Graduation Party Food for 50 Guests
A graduation open house for 50 guests runs long with drop-ins, so plan for the full list: about 25 lb of a main protein, two sides, buns, chips, and a sheet-cake dessert. This calculator sizes a buffet for 50 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
$479.24
$9.58 per guest, rough estimate
Planning for 55 guests (44 adults, 11 kids) over 4 hours, standard appetite, with a 10 percent buffer.
- 22 lb
Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)
0.5 lb per adult
- 2 lb
Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)
0.4 lb per adult
- 253 oz
Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)
5 oz per adult
- 149 oz
Vegetable side or green salad
3 oz per adult
- 78 pieces
Buns or bread rolls
1.5 pieces per adult
- 116 oz
Chips and snacks
2.2 oz per adult
- 55 servings
Dessert servings
1 servings per adult
- 122 cans
Soft drinks and juice
1 drink per guest per hour
- 99 bottles
Water
1 drink per guest per hour
- 50 servings
Condiments and sauces
1 servings per adult
- 110 pieces
Plates, napkins, cutlery sets
2 pieces per adult
Estimate from average US grocery prices, a planning aid, not a quote. Non-USD is converted at rough parity. Set the price level in advanced options for your area, or see how we estimate cost.
Shopping list
Proteins
- Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)22 lb (23 packs)$
- Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)2 lb (2 packs)$
Sides
- Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)253 oz (16 packs)$
- Vegetable side or green salad149 oz (10 packs)$
Bread
- Buns or bread rolls78 pieces (10 packs)$
Snacks
- Chips and snacks116 oz (8 packs)$
Desserts
- Dessert servings55 servings (55 packs)$
Drinks
- Soft drinks and juice122 cans (11 packs)$
- Water99 bottles (5 packs)$
Condiments
- Condiments and sauces50 servings (5 packs)$
Disposables
- Plates, napkins, cutlery sets110 pieces (3 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 50?
- Plan a buffet of one main protein at about 25 lb, two sides, buns, chips, and dessert for 50, plus a buffer because open-house guests arrive in waves. The tool rounds to pack sizes and estimates the total.