Question 1

How do you price a catering job?

Accepted Answer

Start from your costs — food, labour, rentals, travel and overhead — then mark up to hit a target profit margin. This calculator totals your costs, applies your margin to get a price, adds an optional service charge, and shows the per-guest price and your profit. Replace the defaults with your real numbers for an accurate quote.

Question 2

How much should I charge per guest for catering?

Accepted Answer

Per-guest pricing varies widely — from around $20 for simple drop-off catering to $100+ for plated, full-service events — because it depends on your menu, labour and overhead. Rather than copy an average, enter your own food cost per guest and costs here and let the target-margin pricing produce a per-guest figure that actually covers your business.

Question 3

What is a good profit margin for catering?

Accepted Answer

Many caterers aim for a gross margin in the 30–40% range after food and labour, though it depends on the event type and your market. The calculator lets you set any target margin and instantly see the resulting price and profit, so you can test what's competitive while staying profitable.

Question 4

What's the difference between a service charge and a tip?

Accepted Answer

A service charge is a percentage you add to the bill (often to cover staffing, coordination or admin) and it's revenue to your business. A gratuity is optional and goes to staff. This tool adds an optional service charge on top of your price; handle gratuities separately according to your policy and local law.

Question 5

Is my quote saved anywhere?

Accepted Answer

No. The calculator runs in your browser and stores nothing. Use 'copy shareable link' to save or send a quote — the numbers are encoded in the link itself, not on our servers.

Catering Quote Calculator

The event

Your costs

Your pricing

Tools for running catering jobs

How the quote is built

Frequently asked questions