ezPlatter A birthday party crowd behaves differently from an office lunch crowd. See our full birthday party catering picks for restaurant options built for this. You usually have a mix of kids and adults, a shorter eating window, and people grazing throughout the party rather than sitting down for one full meal all at once. That difference changes what to order and how much of it, more than the specific restaurant you choose.
Plan for less food per child than per adult
Kids typically eat about half of what an adult does at a party. If you are ordering nugget or chicken tender trays, count each child as roughly half a portion when you scale the tray size, rather than treating every guest as a full adult portion. Mixed trays with a few different proteins tend to go further than one giant tray of a single item, since not every kid at the party eats the same thing, and having options reduces the chance of a tray sitting untouched while another runs out.
Skip anything that needs assembly
Sandwiches that need to be built at the table, or food that requires careful plating, slow down a party and create a mess once kids get involved. Trays of pre-portioned items like nuggets, sliders, pizza slices, or wraps already cut in half let people grab food and go without a slow production line forming at the table.
A worked example: a party of 20 mixed adults and kids
Say you are planning for 20 total guests: 12 kids and 8 adults. Using the half-portion rule for kids, that group eats roughly the same amount as 16 full adult portions (12 kids at half portion equals 6 adult-equivalents, plus the 8 actual adults). At a typical fast food catering rate of $7 per person for a nugget and side tray combination, ordering for that adjusted count of 16 comes to about $112, rather than the $140 you would spend if you priced every child as a full adult portion.
For drinks at that same party, plan on 2 drinks per person for the first hour and 1 per person for each additional hour. For a 2-hour party with 20 guests, that works out to roughly 60 drinks total, which a bottled drink pack or a drink dispenser add-on from the restaurant can usually cover in one order.
Rough per-person cost for a party format
Fast food catering trays for parties generally run $5 to $10 per person depending on the chain and how much variety you order, which is well under the $30 to $70 per person that a staffed buffet from a traditional caterer would typically run for the same event. For a party of 20 mixed adults and kids using the adjusted headcount method above, that puts a reasonable food budget around $100 to $150 before drinks and cake are added in.
Order timing for a party
Most fast food catering programs want 24 hours notice, which fits comfortably into a typical week-ahead party planning timeline. If the party lands on a major weekend or a holiday, call a day or two earlier than you normally would, since locations tend to get busier and same-day flexibility drops.
Don't forget drinks and something sweet
Fast food catering menus often include bottled drinks or a drink dispenser as an add-on, and a cookie tray is usually the cheapest dessert option if you are not doing a separate birthday cake. Both are easy to add to the same order instead of making a second stop somewhere else on party day. If you are choosing between picking it up yourself or having it delivered, see our delivery versus pickup guide.
A simple party checklist
- Confirm your kid-to-adult ratio and adjust your headcount math using the half-portion rule for kids.
- Choose at least 2 different protein options so pickier eaters have something to choose from.
- Order a drink pack or dispenser sized for 2 drinks per person in the first hour.
- Add a dessert tray if you are not doing a separate birthday cake.
- Call the order in at least 24 hours ahead, earlier if the party falls on a holiday weekend.
Quick answers
Should I order extra for parents who might not eat? A small buffer, around 10 percent over your adjusted headcount, covers this without overordering significantly.
What if some kids have allergies? Ask about ingredient lists when you place the order, and consider a simple labeled side table for any allergy-safe items so parents can identify them quickly during the party.
Step by step: planning the party order
First, get a rough kid-to-adult count from the guest list or RSVPs. Apply the half-portion rule for kids to get an adjusted headcount. Choose at least two protein options so pickier kids have a choice. Add a drink pack sized for 2 drinks per person in the first hour, then order 24 hours ahead, earlier if the party falls on a busy weekend.
A second worked example: a smaller party of 10
For a smaller party of 10, say 7 kids and 3 adults, the adjusted headcount comes to roughly 6.5 adult-equivalents (7 kids at half portion equals 3.5, plus 3 full adults). At $7 per person, that is about $46 for food, which usually means a single mid-size tray covers the whole party comfortably with a little room to spare.
Choosing between pickup and delivery for a party
Most birthday parties are small enough that pickup makes more financial sense than paying a delivery fee, especially since someone is usually already running errands before the party anyway. Reserve delivery for larger parties over 30 or 40 guests, or when the party location is far from every fast food option nearby.