🌮 How Many Tacos Per Person?
Plan taco bars by guests, appetite, tortilla size, kids ratio, and event length.
| Event | Tacos | Pace | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lunch spread | 2.2 | 0.94x | Quick bite |
| Dinner bar | 3.0 | 1.00x | Main meal |
| Game day | 3.4 | 1.12x | Long watch |
| Wedding | 3.6 | 1.18x | Buffet pace |
| Size | Guest Factor | Buy Factor | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Street 4-5 | 1.18x | 1.03x | Small bites |
| Corn 6 | 1.00x | 1.00x | Classic size |
| Flour 8 | 0.88x | 1.06x | Fewer tacos |
| Large 10 | 0.78x | 1.10x | Big wraps |
| Protein | Oz / Taco | Shrink | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 1.6 | 0.93x | Lean fill |
| Beef | 1.9 | 0.88x | Rich fill |
| Pork | 2.0 | 0.90x | Juicy pull |
| Veggie | 1.4 | 1.00x | Low loss |
| Length | Factor | Buffer | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30-60 | 0.92x | 5% | Short run |
| 60-120 | 1.00x | 8% | Standard |
| 120-180 | 1.08x | 10% | Party pace |
| 180+ | 1.15x | 12% | Long bar |
Calculating how many taco you should prepare for an event requires considering a variety of different factors. One of the factor to consider is the number of adults and children that will attend the event. Adults tend to eat a different amount of taco than do children.
An adult will eat three tacos for dinner, but for a short lunch or snack event, the number of tacos may be less. Children will eat two-thirds the amount of tacos as an adult. By not separating the number of children and adults that will attend the event, you may buy too many tacos for the children and end up with food waste.
How Many Tacos to Make for an Event
The size of the tortillas that will be used can also impact the number of tacos that each adult will eat. Small street style tortillas are four to five inches in diameter. Small street-style tortillas requires the adult to eat more tacos to fill themselfs.
Large eight-inch flour tortillas will require the adult to eat less tortillas because each flour tortilla can hold more tacos. The type of protein that will be used can have an impact on the number of tacos that should be sold. Beef is a dense protein that may require fewer ounces per taco than other proteins.
Vegetarian tacos may require more tacos to be sold because the vegetarian fillings dont shrink as much as meat do during the cooking process. The length of the event will impact how many tacos each guest will consume. During a ninety-minute event, each guest will eat there tacos at a steady rate.
During an event that lasts more than two hours, guests will graze on the tacos. Grazing suggest that you should provide more tacos for such an event. A percentage of extra tacos should be provided for possible spills or guests that show up after the event.
A waste buffer of five to twelve percent is recommended for taco sales. A five percent waste buffer may be sufficent for short events, but a twelve percent buffer will provide enough tacos for all-day events. Common mistakes when planning taco sales include offering only one type of protein for the tacos.
Offering several types of protein will allow the taco bar to last for a longer time. Many people select corn tortillas for tacos. The problem with corn tortillas is that they are fragile and may break if they contain too many toppings.
Overestimating the number of tacos that guests will eat is another mistake. This is especially true for events that occur late at night. To avoid these mistakes, offer a variety of different types of appetite and tortillas.
Math can be used to determine how many ounces of protein should be purchased for the tacos. Two ounce of protein can be included in each taco. The weight of the protein will decrease when the protein is cooked, so you should purchase more raw protein.
The total number of tacos can be converted to the number of pounds of protein that should be purchased. Finally, tacos can be prepared in batches, twenty-four tacos per batch, for instance, to ensure that the tacos will remain hot when serve at the event.
