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Catering Quote per Guest Calculator

Reviewed for 2026, updated September 8, 2026.

Estimates the price per guest and total quote a caterer needs to charge on one event to hit a target gross margin after food, labor and direct costs.

Your numbers

Results update as you type.

Your estimate

Total event cost...
Price per guest to quote...
Total quote...
Food cost as share of quote...

Estimates only. Assumptions are listed below, and you can change every input.

Most catering quotes start from a per-guest number, but the number that matters is the one that still leaves a margin after food, labor, rentals and delivery are paid. It is easy to price from habit or from what a competitor charges, then find out at month end that a busy event barely covered its costs. This calculator turns your real cost inputs for a single event into a per-guest price and a total quote that reflect the margin you actually want.

The math is simple and fully visible. Food cost is your per-guest food cost times the headcount. Labor is total staff hours times a blended hourly rate. Other costs cover rentals, delivery, disposables and anything else billed to the event. The three are added into a total cost, and the quote is that cost divided by one minus your target margin, so the margin is a share of the price rather than a markup on cost. No industry averages are baked in; every number comes from you.

How to use this tool

  1. Enter the guest count and your raw food cost per guest for the menu you are proposing.
  2. Add total labor hours for kitchen and service with a blended hourly rate, then rentals, delivery and disposables as other direct costs.
  3. Set the gross margin you want and read the price per guest and total quote; move the margin up or down to see how it changes the price.

What the math assumes

  • Target margin is gross margin as a share of the quoted price, not a markup on cost. A 35% margin on a $10,000 quote is $3,500 of gross profit.
  • Food cost per guest is applied to every guest in the headcount; it does not adjust for children, vendor meals or no-shows unless you change the count.
  • Labor is one blended hourly rate for all kitchen and service hours; overtime, payroll taxes and benefits are only included if you fold them into the rate.
  • Other direct costs are entered as one total for the event and carry the same margin as everything else.
  • Sales tax, gratuity and service charges are not included; add them on top of the quote according to your local rules.

Frequently asked questions

What gross margin should a caterer target?

There is no single right number; it depends on your overhead, your volume and your market. Use the margin that covers your fixed costs and leaves the profit you need, then test what the per-guest price looks like at a few different levels.

Is this a margin or a markup?

It is a margin, meaning profit is a share of the final price. A 35% margin equals roughly a 54% markup on cost, so if you usually think in markup, convert first or adjust the margin until the result matches your usual pricing.

Should I include a service charge in the quote?

Not here. This calculator prices food, labor and direct costs. If you add a service charge or gratuity, apply it on top of the quote so your margin is not distorted by money that goes to staff or covers admin.

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