Group dining budget calculator

Turn a restaurant proposal into one honest per-head number.

Minimum spend, venue fees, service charges and deposits make group quotes hard to compare. Add the figures you have and see the total, per-person estimate and any gap to the minimum.

01

Build the comparison.

Use figures from a current restaurant proposal when you have them, or rough planning amounts when you do not.

02

Your working group budget

The estimate uses the greater of food-and-drink consumption or the minimum spend, then adds fixed fees and the service charge.

Estimated total$2,750$137.50 per person across 20 guests
Food & drink estimate
$2,200
Gap to minimum spend
$300
Subtotal before service
$2,500
Service charge
$250
Indicative deposit
$687.50
Check what counts.

Some venues exclude room hire, cakeage, AV, security or service charges from a minimum spend. Tax and deposit rules also vary. Ask the restaurant to confirm the calculation in writing.

Read the quote carefully

The arithmetic is simple. What counts is not.

Minimum spend.This calculator assumes the higher of estimated food and drink or the stated minimum. Ask what is excluded.

Service and fees.The estimate applies the service percentage after the minimum and fixed fees. A venue may calculate it differently.

Deposit.The deposit is shown as part of the total, not an extra cost. Cancellation and refund terms remain with the restaurant.