The Complete Guide to Ordering Pizza for Parties or Groups

Did you know that 350 slices of pizza are eaten every second in the United States? 

That’s a lot of pizza! Pizza makes the perfect party meal or snack. With the range of crust types and topics, everyone can design a pizza they will love. 

It is easy ordering a pizza for yourself or your family. The tricky part is ordering pizza for a party or large group of people and determining how much pizza you will need and what kinds to order. 

Here is a guide you can use next time you are ordering pizza for a large party: 

How Much Pizza Will I Need?

How much pizza you order depends on a few factors. 

First, you need to calculate the number of slices. The majority of pizzas come in cuts ranging from six to 12. We are going to use pizzas consisting of eight slices for our example. 

An average person will eat about three pieces of pizza, give or take, depending on how hungry they are. You may also need to adjust this average if you are feeding children or athletes. Take a poll before ordering to see how many slices each person plans to eat.

With that information and the number of guests you are serving, you can do some basic math.

If you have a group of five people, and they all eat three pizzas, you will need fifteen slices. Going by our example of eight slices to a medium-sized pizza means you will need two pizzas. 

We recommended always ordering a little bit more than what you calculate. It is always better to have some leftover pizza than to leave any of your guests hungry. 

You will have to check how many slices make up a pizza from the Italian restaurant you plan to order from. From there, you can make adjustments based on whether they sell smaller, six-piece sized pizzas or larger, 12-piece pizzas. Based on our previous example for a party of five, you could also order one large pizza and two small pizzas. 

Consider the Occasion

Besides the number of guests, there are a few more factors to consider when planning to order pizza.

You also want to consider the time of day you are ordering the pizza. If it is during regular mealtime, you might want to order a little bit extra to ensure everyone has enough for a meal. You can decide if you wish to keep the leftovers or if you’d like to send some home with your guests. 

Will pizza be the main dish, or do you plan to serve other dishes with it? If you are having a party with chicken wings, chips, dip, fruits, and veggies, then you can plan for the pizza to act as more of a supplemental snack than a main course. 

If you are hosting a pool party where people have been out in the sun swimming all day, you can anticipate that your party-goers’ appetites may be a little more intense than if everyone has been sedentary and hanging out.  

Also, if you are hosting a children’s pizza party, you may want to factor in extra slices that you can offer to the parents at drop-off! 

What Kind of Pizza Do I Order?

Now, you can top off your pizza ordering with toppings. Arguments over pizza toppings can be hard to avoid, so you have to be smart about it! 

Make sure everyone gives you their pizza topping preference before you place your order. Depending on how many people you are feeding, you can get separate pizzas for the individual toppings, or you could get a large pizza and split it up with a couple of different toppings. The beauty of large pizzas is that they have a lot of real estate to make everyone happy! 

Don’t forget to order a portion of plain cheese pizza slices. Many people are content having a cheese pizza, and it is a great neutral option for anyone who couldn’t decide on one topping or who changes their mind once the pizza arrives. Reserve at least one cheese pizza or one-third of a large pizza to have only cheese. 

Once the toppings are nailed down, take a poll to see what type of crust everyone prefers. You can order thicker crusts, regular crusts, flatbread crisps, thin crusts, or deep-dish crusts. Luckily, people are not as polarized over crusts as they are over toppings! 

When ordering for a large group of people, you want to make special considerations for those with allergies or dietary restrictions. For example, if you have vegetarians in your group, you want to make sure you order a pizza that does not have any meats on it. 

And, if you have any gluten-free members in your party, you want to order a pie with a gluten-free crust. Find menus like https://wiseguypizzapie.com/hailey-ketchum-menu/ that have gluten-free cauliflower crust options available for any gluten-free members of your party!  

Ordering Pizza for a Party Just Got Easier

We have all been hanging out with our friends when, suddenly, everyone is hungry. The obvious choice is to order out something quick, and ordering pizza is always the way to go. 

Be that cool host that orders just the right amount of pizza and the right kinds too! Your home will be the ultimate pizza party hot spot. 

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