How many appetizers per person? A hosting cheat sheet
The most common question we get from people ordering picks for a party is some version of "how many do I need?" It's really two questions: how many appetizers to make, and how many picks and forks to have on hand. Here are the numbers we use, with the reasoning, so you can adjust for your own crowd.
The quick answer
For a cocktail party with no dinner after, plan on 10 to 12 bites per person over the evening. For appetizers before a dinner, 3 to 5 bites per person. For a two-hour open house or a shower, 6 to 8. A "bite" is one skewer, one crostini, one stuffed mushroom, one shrimp.
How the numbers change
Time of day. A 6 p.m. party is dinner whether you call it that or not. Guests arriving hungry will eat more in the first hour than the rest of the night combined. A 2 p.m. shower or a 9 p.m. after-party, people graze.
Length. The first hour is the heavy one: about 4 to 5 bites per person. Each hour after, 2 to 3. A four-hour party is not double a two-hour party.
Variety. More types means people take one of each. If you offer three appetizers, expect guests to try all three. Plan per type rather than total: for 20 guests and three types over two hours, make about 40 of each.
Weight. Heavy bites (sliders, meatballs, anything with bread) fill people up faster. Light bites (fruit, caprese, shrimp) don't. Mix them.
Drinks. An open bar means more eating. A wine-and-beer party means a little less. A dry event means a lot more.
Three worked examples
Twenty guests, cocktail party, 7 to 10 p.m.: 200 to 240 bites across four or five types, about 50 of each. A set of 100 picks plus a set of 50 for spares, or a set of 300 if you'd rather not think about it.
Twelve guests, dinner party, appetizers from 6 to 7: 40 to 60 bites across two types. A set of 50 picks covers it with leftovers for the next party.
Forty guests, baby shower, 1 to 4 p.m.: 240 to 320 bites across five or six types. Two sets of 100 or one set of 300.
How many picks and forks
One pick per skewered bite, obviously, but also one for each guest's drink if you're garnishing cocktails, and a handful for the cheese board. The rule we use: appetizer count plus one per guest plus 10 percent. For 20 guests and 200 bites, that's 200 + 20 + 22, so a set of 300 or two sets of 100 and one of 50. Our sets go 10, 25, 50, 100, 300 and 500, and the per-pick price drops as the set gets bigger, so sizing up is usually cheaper than adding a second small set.
For a cheese board or a dip that doesn't skewer, a dish of mini appetizer forks at one fork per guest, plus a few spares, is enough. People reuse them for the board but not for a cocktail garnish.
Which picks
Match the picks to the party, not the food. A martini party gets dirty martini picks or olive picks. A coastal wedding or beach house weekend gets real seashell picks. A country wedding gets western picks. Halloween gets skulls. If you're mixing designs, three or more sets in the cart gets 10 percent off automatically, which is the easy way to build a themed table.
Serving so it doesn't run out
Put out half of everything at the start and refill from the kitchen. A full platter looks generous; an empty one makes people think the food's gone. Keep a stack of picks near each platter and a jar of them at the bar. Two to three picks per guest across the night is the average, but the jar at the bar is where they disappear, so that's where the spares go.
The one-line version
Ten to twelve bites per person for a cocktail party, three to five before dinner. Picks equal bites plus one per guest plus 10 percent. Round up to the next set size. You'll have leftovers, and leftovers mean you're ready for the next party.
Keep reading: 12 appetizer skewer ideas, antipasto skewers, and our martini garnish guide. Or browse every design in the cocktail picks collection.
