How many appetizers per person: a planning chart by party length, with tray counts

Plan 2 to 3 appetizer pieces per guest per hour when you serve a mix. Before a dinner, one hour of appetizers is about 3 pieces a guest. For a two-hour party with no dinner it is about 5 a guest, and when appetizers are the meal, for three or four hours, plan 10 to 12. For 50 guests over two hours that is about 250 pieces, which is Cocktail Meatballs, a Cheese & Sausage Tray and Bruschetta for $188. These are our planning guides, not rules. Call (630) 553-9533.

The chart

Use this by party length and by what follows.

• One hour, dinner follows: about 3 pieces a guest. For 50 guests, 150 pieces.
• Two hours, dinner follows: about 4 to 5 pieces. For 50 guests, 200 to 250 pieces.
• Two hours, no dinner: about 5 to 6 pieces. For 50 guests, 250 to 300 pieces.
• Three to four hours, appetizers are the meal: about 10 to 12 pieces. For 50 guests, 500 to 600 pieces.
• Lunch or daytime shower, with sandwiches: about 4 pieces plus a dessert.

Round up if guests are hungry when they arrive or the party starts at a meal hour. Round down if there is also a buffet.

What a tray holds

This is the piece count for each tray, so you can turn the chart into trays.

• Cocktail Meatballs: $64, 100 pieces.
• Cheese & Sausage Tray: $79, 120 pieces.
• Chicken Drummettes: $100, 120 pieces.
• Bruschetta with Garlic Toast Points: $45, 60 pieces.
• Rumaki: $64, 60 pieces.
• Boneless Wings: $69, 60 pieces.
• Mini Chicken Quesadillas: $69, 60 pieces.
• Assorted Finger Sandwiches: $89, 60 pieces.
• Bacon Wrapped Dates: $74, 40 pieces.
• Mini Beef Burritos: $69, 40 pieces.
• Open Faced Mini Grilled Reubens: $64, 28 pieces.
• Fresh Vegetable Crudités: $59, serves 25 to 30.

For cost per piece across the whole list, see appetizers for a crowd.

Three worked examples

50 guests, two hours, no dinner. 50 x 5 = 250 pieces. Order 1 tray Cocktail Meatballs ($64, 100 pieces), 1 Cheese & Sausage Tray ($79, 120 pieces) and 1 tray Bruschetta ($45, 60 pieces). That is 280 pieces for $188, or $3.76 a guest. Add 9.25% sales tax.

30 guests, one hour before dinner. 30 x 3 = 90 pieces. One tray Cocktail Meatballs at $64 is 100 pieces and covers it, or one Cheese & Sausage Tray at $79 is 120. Add Crudités at $59 if you want a lighter option. That is $64 + $59 = $123, or $4.10 a guest.

100 guests, three hours, appetizers are the meal. 100 x 10 = 1,000 pieces. Order 2 Cheese & Sausage Trays ($158, 240 pieces), 2 trays Cocktail Meatballs ($128, 200), 2 Chicken Drummettes ($200, 240), 2 Bruschetta ($90, 120) and 2 Finger Sandwiches ($178, 120). That is 920 pieces for $754, $7.54 a guest. Add one more tray of Meatballs ($64) to reach 1,020 pieces and $818. The other route at this size is a hot buffet, which is a full meal. Buffet Menu 1 is $18.99 a person.

Mix, not volume

Pick at least three kinds. One cold, one hot, and one vegetarian. A guest who finds only one thing they like eats six of it, and the tray runs out while the others sit.

Hot trays and settings

Hot items need a Chafing Dish Set, $17 per hot dish and yours to keep. Disposable Appetizer Plates & Napkins are $0.99 a person, so 50 guests is $49.50. Serving Tongs & Spoons are $1 each.

How to order

Trays have no minimum, and we need three days' notice. Pick-up is at the kitchen in Yorkville, and delivery is quoted when you order. Our hot trays are under hot appetizers, and drop-off catering covers how orders work. The party food calculator does the same math with your numbers. When you are ready, use the quote page.

Questions

How many appetizers per person for a 2 hour party?

About 5 to 6 pieces a guest if there is no dinner, and 4 to 5 if dinner follows.

How many appetizers for 50 people?

150 pieces for one hour before dinner, 250 to 300 for a two-hour party without dinner.

How many appetizers per person if it is a cocktail party?

Plan 10 to 12 pieces a guest if it runs three or four hours and appetizers are the only food.

What if there is also a buffet?

Drop to 2 to 3 pieces a guest, since the appetizers are only the start of the meal.