Party Food and Drink Calculator
Enter your headcount and event, get exactly how much food and drink to buy, what it will cost, and a copyable shopping list. No signup.
- Food and drink in one tool
- Auto cost estimate
- Copyable, printable shopping list
- US or metric units
Your plan
Enough for a 4-hour bbq with standard appetite
Total items
14
food and drink to buy
Est. cost
$307.79
$12.82 per guest, rough estimate
Planning for 26 guests (22 adults, 4 kids) over 4 hours, standard appetite, with a 10 percent buffer.
- 10.8 lb
Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)
0.5 lb per adult
- 1 lb
Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)
0.4 lb per adult
- 122 oz
Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)
5 oz per adult
- 72 oz
Vegetable side or green salad
3 oz per adult
- 37 pieces
Buns or bread rolls
1.5 pieces per adult
- 55 oz
Chips and snacks
2.2 oz per adult
- 26 servings
Dessert servings
1 servings per adult
- 31 cans
Beer
1 drink per guest per hour
- 4 bottles
Wine
1 drink per guest per hour
- 1 bottles
Cocktails and spirits
1 drink per guest per hour
- 35 cans
Soft drinks and juice
1 drink per guest per hour
- 29 bottles
Water
1 drink per guest per hour
- 24 servings
Condiments and sauces
1 servings per adult
- 52 pieces
Plates, napkins, cutlery sets
2 pieces per adult
Estimate from average US grocery prices, a planning aid, not a quote. Non-USD is converted at rough parity. Set the price level in advanced options for your area, or see how we estimate cost.
Shopping list
Proteins
- Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)10.8 lb (11 packs)$
- Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)1 lb$
Sides
- Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)122 oz (8 packs)$
- Vegetable side or green salad72 oz (5 packs)$
Bread
- Buns or bread rolls37 pieces (5 packs)$
Snacks
- Chips and snacks55 oz (4 packs)$
Desserts
- Dessert servings26 servings (26 packs)$
Drinks
- Beer31 cans (3 packs)$
- Wine4 bottles (4 packs)$
- Cocktails and spirits1 bottles$
- Soft drinks and juice35 cans (3 packs)$
- Water29 bottles (2 packs)$
Condiments
- Condiments and sauces24 servings (3 packs)$
Disposables
- Plates, napkins, cutlery sets52 pieces (2 packs)$
Tap any price to set what it costs at your store. Prices are average US estimates.
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Common questions
- How much food do I need per person for a party?
- For a buffet, plan about 0.5 lb of a main protein per adult, two sides at 4 to 5 oz each, and one dessert serving, then add a 10 percent buffer. This tool does that math for your exact headcount and event and adjusts for appetite, duration, kids, and dietary needs.
- How much alcohol do I need for a party?
- The standard rule is one drink per drinking guest per hour. For a typical mix, plan about half beer, a third wine, and the rest spirits, plus soft drinks and water for everyone. Toggle alcohol on and the calculator splits it for you.
- Does it give a shopping list?
- Yes. The result is a copyable and printable shopping list grouped by category and rounded to purchasable pack sizes, with an estimated cost. No email signup.
See how we calculate these quantities.