Party Food Calculator for BBQs and Parties
Type how many adults and kids are coming and for how long. Get a shopping list of food, drinks and ice, the cost per person once you add prices, and a list to print or send to whoever is shopping.
- Free
- No sign-up
- Runs in your browser
Someone shared this result with you. It was made with Party Food Calculator, free on VISU, no sign-up.
Shopping list
Type the number of guests to see the list.
Rule of thumb amounts, rounded up. Check what your guests like.
How the list is calculated
- Each item: amount per adult × (adults + kids × the share a kid eats) × appetite. Drinks and ice also × (your hours ÷ the hours the amounts are written for).
- Drinks with alcohol count only the adults who drink. Quantities are rounded up to what a store sells: whole units, whole ounces, quarter pounds.
- The starting amounts are rules of thumb used by hosts, not official figures. Your guests, the weather and the menu change them: edit any line.
Split the bill
Split the bill
Who paid what? The split calculator works out who owes whom and writes the WhatsApp message.
Split the costInvite the guests
A digital invitation with the date, the address and a button to confirm, sent as one link.
Make an invitationSelling food at the party?
The recipe cost calculator gives the cost per portion and the price to charge.
Cost a recipe
How to use it
- Choose the type of party: BBQ cookout or appetizer party.
- Type how many adults and kids are coming, how many adults drink alcohol and how many hours the party lasts.
- Check the amounts per adult: untick what you will not buy, change any line, add your own items and, if you want the cost, the prices.
- Copy the list, send it on WhatsApp to whoever is shopping, or print it.
Examples
Backyard cookout
12 adults and 4 kids for 5 hours: 14 burger patties, 14 hot dogs, 28 buns, 3.5 lb of chicken, 35 cans of soda and 30 of beer for 8 drinkers.
Office holiday party
30 adults, appetizers for 3 hours: 360 bite-size pieces, dips, a cheese board and drinks, with the cost per person.
Kids birthday
10 adults and 15 kids, kids at 50%: the list counts 17.5 portions, so nothing runs out and little is left over.
Add this tool to your site
Put this tool on your blog, store or club site. It runs inside your page, free, with no account, and a small "by VISU" credit line under it.
Questions
How much food do I need per person for a party?
It depends on the menu and the length. As a rule of thumb many hosts plan, per adult, one burger and one hot dog plus sides for a cookout, or about 12 bite-size appetizers over 3 hours when there is no meal. These are rules of thumb, not official numbers: the calculator starts from them and you change any amount.
How do you count kids?
A kid counts as a share of an adult, 50% to start. Change it if your kids are teenagers (closer to 100%) or toddlers.
How many drinks per person?
The list starts at 2 sodas and 1 water per person and 3 drinks per adult who drinks alcohol, for the hours the preset is written for, and grows or shrinks with the hours you type. Hot days call for more water and ice.
How much ice do I need?
A common rule of thumb is about 1 lb of ice per guest, more in summer or if the drinks are not cold yet. It follows the hours of the party.
Can I see the cost per person?
Yes. Type the price per pound, per unit or per liter on the lines you want. The list shows the total and the cost per adult paying, or per person if kids share the cost. Then the split calculator works out who owes whom.
Is anything sent to VISU?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and the list is only shared if you copy it or send it.