What is the best method to price catered food -- per dish or per personr

I have a catered event coming up for 450-500 business executives in December and want to know how I should price it out. I am serving sweet & sour meatballs, mini crabcakes, baby back spareribs, chicken satay, asian cold noodles salad, red bliss potato salad, asparagus (cold) and some other vegetable. Also, how many meadballs, crabcakes, etc.,would be considered a serving.

HELP!!!! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

By Chefmanny (Chefmanny) on Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 11:35 am: Edit

How do you get a party for 500 and have no clue what to charge?

By Chefantony (Chefantony) on Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 12:22 pm: Edit

Figure 3 to 3 1/2 apps per person so 125 count per app. As far as potato salads and such figure 4 to 5 oz. per person.As far as cost well I know what I charge but how did you book an event that big and not quote a price?

By Cheftim (Cheftim) on Thursday, November 14, 2002 - 11:34 pm: Edit

imnsho
That 125 count per app won't work, you'll be out of food before everyone is there.

If you passing apps then at least 1 pp for each item maybe more for things like mini crab cakes. If the app are on a buffet or in stations then at least two pp for crab cakes but for the ribs 1 pp will do because they're a little daunting same for the chicken saty maby 1.5 pp. but for the meat balls three pp. No one ever takes only one of those.

4-5 oz of salad pp sound good, that's total salad. The asparagus go with two cases, I think thats 22 lbs. after triming 11-22 lbs. Make several platters, you could get 4 nice ones from that. Vegi trays.. nock yourself out.

All this is contingent on so many other things, access to the food, time of day, equipment, region, are they driking...

As far as what to charge, you all ready have the event, charge what you want. Charge a lot.