Pizza Party Calculator
Find out how many pizzas to order for a party, office lunch or birthday based on the number of guests, slices per person and pizza size.
How it works
Enter how many people you are feeding and how many slices each person will eat. Three slices per adult is a good default for a meal. Children usually eat about two slices, and if there are lots of other snacks, two slices per person is often enough.
Enter the number of slices in each pizza. Most large pizzas in the US are cut into 8 slices, mediums into 6 or 8, and extra large or party cut pizzas into 10 to 12. The calculator multiplies guests by slices per person, then divides by slices per pizza and always rounds up so nobody goes hungry.
Add a price per pizza to see the total cost and cost per person, which helps when splitting the bill or planning a budget. The leftover slices figure shows how much extra you will have after everyone has eaten their share.
Formula
slices needed
Where:
- ceil
- = Round up to the next whole number
- slices per pizza
- = Usually 8 for a large pizza
- price
- = Cost of one pizza
Worked example
For 20 people eating 3 slices each, you need 60 slices. With large 8 slice pizzas, 60 ÷ 8 = 7.5, which rounds up to 8 pizzas and leaves 4 spare slices.
At $15 per pizza the order costs $120, or $6 per person. Feeding 30 people the same way takes 90 slices, which is 12 large pizzas with 6 slices left over.
Planning pizza for a crowd
Offer a mix of toppings. A simple rule is one third cheese, one third pepperoni and one third specialty or vegetarian, adjusted for your guests. Ask about allergies and dietary needs ahead of time so you can include a gluten free or dairy free option if needed.
Larger pizzas usually give more food for the money. A 16 inch pizza has about 201 square inches, while a 12 inch pizza has about 113, so one large often beats two smalls on value. Order 30 minutes ahead of when you plan to eat, and keep pizzas warm in a low oven around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Frequently asked questions
About 8 large pizzas if each person eats 3 slices, or 5 large pizzas if each eats 2 slices alongside other food.