Catering Price Calculator

Build a catering price from the costs of the job instead of guessing at a per-person number. Breakeven, profit, gratuity, tax, and the per-head charge update as you type.

Event

Head countGuests being served

Direct costs

Food expense

Paper expense

Equipment rentals

Travel

Charge per mile

Round trip miles

Total travel cost$0

Daily fixed cost

Daily fixed costLoans, commissary, insurances, permits, etc.

Labor

Wage/hr Hours

Prep

Set up

Service

Cleanup

Total wages$0

Margin & pricing

Variable cost %Share of subtotal added back before breakeven

Profit on cateringDesired profit for this job

Auto gratuity %

Sales tax

Sales tax %Applied to the grand total (needs local verification)

Subtotal = Direct costs + Travel + Fixed cost + Wages. Breakeven = Subtotal ÷ (1 − Variable cost %) — a contribution‑margin breakeven, not a flat markup. Grand total = Breakeven + Profit + Auto gratuity. Sales tax is then applied to that grand total, and the per‑head charge reflects the tax‑inclusive total. Sales tax rate varies by state and locality — confirm yours before quoting.

Estimate

Subtotal$0

Breakeven point$0

Profit on catering$0

Auto gratuity$0

Grand total$0

Sales tax$0

Total due$0

Variable cost % is 100 or more — breakeven can't be calculated. Lower it below 100%.

Per‑head charge

^$0.00

at 100 guests

Keep your numbers

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