Party Food Calculator

Appetizers only (heavy hors d'oeuvres): 8 pieces per person, plus 2 pieces per person for each hour beyond the first two. No real main course; offer one substantial dessert.

Cocktail hour + full meal: 4 pieces of appetizers per person, then 6 oz cooked protein + 8 oz sides (2 × 4 oz) + 1.25 dessert servings. Add 1.5 rolls per person if it's a formal sit-down.

Brunch: 2 pastry-style pieces, 5 oz egg-based main, 6 oz sides (potatoes + fruit), 0.5 dessert servings. Add 1.5 muffins/scones per person.

Dessert-only reception: 2 servings per person with at least 3 varieties (cake, cookies, mini-bites). Hot coffee for every two guests.

Beef brisket: plan on ~50% cooking loss. For 6 oz cooked per person, buy 12 oz raw. A 50-guest brisket party needs ~38 lbs raw.

Pulled pork (shoulder): ~35% cooking loss. 6 oz cooked = ~9 oz raw. A 50-guest pulled-pork party needs ~28 lbs raw shoulder.

Chicken thighs (bone-in): ~25% loss + bone. 6 oz cooked meat = ~10 oz raw bone-in. Boneless skinless: ~25% loss only.

Roasted vegetables: ~20% loss to caramelization. 4 oz roasted = 5 oz raw.

For 25+ guests at a cocktail party, offer at least 6 different appetizer items in roughly equal quantities. People graze across all of them — running out of one is what guests remember.

Mix temperatures and textures: a hot fried item, a cold raw bar / crudo, a creamy dip, a crunchy bread or cracker, a fresh vegetable, and one substantial 'mini meal' (sliders, tacos, skewers).

Always include one famously vegetarian item (caprese skewers, hummus + pita, mushroom tarts) and one famously gluten-free item (shrimp cocktail, grilled vegetables). Then you don't have to track requests.