How to price catering: per person vs. per tray
- Author
- Masoud Shoja
- Published
- Read time
- 2 mins
Catering buyers ask one question before any other: how much food do I need, and what will it cost? Your pricing model decides how easily they can answer it.
Per person
You set a price per guest for a defined package, for example a main, two sides and bread. The buyer multiplies by the headcount and has a budget.
This suits corporate orders. The person ordering lunch for 40 usually has a per-head allowance and does not want to work out how many trays of rice that is. The risk sits with you: you decide the portions, so you carry the cost if you over-serve.
Per tray
You price each dish by the tray or pan, and the buyer builds the order. This suits family events and repeat customers who know your food and want more of one dish and less of another.
The risk here is on the buyer’s side. If the menu does not say how many people a tray feeds, they guess, and a guess that leaves guests hungry is remembered as your mistake.
Most menus need both
Offer packages priced per person for buyers who want a quick decision, and trays for buyers who want control. The two can share the same dishes. A package is a set of trays you have already portioned for them.
What every catering menu should state
- How many people each tray or package serves
- The minimum order, in dollars or in guests
- How much notice you need
- What is included: serving utensils, plates, chafing dishes, setup
- The delivery fee and how far you deliver
Do not copy your dine-in prices
A catering order has costs a dine-in plate does not: trays and lids, packing time, a vehicle and a driver, and often an early start for the kitchen. Cost a tray from the ingredients up, add the packaging and the labor, and then set the price. Charge delivery and setup as their own lines so the food price stays comparable with other caterers.
In CaterCart, a customer sends an inquiry from your catering storefront and you reply with a priced quote. Whichever model you choose, the quote is where the buyer sees the final number, so make sure it matches what the menu led them to expect.
