It genuinely depends. Here is exactly what on.
Every caterer says it depends and then publishes nothing. The ranges, the minimums, the eight things that move the number and one fully itemized example are all below.
| Service style | What it means | Per guest |
|---|---|---|
| Drop offDelivered, set up, collected the next day | We cook it, deliver it hot in chafing dishes, set the table and go. No staff on site. Right for retreat lunches and casual gatherings. | $28 to $42 |
| Buffet, staffed | Cooked on site where possible, served from a line with our team running it, plates cleared through the evening. | $48 to $72 |
| Family style | Platters to each table, refilled as they empty. Feels generous and eats faster than a buffet, and it is what we would pick. | $62 to $88 |
| PlatedForty guest minimum | Four courses, guests choose in advance. The most staff, the most kitchen, and the most control over how it arrives at the table. | $78 to $120 |
| Appetizers only | Passed canapes for an hour or two with no sit down meal. Common for open houses and receptions on either side of a dinner elsewhere. | $22 to $38 |
| When | Food minimum |
|---|---|
| Any event, any date | $2,000 |
| Saturdays, June through SeptemberOur only genuinely scarce dates | $4,500 |
| Plated serviceFewer than forty guests cannot be run properly plated | 40 guests |
| Private dinners at home | 8 guests |
| MemorialsNo minimum. Deliberately | None |
What actually moves the number
Roughly in order of how much difference each one makes.
- 1. Service styleThe biggest lever by a distance. The same food dropped off versus plated is close to a three times difference, and almost all of that is labor rather than ingredients.
- 2. Guest countPer head falls as the count rises, because the kitchen time does not scale with it. Below forty guests a small event fee of $400 applies, since a twenty person dinner takes most of the same day.
- 3. ProteinBeef tenderloin against braised chicken is about $14 a guest. It is the one menu change that reliably moves the total, and swapping it is the fastest way to bring a number down.
- 4. StaffingOne server per eighteen guests on a buffet, one per twelve plated, at $42 an hour with a five hour minimum. Bar staff are the same rate and quoted separately.
- 5. Rentals, which we do not includeChina, glass, linen and tables usually run $14 to $26 a guest through a local rental company. We will order and manage it for you, and it appears at cost with no markup.
- 6. The dateSaturdays in July and August are peak. A Friday, a Sunday or anything between October and May is typically ten to fifteen percent less for identical food.
- 7. The venueA venue with a working kitchen costs nothing extra. One without needs a mobile kitchen, which is $650. Travel beyond thirty miles of Bozeman is $2.25 a mile.
- 8. Dietary complexityA handful of vegetarians changes nothing. Twenty guests across six different requirements is a second prep line, and we will tell you what that costs rather than absorbing it quietly.
One real evening, itemized, with the arithmetic shown
120 guests. Buffet. A Saturday in July, at a barn twenty minutes out of Bozeman with no kitchen on site. This is a representative event rather than a package you can order.
| Line | How it is worked out | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Buffet dinner | $58 a guest, mid range for buffet, at 120 guests | $6,960 |
| Passed appetizers | Three kinds for one hour, $11 a guest | $1,320 |
| Service team | Seven people, six hours, $42 an hour. One chef, two cooks, four service | $1,764 |
| Mobile kitchen | The venue has no kitchen, so we bring one | $650 |
| Travel | Fourteen miles, inside the thirty mile radius | $0 |
| Service charge | Twenty percent of the above. This is not a gratuity and it is not optional | $2,138 |
| Total$106.90 a guest, all in | Montana has no statewide sales tax, so nothing is added below this line. A few resort communities levy a local resort tax, and if your venue sits in one it appears as its own line. | $12,832 |
What is not in that $12,832.
Rentals, roughly $2,400 for 120 guests at that style. Alcohol and bar staff. The venue. Flowers. Cake, unless you want us to make dessert instead. We would rather list these than let you discover them one at a time.
Deposits, changes and the things people get caught by
What is the deposit and when is the balance due?
Twenty five percent to hold the date, and it is non refundable because holding a peak Saturday means turning other work away. The balance is due ten days before, at the same time as the final headcount.
What happens if my headcount changes?
It can move freely until ten days out. After that we bill the number you gave us, because the food is bought and the staff are booked. If it rises after that we will almost always cook for the extra people and add them to the invoice.
Is the twenty percent service charge a tip?
No, and this is the line most often misread on a catering invoice. It covers planning time, the tasting, insurance, vehicles and the administrative side. Our team is paid an hourly wage that is already in the quote. Tipping is not expected, and it is passed straight to the crew when it happens.
Can you work to a fixed budget?
Yes, and it is a better conversation than the other direction. Tell us the total you have and the number of guests, and we will tell you what is possible at that figure, including when the answer is that it is not enough for the style you had in mind.
Do you provide alcohol?
No. We do not hold a liquor license and do not sell or serve alcohol you have not supplied. Most clients buy their own, which is usually cheaper, and we can staff the bar and write pairing suggestions at no charge.
What if it rains, or the venue falls through?
We cook regardless and have worked in some fairly hostile weather. If the venue changes, tell us as early as you can, because a different site can change the mobile kitchen line and the travel. A date moved more than sixty days out carries the deposit across at no cost.
Work out your own number
Take the style you want, multiply by your guest count, add staff and twenty percent. Then send us the date and we will tell you how close you got.