If you’re planning to throw a party, you might worry about having enough food to feed all your guests. Pizza is one of the most convenient foods to serve as it involves very little preparation and most people love it. When you’re making your party plans, the pizza math can be a challenge if you’ve only ever ordered for your immediate family. You want to make sure you have enough food, but you don’t want to have too many leftover slices. The first step is to determine how many slices are in a large pizza.
What Sizes Do Pizzas Come In?
You probably already know that pizzas come in varying sizes, but do you know what they are? A small pizza usually is between 8 to 10 inches in diameter and gives you about six slices. This size pie is best for children. You can also take a standard slice from that pie and cut it in half, so when the child finishes the half, you can give them the other half. This minimizes waste as you won’t be throwing out half-eaten pieces of pizza.
Medium-sized pizzas are about 12 inches in diameter and give you about eight slices. Large pizzas run about 14 inches in diameter and serve 10 slices. A large pizza is perhaps one of the most popular choices for game nights or laid-back evenings at home. Extra-large pizzas have a 16 to 20-inch diameter and yield 12 slices. Make sure you check with the restaurant before you order, though, as the sizes and slices might vary.
How Many Pizzas Should I Order?
Now that you know roughly how many slices are in a pizza, you can start to figure out how many pies you should order for your gathering. It might be tricky to determine exactly how many to order since you don’t really know how many slices each person will eat. Purchasing two pizzas of the same size can get quite pricey, especially if there are more economical options. It’s best to consider these points before you order your pizzas:
- The number of children invited. Typically, children don’t eat as much as adults. Think about how many pieces children will likely eat.
- The number of adults invited. Usually, adults will eat more than one slice of pizza. Estimate that most guests will have two or three slices.
- Other food you’re serving. If your guests have other food they can eat, you don’t need to order as many pizzas as you would if you’re only offering pizza. Offering salads, pasta, sandwiches, and dessert can cut back on the number of pizzas you need.
- The time of day for the party. Are there activities that your guests will participate in before the party? If the party is a celebration after a ball game or other strenuous activity, they might be extremely hungry. You might want to order additional pizzas.
- Type of pizza you’re ordering. You also need to take into account the pizza slice style. For instance, a thin-crust pizza won’t be as filling as a deep-dish or stuffed one. Also, pizzas covered in hearty toppings will be more filling compared to plain cheese pizzas.
Remember that it’s better to have too much than not enough. You might have a few guests who plan to come that don’t end up showing. When it comes to your guest list, go off of the number of people you fully expect to walk through your doors. You don’t want to run out of food.
Determine Your Toppings
Odds are, you won’t have everyone at your party agree on the same pizza toppings. Some guests might feel passionate that fruit such as pineapple doesn’t belong on a pie, while others might think that too much meat on a pizza isn’t healthy. It’s OK that your guests have different tastes, so make sure you accommodate them when ordering the pizzas.
The first thing you need to do is determine if any of your guests have dietary restrictions. Does anyone have any allergies? Is anybody on a specific diet, such as gluten-free or vegetarian? If so, make sure you make accommodations for them. Order food for whoever has dietary preferences and make sure to set that food aside. That way, some other hungry guests won’t accidentally eat the food you purchased specifically for them.
Next, you should simply ask your guests what types of toppings they’d like. Some guests might try to be polite and say that they will eat whatever you want to order. You might, however, have a few guests that will state exactly what they want. If your group is too large to get an accurate count, you can go with some popular topping choices. You can’t go wrong with a few pepperoni pizzas along with some with sausage, mushrooms, and extra cheese. Keep in mind that even though these are popular choices, it doesn’t mean they will apply to your group.
You could also order your pizzas before your guests arrive. The downside to this is that you won’t get anyone’s opinion on what toppings to order, but you also avoid the potential arguments that could arise. With this option, if you’re hosting a party on a Friday night or weeknight during dinnertime, call the pizza shop a day or two early to place your order, especially if you’re purchasing quite a few pies. This allows you to set up the specific time the pies will be ready.
If you’re ordering early, order twice as many cheese pizzas as you would the others. Cheese pizza is always a safe bet as most people will eat it if there are no other options they want. A good ratio to consider is 2:1:1, which means that you should order two cheese pizzas, one pepperoni, and one veggie.
Are you ready to host your pizza party? Or do you still have more questions about how many of each pizza you should order for your gathering in the Morton Grove or Chicago area? Either way, reach out to us at Pequod’s Pizza. We can help you figure out exactly what you need so your party can be a success and your guests leave with a full stomach.