Most “catering cost” articles give you a range so wide it’s useless — $1,000 to $15,000 for 100 people. That’s the difference between pasta on a buffet table and a plated wedding dinner with servers. If you’re feeding a company lunch, a church supper, a team banquet or a big family party, the real question is narrower: what does a hot, good Italian meal for 50, 100 or 200 people actually cost? Here are our real numbers.
The short answer
At Vito’s, large groups land in one of two price lines:
- Pasta-and-salad line — about $10–12 a head. Hot pasta trays and salad. The most budget-friendly way to feed a big room well.
- Full Italian spread — about $21–23 a head. Pasta, an entrée, salad and dessert with garlic rolls — the same build as our Celebration Package, scaled up.
| Guests | Pasta & salad (~$10–12/head) | Full Italian spread (~$21–23/head) |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | about $500–$600 | about $1,050–$1,150 |
| 100 | about $1,000–$1,200 | about $2,100–$2,300 |
| 200 | about $2,000–$2,400 | about $4,200–$4,600 |
Those are food ballparks so you can budget. The quote we actually send is one all-in number — food, delivery, setup and tax — usually within the hour on business days. For 100+ guests we price by volume, so ask rather than multiply.
Want the exact number for your event? These are standard package prices. Tell us your headcount, date and delivery address and we’ll send back an exact all-in total — delivery and setup included, no service charge added later.
Where the money goes (and where it doesn’t)
Drop-off Italian is cheap per head for a simple reason: you’re paying for food, not for a staff of servers, rented chafing dishes and a plated service. Pasta holds heat on a buffet line, portions cleanly onto a paper plate and stretches across a crowd better than almost anything else.
If you like to see the tray math: a pasta tray serves 10, 15 or 25 for $75, $112 or $187. For 100 guests eating two pastas, that’s four 25-serving trays — $748 of pasta — before salad, garlic rolls and dessert. For pizza-heavy crowds, our how-much-food guide has the slices-per-person math.
Boxed meals or a buffet line?
- Buffet / tray line — hot trays with setup. Fastest way to feed a big room, and the most food for the money.
- Individually boxed meals — labeled boxes, one per person. Better for conferences, staggered breaks and groups with lots of dietary needs (gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan boxes are labeled).
Vegan guests are covered by a real 10-dish vegan menu, not a side salad.
How far ahead to book
- 50–150 guests — 3–5 days’ notice.
- 300+ guests — 1–2 weeks.
- December — earlier. Holiday party dates go first; see our holiday party booking timeline.
Your final headcount can change until a few days out, so book the date with your best estimate.
Paying for a big order
Companies, churches, schools and teams get one itemized invoice for accounting — no one has to put it on a personal card. Deposit terms are available for orders of 200+.
Smaller group?
For 10 to 25 people, our fixed-price packages start at $215 — see what catering for 25 people costs. Groups of 10–25 can also order straight from our catering menu online.
What to send for an exact quote
Date and serving time, headcount (a rough number is fine), venue address, boxed or buffet, dietary counts, and whether you want setup staff. Send it through the catering quote form or call (770) 475-0369 — and see the large-event details for groups of 50 to 500+.