Graduation Party Food for 25 Guests
A graduation open house for 25 guests runs long with drop-ins, so plan for the full list: about 13 lb of a main protein, two sides, buns, chips, and a sheet-cake dessert. This calculator sizes a buffet for 25 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
$243.12
$9.72 per guest, rough estimate
Planning for 28 guests (22 adults, 6 kids) over 4 hours, standard appetite, with a 10 percent buffer.
- 11.3 lb
Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)
0.5 lb per adult
- 1 lb
Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)
0.4 lb per adult
- 128 oz
Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)
5 oz per adult
- 75 oz
Vegetable side or green salad
3 oz per adult
- 39 pieces
Buns or bread rolls
1.5 pieces per adult
- 59 oz
Chips and snacks
2.2 oz per adult
- 28 servings
Dessert servings
1 servings per adult
- 62 cans
Soft drinks and juice
1 drink per guest per hour
- 51 bottles
Water
1 drink per guest per hour
- 25 servings
Condiments and sauces
1 servings per adult
- 56 pieces
Plates, napkins, cutlery sets
2 pieces per adult
Estimate from average US grocery prices, a planning aid, not a quote. Non-USD is converted at rough parity. Set the price level in advanced options for your area, or see how we estimate cost.
Shopping list
Proteins
- Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)11.3 lb (12 packs)$
- Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)1 lb$
Sides
- Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)128 oz (8 packs)$
- Vegetable side or green salad75 oz (5 packs)$
Bread
- Buns or bread rolls39 pieces (5 packs)$
Snacks
- Chips and snacks59 oz (4 packs)$
Desserts
- Dessert servings28 servings (28 packs)$
Drinks
- Soft drinks and juice62 cans (6 packs)$
- Water51 bottles (3 packs)$
Condiments
- Condiments and sauces25 servings (3 packs)$
Disposables
- Plates, napkins, cutlery sets56 pieces (2 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 25?
- Plan a buffet of one main protein at about 13 lb, two sides, buns, chips, and dessert for 25, plus a buffer because open-house guests arrive in waves. The tool rounds to pack sizes and estimates the total.