Pizza catering quote calculator: price per guest for events
Plan about three slices of a 14-inch pie per adult when pizza is the whole meal, two when there are sides or dessert, and half that for kids. Then price from your real costs, including the night of regular business the event replaces, and send one price per guest before sales tax, with the tax shown on top. The calculator below does all of it.
The event
Counted as half an adult.
IRS business rate: 76¢ from July 2026.
14-inch pies per hour.
Your costs and price
Dough, sauce, cheese, toppings, box.
0 if not included.
0 if not included.
Including setup and breakdown.
Wage plus payroll taxes, or what your hour is worth.
Propane, wood, rentals, permit.
Margin of the regular night this replaces.
On the pre-tax price.
Before tax, whatever the group size.
For the event location; check your state.
Price per guest
$19.51
incl. 8% sales tax, 100 guests
Quote total
$1,951
$1,806 + $145 sales tax
Pies to plan
40
≈ 1.3 h of baking
- Food (pies)
- $160
- Dessert and drinks
- $150
- Travel
- $30.40
- Labor
- $264
- Fixed costs
- $60
- Lost night of business
- $600
- Total cost
- $1,264.40
- Event margin
- $541.89
How many pies to plan
| Menu | Per adult | 14-inch pies for 50 adults | For 100 adults |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pizza with sides or dessert | 2 slices | 13 | 25 |
| Pizza is the whole meal | 3 slices | 19 | 38 |
| Late-night food after a reception | 1 to 2 slices | 7 to 13 | 13 to 25 |
Rules of thumb for 14-inch pies cut in 8. Children count as half an adult. The calculator adds a 10% safety margin; adjust for your crowd.
The costs a quote forgets
- The lost night of business. If the wedding is on a Saturday, your truck or shop isn’t trading that night. The margin you would have made is a real cost of the event; leave it out and a big wedding can earn less than a normal Saturday.
- Setup and breakdown. Two hours before and one after a three-hour service. Charge for all six.
- The drive. The IRS business mileage rate, 72.5¢ a mile for the first half of 2026 and 76¢ from July 1, is a fair benchmark for what a mile costs you. Many caterers include a set radius and charge by the mile beyond it.
- Propane or wood, which you can’t spread over a week of trading for one night of pies.
- Venue fees and permits. Some venues charge outside caterers a fee, and some cities require a temporary event permit for a truck. Ask before you quote.
Set a minimum spend
A party of 15 takes the same setup as a wedding of 100. Set a minimum spend, state it up front, and stick to it. A client who can’t meet it isn’t your client for this kind of job.
Going rates, logistics and deposits: the pizza catering and events guide. Your food cost per pie, precisely: the food cost calculator. And how many pies you can really turn out: pizzas per hour.