How to cater for 100 guests on a budget (2024)

FAQs

How to cater for 100 guests on a budget? ›

Serving budget-friendly cuisines like salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes can be a very cost-effective choice. Or, if you're looking for a more casual option, how about a barbeque? Burgers, hot dogs and other grill-oriented foods are sure to be crowd favorites, and they won't rack up a big bill.

Serving budget-friendly cuisines like salads, sandwiches and pasta dishes can be a very cost-effective choice. Or, if you're looking for a more casual option, how about a barbeque? Burgers, hot dogs and other grill-oriented foods are sure to be crowd favorites, and they won't rack up a big bill.

Cheap catering food ideas include rice or pasta-based dishes, hot dogs, burritos, tacos, cookies, and muffins, which are loved by everyone and are often more affordable than sophisticated seafood or meat dishes.

However, as per the national average, catering for 100 people might cost anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000. Generally, catering prices are broken down into price per plate. For instance, a $3,000 catering bill for a hundred guests would interpret to $30 per plate. But remember, the per plate price isn't just for the food.

For a buffet, two to three dinner plates per person, plus one dessert place per person is a safe bet. For a full service meal, use one 10 1/4″ plate for the main course, a 9″ plate for salads or appetizers, and one 6-7″ plate each for bread and dessert.

The number of full trays of food needed for 100 guests can vary depending on the type of food and serving style, but a rough estimate would be around 10-12 trays.

Hire Food Trucks

That's cheaper than hiring a caterer for a wedding event, which, on average, costs US$68 per guest. One food truck can serve 60-100 guests per hour. Since you want to avoid hungry guests lining up for food for an hour, we recommend hiring three food trucks.

Appetizers

If you're offering catered appetizers, plan for about six portions per guest. For a party of 100 guests, this adds up to roughly 600 appetizer portions.

Is it cheaper to cater or cook? ›

Though it's virtually impossible to make an apples to apples comparison between home and restaurant meal prices without recipes, and our per week grocery spend data is based on household sizes instead of individual budgets, making your own food generally costs less than ordering catering.

Chicken is one of the cheapest meats, followed by most ground meats. Steak and seafood options will usually cost the most. By serving a more budget friendly protein as a part of your main dish, you can cut down your costs. Another fun way to keep costs down is making your main meal more like a buffet!

Pasta is one of the cheapest and most filling pantry staples you can buy, and that's exactly why it's the perfect food to feed to a crowd! Plus, everyone loves a good pasta dish. Grab yourself a buffet server warming tray so you can pop your cooked pasta inside and keep it warm all evening long!

The number of full trays of food needed for 100 guests can vary depending on the type of food and serving style, but a rough estimate would be around 10-12 trays.

For traditional catering services, you can expect to pay an average of $70 per person or $85 for food and drinks per person. But if you choose to go with food truck catering options, you'll only pay $20-$35 per person.