Per-Person Catering Cost

Excel Formulas › Events & Catering

All versions

Catering quotes scale with headcount. Multiply the per-plate price by the guest count for the food total — the starting figure for any event budget.

Quick formula: catering total from price and guests:

=price_per_plate * guest_count

Per-plate price times the number of guests gives the food total before tax, gratuity, and rentals.

The example

$65/plate for 120 guests.

	A	B
1	Item	Value
2	$65 × 120	—
3	Food total	→ $7,800

The formula

The formula:

=B2 * guest_count // price per plate × guests

How it works

How it works:

Multiply price per plate by guest count for the food subtotal.
Add tax and gratuity/service charge on top — often 25–30% combined.
Vendors usually require a guaranteed minimum headcount — bill the greater of actual or guarantee.
Build per-plate tiers (kids, vendor meals) and sum each with SUMPRODUCT.

The guaranteed minimum bites. Most caterers bill the higher of your actual count or a contracted minimum, so dropping below the guarantee doesn’t save money. Model it as =price × MAX(actual_guests, guarantee) so the budget reflects what you’ll really pay — and set the guarantee realistically when signing.

Try it: interactive demo

Live demo

Price per plate and guest count.

$/plate

Guests

Food total:

Variations

With tax & gratuity

All-in:

=price * guests * (1 + tax + gratuity)

Bill the guarantee

Min headcount:

=price * MAX(actual, guarantee)

Mixed plate tiers

Adults + kids:

=SUMPRODUCT(plate_prices, counts)

Pitfalls & errors

Guaranteed minimum. You pay the higher of actual or the contracted count.

Add tax & gratuity. The plate price is rarely the final number.

Count all meals. Include kids, vendors, and staff meals.

Practice workbook

📊

Download the free Per-Person Catering Cost practice workbook

A catering sheet with the all-in, guarantee, and mixed-tier variants, plus 4 challenges with answers. No sign-up required.

Frequently asked questions

How do I calculate catering cost per person in Excel?

Multiply the per-plate price by guest count: =price_per_plate * guest_count. $65 for 120 guests is $7,800.

How do I add tax and gratuity?

Use =price * guests * (1 + tax + gratuity) — often 25–30% combined on top of food.

What about a guaranteed minimum?

Bill the higher of actual or guarantee: =price * MAX(actual_guests, guarantee).

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