Graduation Party Food for 150 Guests
A graduation open house for 150 guests runs long with drop-ins, so plan for the full list: about 75 lb of a main protein, two sides, buns, chips, and a sheet-cake dessert. This calculator sizes a buffet for 150 with a drop-in buffer, estimates the cost, and gives a copyable shopping list.
Your plan
Enough for a 4-hour graduation with standard appetite
Total items
11
food and drink to buy
Est. cost
$1436.63
$9.58 per guest, rough estimate
Planning for 165 guests (132 adults, 33 kids) over 4 hours, standard appetite, with a 10 percent buffer.
- 67 lb
Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)
0.5 lb per adult
- 5.9 lb
Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)
0.4 lb per adult
- 759 oz
Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)
5 oz per adult
- 446 oz
Vegetable side or green salad
3 oz per adult
- 233 pieces
Buns or bread rolls
1.5 pieces per adult
- 348 oz
Chips and snacks
2.2 oz per adult
- 165 servings
Dessert servings
1 servings per adult
- 364 cans
Soft drinks and juice
1 drink per guest per hour
- 297 bottles
Water
1 drink per guest per hour
- 149 servings
Condiments and sauces
1 servings per adult
- 330 pieces
Plates, napkins, cutlery sets
2 pieces per adult
Estimate from average US grocery prices, a planning aid, not a quote. Non-USD is converted at rough parity. Set the price level in advanced options for your area, or see how we estimate cost.
Shopping list
Proteins
- Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)67 lb (67 packs)$
- Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)5.9 lb (6 packs)$
Sides
- Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)759 oz (48 packs)$
- Vegetable side or green salad446 oz (28 packs)$
Bread
- Buns or bread rolls233 pieces (30 packs)$
Snacks
- Chips and snacks348 oz (22 packs)$
Desserts
- Dessert servings165 servings (165 packs)$
Drinks
- Soft drinks and juice364 cans (31 packs)$
- Water297 bottles (13 packs)$
Condiments
- Condiments and sauces149 servings (15 packs)$
Disposables
- Plates, napkins, cutlery sets330 pieces (7 packs)$
Tap any price to set what it costs at your store. Prices are average US estimates.
Common questions
- How much food for a graduation party of 150?
- Plan a buffet of one main protein at about 75 lb, two sides, buns, chips, and dessert for 150, plus a buffer because open-house guests arrive in waves. The tool rounds to pack sizes and estimates the total.