Work Holiday Party Budget: Per-Person Costs That Hold Up
Direct answer
The 2025 ezCater survey puts average holiday-party F&B at $59 per person (budgets up 31% year-over-year; 92% of decision makers spending the same or more; 82% of employees planning to attend). Format sets the band (Zerocater, December-peak pricing): drop-off lunch $25–35, staffed buffet $40–55 lunch or $55–80 evening, reception-style $65–95, seated dinner $95–150+. On top: venue hire $2,000–15,000 if offsite, open bar $25–60/person, service and gratuity 18–22%, and a December premium of 10–20% — a January party dodges it entirely.
The January move nobody regrets
Every line of the December math improves in January: venues discount from peak, caterers have capacity, the 10–20% seasonal premium disappears, and attendance often rises because the calendar is empty. If the party's purpose is appreciation rather than a calendar ritual, shifting it is the single highest-leverage budget decision — worth more than any per-menu negotiation.
Assumptions
- Survey (2025, ezCater) plus catering-platform published pricing; December-peak figures.
- In-office parties: the venue line drops to zero and format math dominates.
What changes this answer
- Date: moving to January cuts the 10–20% peak premium and opens venue availability.
- Format: the same budget covers a seated lunch or a cocktail evening for twice the headcount.
- Bar service: open bar ($25–60/pp) can exceed the food line — beer-and-wine caps it.
Sources
- ezCater 2025 Workplace Holiday Party Trends Report — tier 4, verified 2026-07-22
- Zerocater — holiday party catering pricing — tier 3, verified 2026-07-22
Last checked 2026-07-22. Tiers: 1 government/regulator · 2 industry body · 3 official supplier docs · 4 large surveys · 5 professional material.