Catering cost per person: lunch, dinner and party trays near Yorkville

Catering cost per person at Upper Crust starts at $14.50 for a boxed lunch, $18.99 to $20.99 for a hot buffet, and about $13.50 for a tray-based cookout. Add 9.25% sales tax. Drop-off and pick-up orders have no service charge. Staffed events add servers, a production fee and a 20% service charge. These are our prices, and delivery is quoted when you order.

Price per person by format

• Basic Boxed Lunch: $14.50 each. Executive Boxed Lunch: $16.50. Executive Chef's Chopped Salad: $17.50. Minimum 20 boxes.
• Breakfast: Ham Steaks with Biscuits & Sausage Gravy $6.99, Continental Breakfast $11.99, Basic Breakfast Buffet $16.99. All per person.
• Hot buffets, 20-guest minimum: Buffet Menu 1 $18.99, Buffet Menu 2 $19.99, Buffet Menu 3 $20.99.
• Shower Package: $21.99.
• Christmas Dinner: $22.99.
• Trays: priced by the tray with no minimum. A cookout for 60 from trays is $810, which is $13.50 a person.

Pulled pork by itself is $95 a tray for 20, or $4.75 a guest. Sides are $49 to $59 a tray.

An example: dinner for 50 on Buffet Menu 2

Step by step, so you can check it:

• 50 guests x $19.99 = $999.50
• 9.25% sales tax on the food = $92.45
• Total $1,091.95, which is about $21.84 a guest

That is the drop-off or pick-up price. Add chafing dishes at $17 per hot dish and plates, napkins and silverware at $1.50 a person if you need them. A staffed event changes the bottom line.

The same dinner, staffed

Staffed events add:

• Servers at $35 an hour each, 4-hour minimum.
• A $50 event production fee.
• A 20% service charge on food and rentals.

An example with two servers: $999.50 food + $199.90 service charge + $280 for two servers over four hours + $50 production fee = $1,529.40 before tax, about $30.59 a guest. The service charge is shared by the service staff and the kitchen. Staffed events need 14 days' notice. For a smaller price, drop-off is the lower-cost path.

What moves the number

• Format. A tray is a lower cost per guest than a buffet because you serve it.
• Menu tier. Buffet Menu 3 adds carved sirloin, cordon bleu, cod, brisket and salmon.
• Staff. The biggest change by far.
• Rentals. Chafing dishes and silverware are per-item.
• Delivery. It is quoted when you order.

Browsing the buffet entrées will show you what each tier includes. For a closer look at what you will pay in Yorkville and Oswego, see catering near me in Yorkville and Oswego. If you want total event costs by guest count, read how much does catering cost.

Get a number for your event

The quote form takes your date, headcount and format. We put food, staff, rentals, delivery and tax on one sheet in writing before you commit. Call (630) 553-9533.

Questions

What is the cheapest way to cater?

Trays you pick up. There is no service charge and no minimum.

Is the price per person before tax?

Yes. Sales tax of 9.25% applies to food and rentals.

Do you charge extra for small parties?

No. There is no small-party surcharge, though buffets start at 20 guests.

Is a deposit required?

Yes. A 25% deposit reserves the date, and the balance is due 7 days before the event.