Catering for 20, 50, or 100 People: How Much Food to Order
Catering for 20 people lands you in our Office Spread (feeds 25, $599); 50 people is the Full Spread ($1,199); and 100 people is the Grand Spread ($1,999). Those are the quick answers. The longer answer is that almost any headcount maps cleanly to one of our family-style tray packages, and the in-between numbers are easy to handle once you know whether to size up or mix in boxed lunches. Here is how to order the right amount of food the first time.
Match your headcount to a package
Our trays are served family-style and built to feed a specific number of people. Find your number, round up to the nearest package, and you are done. Per-person cost works out to roughly $20 to $27 depending on the size you choose.
| Package | Feeds | Price | Best for headcounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Spread | 15 | $399 | 10–15 |
| Office Spread | 25 | $599 | 16–25 (covers 20) |
| Full Spread | 50 | $1,199 | 26–50 |
| Banquet Spread | 75 | $1,649 | 51–75 |
| Grand Spread | 100 | $1,999 | 76–100 |
For groups above 100, we cater 100+ guests across San Diego County. Request a quote and we will scale the spread to your number.
The three most common headcounts
Catering for 20 people: Go with the Office Spread, which feeds 25. The extra capacity gives you a comfortable buffer for second helpings or a few unexpected guests, which beats coming up short. You can see all sizes and pricing on our catering packages page.
Catering for 50 people: The Full Spread is built for exactly this. It is one of the most common orders we run for office lunches and team meetings, and it lands right in the middle of the per-person range.
Catering for 100 people: The Grand Spread covers it at the best per-person value in the lineup, roughly $20 a head. For an event this size that needs staffed service rather than drop-off, give yourself extra lead time (more on that below).
Handling the in-between headcounts
Not every group is a round number. Two simple rules cover the gaps:
- Size up to the next package. Hosting 35? The Full Spread (feeds 50) is the move. It is almost always cleaner and more cost-effective than stacking two smaller trays, and leftovers from family-style catering rarely go to waste.
- Mix trays and boxed lunches. Need 60 covered? Pair a Full Spread (50) with boxed individual lunches for the remaining 10. Boxed lunches run $21–$28 per person with a 15-box minimum, so this works best when your overflow is sizable. For smaller gaps, sizing up the tray package is usually simpler.
Boxed lunches are also the right call when people are eating at their desks, traveling, or spread across a building. You can mix proteins and vegan boxes in the same order, so no one gets left out.
Simple per-person guidance
If you want a back-of-the-envelope number: budget roughly $20–$27 per person for family-style trays, with larger packages landing toward the lower end. For individual meals, budget $21–$28 per person for boxed lunches, with falafel and veggie boxes at the lower end and combo and beef boxes toward the top. When in doubt on a borderline headcount, round up. A little extra food is a far better outcome than a short table.
One order covers every diet
You do not need separate caterers for different eaters. Every Shawarma House package is halal-sourced, we run a full vegan menu, and we offer gluten-free-friendly builds. A single order can feed halal diners, vegans, gluten-free-friendly guests, and meat-eaters at the same table. Falafel, hummus, fattoush, and our salads keep the plant-based crowd happy while chicken shawarma, beef shawarma, gyro, and shish tawook handle the rest. If your group leans plant-based, our vegan catering options spell out what is available.
Lead times by size
Order timing scales with the size and style of your event:
- Drop-off trays: about 48 hours’ notice on most orders. Trays arrive with disposable serving ware, ready to eat.
- Full-service staffed events for 50+ guests: 5 or more days’ notice, so we can plan the staffing.
The larger your group, the earlier you should reach out. For a 75- or 100-person staffed event, that 5-day window matters.
How to order
We serve teams and offices across San Diego County, from a 15-person team lunch to 100+ guests, and we are rated 4.7 stars across 650+ Google reviews. Service comes three ways: pickup, delivery (available, fee varies by distance), or staffed service. Net-30 invoicing is available for established business accounts.
Ready to lock in your headcount? Request a quote through our catering page, call us at (619) 642-0298, or order through ezCater at ezcater.com/catering/pvt/shawarma-house-3. Tell us your number and your date, and we will match you to the right spread.
Frequently asked questions
How much food do I need to cater for 50 people?
Our Full Spread is built to feed 50 people family-style and is priced at $1,199, which works out to about $24 per person. It is one of our most common office and team-meeting orders. If your real number is a little above 50, you can either size up to the Banquet Spread (feeds 75) or add boxed individual lunches, which run $21–$28 per person with a 15-box minimum.
What package covers catering for 20 people?
The Office Spread, which feeds 25 and is priced at $599. Ordering for 25 when you have 20 gives you a comfortable buffer for second helpings or a few extra guests, which is better than running short. At its 25-guest capacity that works out to about $24 per person.
What if my headcount falls between two packages?
Two options. The simplest is to size up to the next package, which is usually cleaner and more cost-effective than combining smaller trays. For larger gaps, you can mix a tray package with boxed individual lunches ($21–$28 per person, 15-box minimum) to cover the overflow. When you are close to a package size, rounding up the tray is the easiest call.
Can one order cover vegan, gluten-free, and meat-eaters together?
Yes. Every package is halal-sourced, we offer a full vegan menu, and we have gluten-free-friendly builds, so a single order can cover halal diners, vegans, gluten-free-friendly guests, and meat-eaters at the same table. With boxed lunches you can also mix proteins and vegan boxes in one order. Note that our gluten-free items are gluten-free-friendly, not certified gluten-free.
How far in advance do I need to order catering?
About 48 hours’ notice covers most drop-off tray orders, which arrive with disposable serving ware ready to eat. Full-service staffed events for 50 or more guests need 5 or more days’ notice so we can plan the staffing. For larger events, the earlier you reach out, the better.
Our Most Popular Dishes
Side of Lamb Shank is a side portion of the protein on its own. Our lamb shank is slow-cooked until it’s tender and falls off the bone. Halal. Order this if you want a hearty, fall-off-the-bone main.
Prefer it another way? Lamb Shank Plate
Combo Protein is a generous side of our slow-roasted halal beef and chicken shawarma together — the easy way to add more meat to any plate, fries, or rice. Hand-shaved fresh off the spit. Add it to your order.
A 4 oz side of feta — tangy, brined, and crumbly, the finishing touch on a Greek salad or a simple mezze plate. Gluten-free-friendly; contains dairy. Add a side to any order.
