Pizza party calculator

Pizza for a kids’ birthday party

We count kids under 12 at 2 slices and grown-ups at 3, so a party of 12 kids and 6 parents needs 6 large pizzas, with a little extra so the birthday kid can have seconds. Plenty of kids only want cheese, so if the veggie pizza looks like a hard sell, swap it for another cheese; the total doesn’t change.

Cake is coming later? Tick “Also serving wings, salad or other food.” We count 75% of the usual slices when there’s other food on the table.

Game day and grazing parties

When people graze for three hours in front of a game, appetites go up and so does the snack table. For 15 hungry fans with wings and chips on the side, pick Starving and tick the other-food box: that’s 7 large pizzas. If the game goes to overtime, you’ll be glad of the spares.

Graduations and big backyard parties

Guests at an open house arrive over an afternoon, so ask the pizzeria to deliver in two or three batches instead of all at once. That keeps the pizza warm and stops the first wave from clearing the table. For bigger numbers, see how many pizzas for 50 people and for 100 people.

Party pizza checklist

• Count kids and grown-ups separately; they don’t eat the same.
• Order well before you want to eat. Friday and Saturday nights are busy, and big orders take longer.
• Ask for plates, napkins and a pizza cutter if you don’t have them.
• Check what size your pizzeria calls large: our guide to slices in a large pizza compares the usual sizes.
• Copy the calculator’s link and send it to whoever’s picking up the order.