🎉 Party Food & Drink Calculator
Party quantities scale with guests and hours — plan on roughly 6 oz of cooked main protein per person, about one drink per person per hour, and 1–1.5 lb of ice each.
- Appetizer pieces100 total
- Main protein (cooked)7.5 lb (≈6 oz each)
- Side dishes (combined)10.0 lb
- Salad20 cups
- Bread / rolls30 pieces
- Soft drinks / servings60 drinks
- Water30 bottles
- Alcoholic drinks40 total
- …as wine (5 glasses/bottle)≈ 8 bottles
- Ice30 lb
Quantities are per-guest rules of thumb from common party-planning charts, scaled by your guest count and event length — treat them as a shopping starting point and adjust for your crowd (bigger appetites, kids, dietary needs). Appetizer counts assume more finger food when there\'s no full meal. Always drink responsibly and offer plenty of water and non-alcoholic options. 🔒 In your browser.
How the party food & drink calculator works
Enter how many guests are coming and how long the event runs, then say whether you're serving a full meal and alcohol. The calculator applies common per-guest party-planning amounts — appetizer pieces, main protein, sides, soft and alcoholic drinks, water and ice — and scales them by your numbers to give a shopping list. It uses more finger food when there's no sit-down meal.
These are rules-of-thumb from standard party-planning charts, meant as a shopping starting point rather than exact figures — adjust for your crowd (heartier or lighter eaters, children, dietary restrictions, time of day). Running out is worse than a little extra, so round up for big appetites. If you're serving alcohol, always provide generous water and non-alcoholic options and encourage guests to drink responsibly.
Frequently asked questions
How much food do I need for a party?
For a full meal, plan about 6 oz of cooked main protein and roughly half a pound of sides per guest, plus appetizers. For a no-meal party, allow more appetizers (about 10–12 pieces per guest). Enter your numbers and the calculator lists the amounts.
How much alcohol for a party?
A common guide is about one drink per guest for the first hour and half a drink per guest for each hour after. For wine, figure roughly five glasses per bottle. The calculator estimates totals and bottle counts when you enable alcohol.
How much ice do I need?
About 1 to 1.5 pounds of ice per guest for a few-hour event — more in hot weather or if you're icing down drinks in tubs as well as using it in glasses.
How many appetizers per person?
Around 4–6 pieces per person if a full meal follows, or 10–12 pieces if appetizers are the main food. Multiply by your guest count; the calculator does this based on whether you're serving a meal.