Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Price per head to quote
$73.33
Labor cost per head
$7.80
Total cost per head
$33.80
Total event revenue
$8,800
Total event cost
$4,056
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How to use this
- 1Enter raw food cost per guest ($).
- 2Enter guest count.
- 3Enter service staff on shift.
- 4Enter hours per staff member.
- 5Enter staff rate ($/hr).
- 6Enter rental items per head ($).
- 7Enter target food-cost percentage (%).
- 8Read your price per head to quote on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Per-head pricing has to absorb more than raw food cost. This calculator adds food cost per plate, staff-to-guest labor cost, rental items (plates, glassware, linens if not separately billed), and a service-style multiplier for plated versus buffet versus family-style, then applies your target food-cost percentage — most full-service caterers target 28%-35% food cost against menu price, with the rest covering labor, overhead, and profit.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Raw food cost per guest: 22 $
- Guest count: 120
- Service staff on shift: 6
- Hours per staff member: 6
- Staff rate: 26 $/hr
- Rental items per head: 4 $
- Target food-cost percentage: 30 %
Results
- Price per head to quote: $73.33
- Labor cost per head: $7.80
- Total cost per head: $33.80
- Total event revenue: $8,800
- Total event cost: $4,056
What each field means
Inputs
- Raw food cost per guest ($)
- The raw food cost per guest used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 22 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Guest count
- The guest count used in the calculation. Starts at 120 so you have a working example on load.
- Service staff on shift
- The service staff on shift used in the calculation. Starts at 6 so you have a working example on load.
- Hours per staff member
- The hours per staff member used in the calculation. Starts at 6 so you have a working example on load.
- Staff rate ($/hr)
- The staff rate used in the calculation, measured in $/hr. Starts at 26 $/hr so you have a working example on load.
- Rental items per head ($)
- The rental items per head used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 4 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Target food-cost percentage (%)
- The target food-cost percentage used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 30 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 15–50 %.
Results
- Price per head to quote
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Labor cost per head
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total cost per head
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total event revenue
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total event cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why price off food-cost percentage instead of cost-plus?
Food-cost percentage automatically scales the price to cover labor, overhead, and profit proportionally as ingredient prices move, which is why restaurants and caterers both use it. A straight cost-plus-fixed-margin model breaks down when a menu item's ingredient cost spikes (beef, seafood) because the dollar margin stays flat instead of scaling.
What food-cost percentage should I target?
28%-32% is standard for full-service plated dinners; buffet and family-style can run slightly lower (25%-28%) because portion control is easier and less goes to waste per guest. Passed hors d'oeuvres-only events often run higher, 35%-40%, because small-format prep is labor-intensive relative to food cost.
How many staff do I need per 100 guests?
Plated service typically runs one server per 12-16 guests plus kitchen staff; buffet service can go to one server per 20-25 guests since guests self-serve. Bar staff are usually separate: one bartender per 75-100 guests for a standard open bar.
Should rentals be itemized separately on the invoice?
Many caterers fold basic place settings into the per-head price but itemize upgraded china, specialty linens, and furniture separately, since those costs vary a lot by client choice and itemizing avoids absorbing an upsell into your base margin.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Wedding Catering Per-Head Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/catering-per-head-cost-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/catering-per-head-cost-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wedding Catering Per-Head Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Wedding Catering Per-Head Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/catering-per-head-cost-calculator) (2026).