Graduation Party Food for 75 Guests
A graduation open house for 75 guests runs long with drop-ins, so plan for the full list: about 38 lb of a main protein, two sides, buns, chips, and a sheet-cake dessert. This calculator sizes a buffet for 75 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
$721.81
$9.62 per guest, rough estimate
Planning for 83 guests (66 adults, 17 kids) over 4 hours, standard appetite, with a 10 percent buffer.
- 34 lb
Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)
0.5 lb per adult
- 3 lb
Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)
0.4 lb per adult
- 381 oz
Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)
5 oz per adult
- 224 oz
Vegetable side or green salad
3 oz per adult
- 117 pieces
Buns or bread rolls
1.5 pieces per adult
- 175 oz
Chips and snacks
2.2 oz per adult
- 83 servings
Dessert servings
1 servings per adult
- 183 cans
Soft drinks and juice
1 drink per guest per hour
- 150 bottles
Water
1 drink per guest per hour
- 75 servings
Condiments and sauces
1 servings per adult
- 166 pieces
Plates, napkins, cutlery sets
2 pieces per adult
Estimate from average US grocery prices, a planning aid, not a quote. Non-USD is converted at rough parity. Set the price level in advanced options for your area, or see how we estimate cost.
Shopping list
Proteins
- Main protein (burgers, chicken, pulled pork)34 lb (34 packs)$
- Vegetarian main (skewers, plant patties)3 lb (3 packs)$
Sides
- Starchy side (potato salad, pasta, rice)381 oz (24 packs)$
- Vegetable side or green salad224 oz (14 packs)$
Bread
- Buns or bread rolls117 pieces (15 packs)$
Snacks
- Chips and snacks175 oz (11 packs)$
Desserts
- Dessert servings83 servings (83 packs)$
Drinks
- Soft drinks and juice183 cans (16 packs)$
- Water150 bottles (7 packs)$
Condiments
- Condiments and sauces75 servings (8 packs)$
Disposables
- Plates, napkins, cutlery sets166 pieces (4 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 75?
- Plan a buffet of one main protein at about 38 lb, two sides, buns, chips, and dessert for 75, plus a buffer because open-house guests arrive in waves. The tool rounds to pack sizes and estimates the total.