About the Catering Price Calculator
This catering price calculator turns the real costs of an event into a quote you can send. Enter the guest count, food cost per person, the staff you will schedule and their hourly pay, plus rentals and other event costs such as travel, disposables or a tasting. The calculator adds them up, applies your target profit margin and shows the price per person, the food-and-service subtotal, the service charge, any sales tax and the grand total the client pays.
It is meant for independent caterers, restaurants that do off-site events, food trucks booking private parties and anyone checking whether a quote from a caterer is reasonable. Because margin is applied to the full cost — not just food — staff time and rentals are always recovered, which is where many hand-written quotes go wrong.
The margin is a share of the price (a 30% margin means 30 cents of every dollar before service charge is profit). The service charge is calculated on the subtotal, and sales tax is applied to the subtotal plus service charge, which is how many US states treat mandatory service charges; check your local rules and set tax to 0 if it does not apply.
With the default inputs, the price per person (before service & tax) is $43.46. Change any value above to recalculate instantly.
How to use the catering price calculator
- 1Enter the guest count and the food and beverage cost per person from your recipe costing.
- 2Add how many staff you need, their hours including setup and travel, and their loaded hourly cost.
- 3Add rentals and other event costs such as travel, disposables or permits.
- 4Set your target profit margin, service charge and any sales tax.
- 5Use the per-person price and the client total to write your quote.
Formula and method
The calculator first builds your full event cost: food and beverage for every guest, labor (staff × hours × loaded hourly cost), rentals and any other event expenses. It then grosses that cost up to a price using margin, not markup: dividing by (1 − margin) guarantees that the chosen percentage of the subtotal is left as profit after all costs.
The service charge is a percentage of the subtotal and is shown separately because many clients and venues expect it as its own line. Sales tax, when set, is applied to the subtotal plus service charge. The per-person price excludes service and tax so it can be compared with menu-style per-head pricing; the all-in figure includes them.
- Cost
- Food + labor + rentals + other costs for the event
- Margin
- Target profit as a share of the subtotal (30% = 0.30)
- Service %
- Service charge rate applied to the subtotal
- Tax %
- Sales tax rate applied to subtotal plus service charge
Worked examples
100-guest wedding buffet
Food is 100 × $14 = $1,400, labor 6 × 6 h × $22 = $792, plus $600 rentals and $250 other costs, for $3,042. Dividing by 0.70 gives a $4,345.71 subtotal ($43.46 per guest); an 18% service charge of $782.23 brings the quote to $5,127.94.
Corporate lunch drop-off with tax
Costs are 40 × $9 = $360 food, 2 × 3 × $20 = $120 labor and $60 delivery, $540 in total. At a 35% margin the subtotal is $540 ÷ 0.65 = $830.77, or $20.77 per person. A 10% service charge ($83.08) and 8% tax on $913.85 ($73.11) give $986.95.
Plated dinner for 60 at 25% margin
Food $1,320, labor 8 × 7 × $24 = $1,344, rentals $900 and other $300 add to $3,864. At 25% margin the subtotal is $3,864 ÷ 0.75 = $5,152, or $85.87 per guest, and a 20% service charge ($1,030.40) brings the total to $6,182.40.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I charge per person for catering?+
Work up from cost: add food, labor, rentals and other event costs, divide by one minus your target margin, then divide by the guest count. Simple drop-off lunches often price far lower per head than full-service plated dinners because labor and rentals are much smaller.
What food cost percentage should caterers aim for?+
Many caterers target food at roughly 25% to 35% of the food-and-service price. Full-service events with heavy staffing usually run a lower food percentage because labor takes a bigger share, while drop-off catering runs higher.
Is a service charge the same as a tip?+
No. A service charge is a mandatory fee set by the caterer and is usually treated as business revenue, while a gratuity is voluntary and belongs to staff. Many US states also treat mandatory service charges as taxable, so state the difference clearly in your contract.
What is the difference between margin and markup in a quote?+
Margin is profit as a share of the price; markup is profit as a share of cost. A 30% margin equals about a 42.9% markup. This calculator uses margin, so the percentage you enter is the share of the subtotal you keep as profit.
Should I charge for setup and travel time?+
Yes. Staff hours for prep, loading, travel, setup and breakdown are real labor costs. Include them in the hours per staff member, and put fuel, mileage or parking in other event costs, so they are recovered in the price.
Results are estimates for educational purposes and are not financial advice. Rates, fees and terms vary — confirm with your lender or a licensed advisor before making decisions.