Catering Prices: What to Charge Per Person (2026)
6 min read·Updated June 2026
The short answer
Catering is priced per head. Drop-off and buffet service commonly runs $20 to $45 a person, plated and full-service events run $45 to $120+ a person, and premium weddings go higher still. The food itself is only a fraction of that number; the rest is labor, rentals, and skill.
Typical per-person prices by service style
- Drop-off / pickup: $15 to $25 a person
- Buffet with light service: $25 to $45 a person
- Plated, served meal: $45 to $80 a person
- Full-service / wedding: $80 to $120+ a person
What changes the price
- Service style: drop-off, buffet, plated, or full-service.
- Menu complexity and ingredient cost.
- Staffing: servers, bartenders, and kitchen help.
- Rentals: tables, linens, china, and glassware.
- Guest count (larger events lower the per-head food cost but add labor).
Keep food cost a fraction of the total
The classic catering mistake is pricing off ingredient cost and forgetting that food is often only a quarter to a third of a real per-head price. The rest covers labor, rentals, insurance, and your expertise. Price the whole operation, not the groceries. Use the free calculator to set a per-person price that actually covers your costs.
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