Average Cost of Catering for 50 Guests: 5 Pricing Tips

Caterers elevate any type of event by providing delicious food and excellent service. As a professional in your field, you know the ins and outs of what makes an event run smoothly, ensuring each guest leaves feeling satiated and satisfied.  

When planning an event, cost is top of mind. Catering expenses range tremendously, so it’s essential to understand everything that goes into average catering costs. Transparency between clients and service providers is crucial. 

Throughout this article, we break down the potential costs of catering for an event of 50 guests and outline various components that impact the total price.

Understanding the Average Cost of Catering for 50 Guests 

First, consider the expectations for the event, including its formality, service style, type of food, and duration. The structure of these factors impacts the total cost per guest. 

For example, a catered birthday party may opt for buffet-style service, whereas formal wedding catering packages may include plated meals with table service.  

In this case, the typical wedding catering cost exceeds that of the birthday party. It requires more employees and menu specifications, which add to the total per-guest cost.  

Additionally, the season and location will influence the cost. Catering prices can fluctuate based on seasonal ingredient availability. If finding an ingredient at a given time of year is more challenging, its cost will increase. Similarly, if you and/or your team need to travel to reach the venue, you might encounter a travel fee.  

While some fees are set in stone, such as service or travel expenses, other catering costs land somewhere on a sliding scale. How you choose to structure the event determines the final cost.  

6 Components That Influence Catering Costs 

With a general sense of your client’s upcoming event style, use these six factors  when planning a menu for a large event and estimating a realistic catering cost:

1. Menu options: Specialty dishes that require more preparation accrue more expenses than simple dishes to prepare in large quantities. 
2. Service style: Buffet-style catering is less expensive than formal table service with an entire waiter staff.  
3. Add-on services: Bar service, desserts, appetizers, and other menu items beyond the main entree will increase the catering cost per person.  
4. Dietary restrictions: Allergies, special diets, and other dietary factors influence menu items.  
5. Order restrictions: Limiting the number of drinks or servings guests can order before they need to pay on their own impacts your cost.  
6. Liquor license: To serve alcohol, a caterer must have a state liquor license. Even with the license on hand, serving alcohol is an additional expense. 

For example, say you're planning a wedding with 50 guests. After gathering information about each guest's dietary restrictions, you structure a catering menu that accommodates vegetarians and peanut allergies. As a result of needing to source different ingredients than normal and create a more complex menu, the total cost per guest may exceed the typical wedding catering prices. 

5 Tips for Estimating Your Catering Budget 

As a client, it's helpful to have a budget before starting conversations with caterers. Along with guest count, these are five valuable tips to use when estimating a realistic catering budget: 

1. Event and venue equipment: Besides the food, know if you'll need tables, chairs, dishware, silverware, and napkins. 
2. Consider venue offerings: Some venues collaborate with caterers, offering deals if you spend money on both. 
3. Select a portion size: Hire an experienced catering company to serve guests a standard portion size to keep service within budget.  
4. Know the menu items: Understand if you have specialty items or dietary restrictions so you can estimate the per-person cost accurately. 
5. Event duration: Know how long you’ll need catering services, start time, and projected end time. 

These details help establish a more precise price point per guest. Additionally, keep the caterer updated if parts of your event change—communicate alterations in guest count, venue arrangement, or dietary restrictions. 

Here's a tip: Budget additional funds to cover unexpected costs. If your event accidentally exceeds your budget, you have cash set aside to cover the cost. 

How to Get the Best Value for Your Catering Budget 

In building a catering budget, find balance between quality food and fair prices. You want a delicious menu and excellent service without turning the event into a financial strain. These four tips can help you get the best value: 

1. Negotiate with caterers: Most caterers are open to negotiating. You might receive a slight discount if you use the same caterer for bar service and food.
2. Select scalable foods: Menu items such as tacos or paella feed a large crowd much more efficiently than steaks. 
3. Choose buffet-style service: Asking guests to serve themselves at the buffet reduces staffing expenses.
4. Plan ahead: If you book a caterer at the last minute, you might experience higher rates. Depending on the type of event, plan several months ahead.

Most catering companies offer package deals. These could include hiring the same caterer for food, setting up the dining area and takedown, serving desserts, appetizers, and drinks, and providing general service at the event. Such all-inclusive options are often more affordable than hiring several different vendors. 

In addition to deals, you could limit each guest's drink and food intake. For example, you may have an open bar until a specific time or allow each guest two complimentary drinks before they’re asked to pay. You can achieve optimal catering food costs by selecting a curated package.  

Here’s a tip: If you opt for a buffet-style dining but want to give guests a more unique experience, consider an interactive approach. Invite guests to build their own tacos or personal pizza.

