Dinner catering for a crowd: trays, buffets and what each costs

Dinner catering from Upper Crust comes two ways. A hot buffet is $18.99 to $20.99 a person for 20 guests or more, with two entrées, three sides and bread. Or you order a dinner by the tray and pick it up: for 40 guests, a pot roast tray, a chicken tray, sides, rolls and dessert come to $642.96 before tax. Call (630) 553-9533.

The buffet dinner

All three buffets include two entrées, three sides and bread, cooked from scratch in Yorkville.

• Buffet Menu 1, $18.99 a person: comfort classics like herb roasted chicken, baked mostaccioli, meat loaf and pulled pork.
• Buffet Menu 2, $19.99 a person: chicken piccata, marsala, pot roast, roast turkey and our famous pork chops.
• Buffet Menu 3, $20.99 a person: carved sirloin, cordon bleu, cod, brisket and salmon.

For 40 guests that is $759.60, $799.60 and $839.60 for the food. Add 9.25% sales tax, plates, chafing dishes and delivery.

The tray dinner

Trays have no minimum and are for pick-up in Yorkville or quoted delivery. Each serves about 20. These entrées are good for a sit-down dinner:

• Yankee Pot Roast, $125, serves 20.
• Herb Roasted Chicken, $80, 20 pieces.
• Chicken Oreganato, $80, serves 20, gluten-free.
• Baked Meatloaf & Gravy, $74.
• Beef Brisket, $80 or $150.

Sides: Mashed Potatoes, $49. Buttered Fresh Green Beans, $49. Tossed Mixed Greens, $49. Dinner Rolls & Butter, $9.99 a dozen.

A tray dinner for 40

We plan one entrée portion per guest, so one tray of each of two entrées covers 40 when guests choose between them.

• 1 Yankee Pot Roast: $125
• 1 Herb Roasted Chicken: $80
• 2 Mashed Potatoes, $49 each: $98
• 2 Buttered Fresh Green Beans, $49 each: $98
• 2 Tossed Mixed Greens, $49 each: $98
• 4 dozen Dinner Rolls & Butter, $9.99 each: $39.96
• Brownies, 35 count: $59
• Assorted Home Baked Cookies, 40 count: $45

Total $642.96, about $16.07 a guest. With 9.25% sales tax it is $702.43. Add Chafing Dish Sets at $17 per hot dish, and $1.50 a person for plates, napkins and silverware.

Buffet or trays?

• The buffet is delivered, with the sides and bread built in, and it costs $759.60 for 40.
• Trays cost less if you pick up and do your own setup. You choose each dish and quantity.
• Trays have no minimum, so they work under 20 guests where the buffet does not.
• Staffed dinners, with servers at $35 an hour each, need 14 days' notice. A tray order needs about three days.

For a bigger picture of what a standard order costs, read catering near me in Yorkville and Oswego. If you are planning a dinner after drop-off, drop-off catering and party trays explains how it works. When you know the date and the count, ask for a quote.

Questions

How much does dinner catering cost per person?

A hot buffet is $18.99 to $20.99 a person. A tray dinner for 40 is about $16.07 a person before tax and delivery.

What is the minimum for dinner catering?

Buffets start at 20 guests. Trays have no minimum.

Do you cater dinner in the evening?

Yes. Tell us what time you want to eat when you order. We plan the route the night before, and the driver texts when five minutes out.

Can you serve the dinner on site?

Yes, with servers at $35 an hour each for staffed events, which need 14 days' notice.