Catering Cost and Profit Calculator
We are building a catering cost and profit calculator made for pitmasters – the portion math you already trust, extended into a full job-costing and pricing engine. Join the early-access list below and be first in line when it opens.
Know your profit before you quote
The catering cost and profit calculator for people who smoke meat and sell it - from a 40-guest backyard party to a 300-plate wedding.
- Your true cost per plate - meat, trim and cook loss, sides, labor, fuel, the lot
- Price to a target margin - a confident number, not a guess
- Know before you quote - see the profit on a job before you say yes
BBQ catering pricing FAQ
How much should I charge for catering per person?
Typical BBQ catering runs $15 to $30 per person depending on the menu, service style, and your region - but the right answer comes from your own numbers, not a rule of thumb. Work out your true cost per plate (meat after trim and cook loss, sides, labor, travel, overhead), then price to a target margin. That is exactly what this calculator does.
What food cost percentage should catering aim for?
Most caterers target a food cost of 28% to 35% of the price. BBQ can run higher because smoked meats lose 30% to 50% of their raw weight to trimming and cooking - which is why pricing off the raw meat price is the classic money-losing mistake. The calculator shows your food-cost percentage on every quote.
How much meat per person for catering?
Plan on 5 to 8 oz of cooked meat per person depending on how heavy the meal is - more when the meat is the event, less with plenty of sides. Raw weight is roughly double for cuts like brisket and pork butt once trim and cook loss are figured in. See our How Much Meat Per Person guide for per-cut numbers.
Why does BBQ catering cost more than the price of the meat?
Because the meat you buy is not the meat you serve: a packer brisket loses around half its weight between trimming and the smoker. Add 10 to 20 hours of labor, fuel, sides, packaging, travel, and overhead, and the true cost of a plate is usually 2 to 3 times the raw ingredient cost - before any profit.
What is a good profit margin for catering?
A healthy target is a 25% to 35% margin on the total job after all costs, including your own labor at a real hourly rate. If your price only covers food, you are paying to work. The calculator prices to your target margin and warns you when a quote falls short.
While you wait: plan quantities with the How Much Meat Per Person calculator, or plan the cook itself with the Meat Smoking Calculator.