How does the size of the group affect the extra food ordered?

The relationship between group size and the amount of extra food ordered is quite important in catering management. For smaller groups, there tends to be a psychological effect where hosts may feel the need to order more food to ensure that everyone has enough to eat, even if the actual consumption patterns suggest otherwise. This leads to the situation where the expectation is set higher than necessary, resulting in more extra food being ordered to avoid the possibility of running out during the event.

On the contrary, larger groups generally follow numerical guidelines for portions, where the catering team can accurately estimate the amount of food needed based on headcounts and historical data. Therefore, the inclination to over-order does not apply as significantly to larger groups, as more precise calculations can be made based on the size and type of the group.

In essence, the dynamics of smaller groups often drive the decision to overestimate needs, which is why smaller groups can require more extra food compared to larger ones.