How Many Pizzas for 100 People and Large Events

For 100 adults with pizza as the main food, order 38 large pizzas. That count assumes 3 slices per person and 8 slices per large pizza. At this size, most of the planning goes into getting that many pizzas baked, delivered, and served while they are still hot.

This guide is for school events, church dinners, team banquets, fundraisers, and company picnics with anywhere from 50 to 200 or more people.

Pizza counts for 50 to 200 people

The chart uses large pizzas with 8 slices each. The Light column fits a potluck or an event with plenty of other food. The Average column fits most adult events where pizza is the meal. Use the Hungry column for teen athletes, youth groups, and any crowd where pizza is the only food.

Most large events have a mixed crowd, so count each group separately, add the slices, and then divide. Suppose a school carnival expects 60 adults and 40 young kids. The adults need 60 × 3 = 180 slices, and the kids need 40 × 2 = 80 slices. The total is 260 slices, and 260 ÷ 8 = 32.5, so you order 33 large pizzas. The pizza calculator handles mixed groups for you. Our guide to how much pizza per person explains where the appetite numbers come from.

Confirm the slice count before you order. Some shops cut a large into 6 or 10 slices instead of 8, and the difference matters at this scale. If your shop cuts its large pizzas into 6 slices, 100 average adults need 50 pizzas, not 38.

For toppings, the calculator's default split is 40% cheese, 30% pepperoni, and 30% a third choice. For the 33-pizza carnival, the split works out to 13 cheese, 10 pepperoni, and 10 of the third type. Choose a third option most people will eat, such as sausage or a vegetable pizza. Add gluten-free or dairy-free pizzas for guests who need them and label those boxes clearly. Our pizza party planning guide covers topping choices and dietary needs in more detail.

Placing a bulk order

Handle an order of 30 or more pizzas like a catering order, because an order that size is far bigger than what a shop bakes for a typical customer.

1. Call the shop several days ahead instead of ordering online, and ask how much notice it needs for your quantity.
2. Ask for the manager or whoever handles catering. That person knows how many pizzas the ovens can turn out in an hour and can tell you honestly whether 40 pizzas by six o'clock on a Friday is realistic. Ask whether the shop has large-order or catering pricing.
3. Give every detail in one conversation. Include the count for each type, the pickup or delivery time for each batch, the address and entrance, and a contact name and phone number. Ask the shop to read the order back to you or send a written confirmation.
4. Split a very large order across two locations. A single shop can only bake so many pizzas at once, so the first pizzas out of the oven wait while the last ones finish. Two shops, or two locations of the same chain, can each bake half at the same time. Splitting also protects you if one shop has a problem that day. For 38 pizzas, order 19 from each location, with cheese, pepperoni, and your third choice in both orders.
5. Call the day before to check the count, the types, the times, and how you are paying. If your school or church has a tax-exempt certificate, ask whether the shop accepts it and bring a copy.

Staggered delivery and keeping pizza warm

At a long event, food safety rules set your delivery schedule. The USDA says to keep hot food at 140°F or above and to throw out perishable food that has sat at room temperature for more than two hours. That window drops to one hour when the air temperature is above 90°F, so keep the shorter limit in mind at an outdoor company picnic in July.

Schedule two or three batches instead of one delivery, so no pizza sits out too long and late guests still get a hot slice. For a three-hour fundraiser dinner with 38 pizzas, you might have 23 arrive 15 minutes before serving starts and the remaining 15 arrive an hour later. Tell the shop the exact time for each batch, and make each batch a mix of all your topping types so late arrivals still have choices.

If you are picking up, bring enough drivers for the boxes. Pizza boxes need to ride flat, so use the floor of the car or a flat cargo area. Keep the stacks short so the bottom pizzas do not get crushed. Ask the shop whether it can lend insulated delivery bags for a large pickup.

At the venue, keep boxes closed until the serving line needs them. If the building has a kitchen, you can hold pizzas in an oven on its warm or lowest setting. Slide the pizzas out of their boxes and onto sheet pans first, since cardboard does not belong in an oven. Never set pizza boxes over chafing dish fuel.

Serving lines and volunteers

A single line for 100 people moves slowly. For 100 or more guests, set up at least two serving lines, and add a third for 200. Give every line the same mix of pizza types so nobody switches lines to find pepperoni.

Arrange each line in the order people need things. Put plates first, then pizza, then napkins. Put drinks on a separate table away from the pizza so the drink line does not block the food. Place a trash can near the end of each line.

Assign volunteer jobs before the event. Put a server with tongs and gloves behind each line to keep hands out of the boxes and move people along faster. Runners bring fresh boxes from the back table and carry away empty ones. One person should track when each batch arrived and pull any pizza that has been out for two hours. A small cleanup crew can break down empty boxes and change full trash bags.

Consider a first-pass limit. If your count is based on 3 slices per person, a sign asking guests to take two slices and come back for seconds keeps the last people in line from finding empty boxes.

Table space and boxes

A large pizza box is a little wider than the pizza itself, and the box takes up twice as much table space with its lid open. A standard 6-foot folding table holds about four open boxes in a single row. Tear the lids off, and the same table can hold two rows.

Put only a few boxes on each serving table at a time. Keep the rest closed and stacked on a back table or in the kitchen, and have runners swap them in as the open boxes empty. Label every box on the side facing the line, or use tent cards, so guests do not open boxes to look inside.

Trash and leftovers

Thirty-eight empty boxes will not fit in a kitchen trash can, so ask the venue where trash goes and whether you can use its dumpster. Have a volunteer flatten boxes as they empty. Bring large contractor bags, because pizza boxes tear thin kitchen bags. Check the local recycling rules as well. Some programs accept pizza boxes, while others reject greasy cardboard.

Decide what happens to leftovers before the event. USDA guidance says to refrigerate leftovers within two hours and use them within 3 to 4 days. Bring gallon storage bags or foil so volunteers and families can take slices home. Throw out any pizza that has been sitting out past the two-hour window, even if it looks fine.

Budgeting by comparing sizes

Prices vary by shop and region, so get quotes from the shops you are considering. Compare the total cost for each size, because bigger pizzas mean fewer pizzas.

Size	Slices	Area	Pizzas for 100 average adults
Medium (12 inch)	6	113 square inches	50
Large (14 inch)	8	154 square inches	38
Extra-large (16 inch)	10	201 square inches	30

Ask the shop for its price on each size. Multiply each price by the number of pizzas in the table, and compare the totals. Extra-large pizzas often come out ahead, and 30 boxes are easier to carry, store, and throw away than 38. Each extra-large slice is also slightly bigger than a large slice, so counting by slices keeps you on the safe side. Not every shop makes an extra-large, and some charge more for specialty toppings on bigger sizes, so price out your actual order. Our pizza size comparison guide walks through the math of price per square inch.

When you get quotes, ask for the total with tax, delivery fees, and any service charge included. If you are having pizza delivered, plan the tip into the budget too.

If your group is smaller than 50, the pizza chart by group size covers counts from 8 to 60 people.

Sources

• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Safe Handling of Take-Out Foods
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, Leftovers and Food Safety