Party Amounts
"A bit of everything for 30 people" ends with three feet of brisket and no ice. This is the buy-list with the catering-industry ratios.
Catering ratios: main protein 0.35–0.5 lb cooked per adult (appetite-dependent), kids at 60% of adult rate; drinks: non-alcohol 12 oz/first-hour + 8 oz/extra hour; beer 12 oz/drinker/hour; wine 5 oz (≈ 0.4 bottles per drinker per hour); ice for coolers: 1.5–2 lb per guest per day of use. Cups 3/guest, plates 3/guest if dinner.
How the math works
- Protein: adults = meal lb × guests_adult, kids at 0.6 rate. Raw→cooked shrink: plan raw at cooked ÷ 0.7 for grill meats (25–30% cook loss).
- Drinks: alcohol = drinkers × (beer/wine split) × hours; non-alcoholic = all guests × (12 oz + 8 oz per extra hour), the 8-oz tail is what prevents the 2 a.m. dry-cup moment.
- Ice: 2 lb/guest covers coolers + drinks for a hot-day party; 1.5 for indoor.
- Sides: catering ratio 0.35 lb per side per adult, 2 sides = 0.7 lb/adult of sides, which is why catering quotes look absurd and self-serve looks light. It isn't.
- Cost row: blended 2026 retail: protein $6.50/lb, beer $1.40/can, wine $11/bottle, soft drinks $0.90/12oz, ice $4/bag, paper 100-pack $9.
How many pounds of meat for 30 guests?
BBQ main: ~11–14 lb cooked, plan ~16–19 lb raw (grill shrink). Appetizers-only for 30: ~7 lb total across meats. The tool includes the kids adjustment and raw-shrink note.
How many beers per person at a party?
The planning number is 1 can per drinker per hour: 20 drinkers × 4 hours = 80 cans. Non-drinkers and the tail hours are covered in the soda row so nobody drinks the punch.
How much ice for a party of 50?
~100 lb for a hot outdoor day (2 lb/guest), 75 lb indoor. Coolers drink ice faster than cups do, the 1.5–2 lb band is the difference between slush and water.