Calculate how many appetizers to make per guest.
Appetizer quantities depend on what job the food is doing, not on guest count alone. When a full dinner follows, two pieces per guest per hour is generous. When the appetizers are the meal, plan four per guest per hour. Grazing cocktail parties sit between at about three. Multiplying by hours of service is the step most often missed: the same guests over three hours eat roughly double what they would in ninety minutes. The total then divides across varieties, because guests sample broadly rather than committing to one item.
Pieces per guest
Pieces = rate per guest per hour x hours of service
Split by variety
Each variety = ceiling(total pieces / number of varieties)
Guests eat at a roughly steady rate while food is available, so a three-hour reception is close to double the food of a ninety-minute one rather than a longer version of it. Trimming the service window is the most effective way to control catering cost.
Five to seven suits most gatherings. Fewer feels sparse; many more means tiny quantities of each, ballooning prep time and guests missing items entirely. Prioritise variety across temperature and texture — something hot, something cold, something crisp.