — every band is quoted from our published catering guides:
The pricing formula, the 28–35% target food cost, the 15–25% net-profit target, the per-head benchmarks by event type (corporate box lunch $15–$35, casual buffet $25–$50, plated dinner $75–$150, wedding $85–$175), and the guaranteed-minimum-headcount rule (the client commits to paying for a minimum number of guests regardless of turnout): our How to Price Catering Services guide. Net margin by service lane (drop-off 20–35% — the best margin per hour worked; full-service events 15–25%; corporate recurring lower but predictable): our Is Catering a Profitable Business breakdown, which cites IBISWorld. Re-cost every six months — the USDA projects food prices up about 3.6% in 2026: USDA ERS Food Price Outlook.
What this prices — and what it doesn't: the food-cost method gives you a pricing floor. The remaining share of the price (100% minus your food-cost %) has to cover labor, overhead, and profit — this tool doesn't itemize those, because they depend on your staffing and market. The 15–25% net figure is what should be left after every cost, not an add-on. This is not financial or legal advice; it's a pricing starting point built on industry benchmarks, and your market, menu, and staffing move every number. Have your contract and guaranteed-minimum clause reviewed by a professional. Spotted something off? Tell us.
Keep planning
More free tools and guides, no email needed.
Priced the event? Now build the catering business behind it.
This calculator gives you the price. The full Catering Kit turns it into your whole operation: the per-head pricing calculator, a contract template with the guaranteed-minimum and cancellation clauses built in, proposal templates, a startup cost calculator, permits & licensing checklists, corporate outreach scripts, and 40+ more files — everything from idea to first booking, already built and branded.
