CostHonest
Free instant estimates · Ontario market ranges

How much food — and how much money — does your event need?

Set the guest count and event length, choose a service style from passed canapés to a plated dinner at $72–125 a head, add the bar, then layer staff, rentals, dessert or a late-night snack. Alongside the budget, the calculator answers the question caterers get asked first: how much to order. Eighty buffet guests need about 34 lb of protein, 320 appetizer pieces and 176 drink servings, and the event totals $5,616–9,152 — $70–114 per guest.

Common questions

What does catering cost per person?

Passed canapés run $28–48 a guest, a buffet $42–68, BBQ-casual $32–55, family style $58–95 and a plated dinner $72–125. Bar service adds $18–32 for beer and wine or $35–62 for an open bar, with staff, rentals and delivery stacking on top.

How much food should I order?

The calculator converts style and guest count into quantities — at the 80-guest buffet default, roughly 34 lb of protein, 320 appetizer pieces and 176 drink servings across a four-hour event. Portions shift with style, so plated and canapé events order differently.

How many serving staff do I need?

One server per 20 guests is the planning rate, billed at $34–48 an hour each. Eighty guests over a six-hour call means four staff at $816–1,152, which covers setup through teardown rather than just the meal itself.

What about plates, glasses and linen?

China, glassware and linen rentals price at $9–18 per guest. A dessert table adds $7–14 a head, a late-night snack $6–12, and delivery with setup runs $180–420 flat depending on distance and load.

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