The answer to the question about the correct ratios of staff to guests is sometimes a little more nuanced than you might think.

What type of event is it?   Let’s say it is just a drop-off.  Even very large drop-off orders can be done with one staff member.  Sure…  at times because of the size of an order and challenging entry or terrain it makes sense to send two staff members.   For us… Most Catering Drop-Off orders are done with one staff member who has experience with drop-off catering.  

When catering events are contracted as staffed events such as weddings, corporate, social and many others the type of food and flow of the event will determine how many staff are assigned to it.  

A cocktail reception with some stationary and passed apps will probably get a one to thirty or thirty-five ratio.    A corporate dinner with light apps and a buffet will probably get the same.

A wedding catering contract using china/ flatwares and water/ wine service at tables with apps for cocktail hour and then a buffet dinner will probably end up with a one to twenty-five or so ratio.  

A plated meal will be somewhere in the one to twenty ratio.   

For bar services we usually never staff more than two bartenders for events under 200 guests.  The benefit of using the same catering service to staff your bar is that catering staff can jump in for a few minutes and help the bar team if needed.    

This is not an exact science.  A couple of variables explored…

It is very rare that our staff “call out” shifts.  But it can happen.   And if a call out occurs catering staff will be shifted around.  There is a good chance that an event that day might have less staff working it than originally planned for.

The other variable that most do not think about is the skill level of the catering staff.   Knowledge, training, experience and passion for excellence require less staff to pull off a seamless experience.    There is definitely no point in great team members  just standing around an event… By contrast…  more staff that lack knowledge, experience and passion will not make much of a difference.