How many appetizers per person for an office holiday party?

It depends on how long the party runs and whether appetizers replace dinner. A short reception before dinner needs fewer pieces; if appetizers stand in for dinner, plan noticeably more per guest, with heavier items. Ask your caterer to recommend a count for your menu and timing.

Should I order for everyone who RSVPs?

Use RSVPs as the starting point and adjust using turnout at past company events. Ask the caterer when the final number is due and whether it can go down after that date.

Do I need to order more food if alcohol is served?

Order toward the high end of your range. Food helps guests pace their drinking, and running out late in the evening is a common complaint.

What is the easiest format for an in-office holiday lunch?

Boxed lunches or a drop-off buffet. Both are predictable to order and need little or no on-site staff.

Corporate holiday party catering: how much to order per guest

A corporate holiday party buffet with chafing dishes, a carved roast and mini desserts in an office event space overlooking city lights

The short version

How much to order depends on three things more than anything else: how long the party lasts, whether it replaces a meal, and whether alcohol is served.

A two-hour after-work reception with drinks needs much less food than an evening party that guests treat as dinner.
Tell your caterer all three and let them recommend quantities — they do this every week.
The points below will help you brief a caterer and sanity-check what they recommend.

Step 1: Decide whether it is a meal

Not a meal (for example 3pm–5pm, or a short drinks reception after work): appetizers and desserts are enough.
Replaces a meal (lunch, or an evening party running through dinnertime): plan for a full meal, either a buffet, stations or very substantial heavy appetizers.

When in doubt, assume it is a meal. People who skipped lunch to finish work before the party will eat.

A silver tray of passed holiday appetizers: mini pastry bites, caprese skewers and shrimp cocktail cups

Step 2: Brief the caterer on food per guest

Appetizer-only reception

For a short reception before guests head off to dinner, keep it light and ask the caterer how many pieces per guest they recommend for the length of the party.
If appetizers are standing in for dinner, plan noticeably more per guest, with several heavier items (sliders, skewers, mini sandwiches).
Offer variety rather than volume of one item, including at least one vegetarian and one gluten-free.

Buffet or stations

Plan for one main portion per guest plus a margin, and ask how the caterer sizes portions when there are two proteins and several sides.
Stations need slightly more total food than a single buffet line because guests sample from several.
For a more detailed breakdown by dish type, see how much food do I need per person.

Dessert

A few small pieces per guest (cookies, mini pastries, bars) usually works; fewer if there is also a cake. Ask the caterer or bakery to size it.

Step 3: Adjust for your crowd

Alcohol served: order toward the high end. Food slows drinking and keeps the evening pleasant.
A long party: add a late snack or a second round of appetizers rather than more of the first.
Mostly remote team meeting in person: attendance is often higher than at a routine office lunch; avoid cutting the order too fine.
Mixed ages or families invited: add simple, kid-friendly items and count children separately with the caterer.

Step 4: Get the headcount right

The single biggest source of over- or under-ordering at office parties is the headcount, not the per-person maths.

Use an RSVP with a clear deadline, and include a dietary-needs question.
Look at attendance for past company events if you have it; RSVPs and real turnout rarely match exactly.
Ask the caterer when the final number is due and whether it can go down after that date.
Order dietary meals (vegan, gluten-free, halal, kosher) by name or count so they reach the right people and are not eaten first by everyone else.

Drinks and the bar

Coffee, tea and water should be planned for everyone, all evening. If you serve alcohol, decide whether you are hosting an open bar, a limited bar (beer, wine, one cocktail) or drink tickets, and confirm who is licensed to serve. A dedicated bar service can manage this, and most will advise on quantities for your headcount and timing. Make sure there are good non-alcoholic choices.

For bar options, pricing models, licensing and insurance, see our guide to bartending and bar service for events.

Staffing

Gloved catering staff arranging canapes on a buffet at a corporate event; only hands and uniform are visible

For a staffed event, ask the caterer how many servers and bartenders they plan for your headcount and format, and how many hours are included. Passed appetizers need more staff than a buffet. Plated dinners need the most. Make sure the quote includes setup and breakdown time, not just service time.

Office-friendly formats

An office holiday dessert and coffee bar with thermal carafes, mugs, cookies, brownies and mini cupcakes

Holiday lunch in the office: boxed lunches or a drop-off buffet are simple and predictable. See boxed lunch and sandwich and deli caterers.
Evening party at a venue: stations or heavy appetizers plus a bar.
Relaxed team celebration: a BBQ, taco bar or Italian family-style spread is easy to scale and caters well to mixed tastes.

Getting quotes

Send the same brief to two or three caterers: date, time window, headcount range, format, dietary counts, venue details and budget. You can send one request to several caterers, or browse corporate caterers and city pages such as New York, Chicago, Seattle, Denver and Atlanta. Everything is listed by state and city on the catering directory.