Cost to Start a Catering Business (Free Calculator)
You can start a catering business for as little as $950–$1,300 with commissary kitchen access, basic chafing dishes, and a food handler certification — enough to book drop-off jobs ($15–$30/head) and small buffets. Adding commercial-grade cooking equipment, a catering van, and expanded serving equipment for regular buffet ($25–$50/head) and plated ($50–$125+/head) events runs about $11,000–$18,000 more, mostly the vehicle. A licensed commercial kitchen lease, a refrigerated transport vehicle, and a full-service staffing team pushes it to $25,000+ on top of that. Use the calculator below to build your own number.
Build your catering startup budget
Pick a budget tier, edit any price to match your market, and see your real startup cost, monthly overhead, and how many guests it takes to break even. No signup, no email.
Home or commissary kitchen access, basic chafing dishes and serving equipment, and a food handler certification — enough to book drop-off and small buffet jobs.
Equipment
Licensing & setup
Monthly costs
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Licensing & setup
Branding & marketing
Monthly costs
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Vehicle
Licensing & setup
Branding & marketing
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The honest range: $950 to $25,000+ per tier
Catering’s range on “how much does it cost to start” comes down to service style and whether you own a commercial kitchen and transport fleet — commissary kitchen access and basic serving equipment gets a Bootstrap operation running drop-off jobs; a licensed commercial kitchen and refrigerated transport is what unlocks regular full-service plated events.
Most caterers start with commissary kitchen access on drop-off and small buffet jobs, then invest in commercial-grade equipment and a van once buffet and plated events are regular business.
Tier 1 — Bootstrap (~$950–$1,300)
Home or commissary kitchen access, basic chafing dishes and serving equipment, and a food handler certification — enough to book drop-off jobs ($15–$30/head) and small buffets.
- Chafing dishes & basic serving equipment (~$400) — the core kit
- Insulated transport containers & coolers (~$250) — keeps food safe in transit
- Food handler certification (~$100) — required to legally operate
- Commissary kitchen access (~$150/mo) — legal prep space
Tier 2 — Serious Solo (~$11,000–$18,000 additional)
The upgrade that changes the business is commercial-grade cooking equipment and a catering van, plus expanded serving equipment (chafers, linens) — this is what lets you take on regular buffet ($25–$50/head) and plated ($50–$125+/head) events instead of just drop-off jobs.
Tier 3 — Pro Rig ($25,000+)
A licensed commercial kitchen lease, full-service equipment with china and linen rental relationships, a refrigerated transport vehicle, and a dedicated event staffing team — the setup for regularly booking the top end of plated-dinner pricing without subcontracting kitchen space or staff.
Don’t forget the monthly number
Startup cost is the one-time hit; monthly overhead against what you charge decides whether the business works. Solo, budget roughly $200–$2,700/month depending on tier: kitchen access or lease, billing software, insurance, and (at the top tier) rental relationships and staffing.
The calculator turns that into a single line: how many guests it takes to break even.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start a catering business?
A lean start is $950–$1,300, dominated by commissary kitchen access and basic chafing dishes and serving equipment. A buffet-ready setup with commercial-grade cooking equipment and a catering van runs $11,000–$18,000 more, mostly the vehicle.
Do you need a commercial kitchen to start catering?
Not right away — Bootstrap works out of home or commissary kitchen access, which is legal in most areas for food-safety-certified caterers. A licensed commercial kitchen lease becomes worth it at the Pro Rig tier once you're running full-service events regularly.
What equipment do you need to start catering?
The non-negotiables are chafing dishes, basic serving equipment, and insulated transport containers. Commercial-grade cooking equipment and a catering van are the Serious Solo upgrade. A licensed kitchen lease, refrigerated transport, and a full staffing team are for the Pro Rig tier's full-service capability.
What are the ongoing monthly costs of a catering business?
Budget roughly $200–$300 a month solo at the Bootstrap tier: kitchen access, billing software, and food/general liability insurance. That climbs toward $2,700+ with a commercial kitchen lease, rental relationships, and a staffing team.
Is catering profitable as a solo business?
Yes — priced per head at $15–$30 drop-off, $25–$50 buffet, or $50–$125+ plated, targeting food cost at 25–35% of the per-head price, with staffing, rentals, service charge, and delivery billed on top rather than folded into the food price.