5 Examples of Catering Packages for 50 Guests 

Explore the following examples of catered events to help you plan your catered event, including service and menu. These five examples of catering packages may inspire your event or that of your clients: 

1. Budget-friendly: Fruit and vegetable platters for an appetizer, buffet-style cuisine with pizza or pasta, cookies for dessert, and a variety of canned beverages purchased in bulk.
2. Casual: This approach includes a small charcuterie selection for an appetizer, buffet-style cuisines like Mediterranean or Tex-Mex for a family style entree, small cakes or pastries for dessert, and serve-yourself punch and water. 
3. Mid-range: Kebabs for appetizers, hands-on entrees like build-your-own pizza or a taco bar, cheesecake or pie bites for dessert, and a bar with a maximum of two drinks. 
4. Formal: Table service that includes a starter salad with bread and olive oil at the table, chicken or salmon with roasted vegetables and potatoes for an entree, chocolate fondue fountain for dessert, and an open drinks bar. 
5. Luxury: It entails table service with a spread of hors d’oeuvres as an appetizer, a starter salad with bread and olive oil at the table, vegetarian lasagna or steak with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables for the entree, slices of chocolate cake or cheesecake for dessert, and a serviced bar for beverages like signature cocktails, wine, mocktails, or soda.

A catered event can cost between $20 and $200 per person. For example, a budget-friendly option like food truck catering may land at the lower end of this range. But the average wedding catering cost can be closer to $200 per person if it’s formal. 

Remember: you can customize the event to reduce costs. For example, choose plated table service and limit the number of drinks guests can order. You might get creative by hiring a food truck or catering van, then use its point-of-sale (POS) system to manage catering payments. Food truck catering costs often trend lower than plated table service. 

5 Other Costs to Consider 

Menu costs might be at the forefront of your mind, but they aren’t the only catering service that impacts the event’s total cost. Here are five commonly missed factors that can affect catering costs: 

1. Travel expenses: A caterer might charge travel expenses if they drive more than a certain distance from their primary operating location. 
2. Gratuity: Check if the caterer calculates gratuity into the overall invoice. If not, it's standard practice to tip 18-20% of the total bill. 
3. Setup and teardown fees: Due to the extra time and labor required, anticipate fees for dining setup and teardown.
4. Rental costs: If you rent chairs, tables, or dining ware from the caterer, these increase the amount of your total bill. 
5. Staff salaries: The more catering staff needed at your event, the greater the cost. Consider personnel when creating your budget. 

Oftentimes, the best way to anticipate these hidden expenses is to understand your catering needs and stay in close contact with the caterer. Request a detailed list of all costs and expenses. Transparency and asking questions are the surest strategies to create an accurate catering budget for 50 guests.  

DIY vs. Professional Catering: Cost Comparison 

Do-it-yourself (DIY) catering is nearly always more affordable than hiring a professional caterer. However, there are trade-offs to catering an event yourself. The DIY approach often requires more time and energy. It’s often challenging to make high-quality food, especially if you're serving a large crowd. 

Drop-off catering can be a good compromise. If you can't cook for 50 guests, but the average cost of full-service professional catering is too high, negotiate with a caterer to drop off the food instead.  

You can supply dishware, table settings, and linens. In addition, you set up the food and invite guests to serve themselves. To keep it simple, use paper plates, napkins, and recyclable silverware. You can even make desserts yourself.  

If you’re within the confines of a tight budget, combining DIY and professional catering may be the most effective option. Take food preparation off your plate and focus your energy on creating a memorable dining experience for the guests.  

Frequently Asked Questions About Catering Costs 

How much should food for 50 people cost? 

Depending on the type of event, food, and service, you may spend anywhere from $20-$200 per person. A typical mid-range event might land around $80 per person. 

How much do most caterers charge per person? 

Due to the nature of catering services, caterers charge across a wide range of budgets for their services. It depends on the client and their requests, size of the event, scope of their services hired, and a handful of other factors. A more budget-friendly option like drop-off catering usually costs around $30 per person.  

How do you calculate catering per person?

When calculating catering cost per person, take into consideration the event’s size, duration, location, menu specifications, and serving sizes. Ask the caterer for a breakdown of all their fees to get a realistic understanding of their costs.   

How much food do I need for a buffet for 50 people? 

As you consider how much food to order for 50 guests, it’s always helpful to ask the professional caterer. Here’s a tip to keep in mind: Instead of ordering mashed potatoes for 50 people, order enough sides for 50 people because it’s unlikely everyone will eat the mashed potatoes.

The Bottom Line 

When calculating the average cost of catering for 50 guests, there is a long list of factors to consider. It's important to remember you always have the flexibility to customize your outcome. Ultimately, deciding a realistic catering cost is a balancing act between top-notch service and reasonable prices.  

The good news: there are ample catering and guest engagement resources available to help you get an accurate sense of your total catering costs.  

If you’re ready to tackle catering costs and run a successful event, book a demo with us to learn about our all-in-one catering solutions.