Use Our Pizza Calculator to Find Out How Much Pizza to Order

Wondering how much pizza to order? We built this nifty little pizza calculator so you can figure out exactly how much pizza is enough to satisfy you and your group. Whether you’re trying to decide how much pizza to order for an office pizza party, kid’s birthday, group of friends or just your very hungry self, we’ve got you covered.

Use Our Pizza Calculator

Use this calculator to help you determine exactly how much pizza to order. Answer just three easy questions and we’ll get you a quick answer on how many large pizzas to get for your group. How many adults are joining this pizza party? How many kids? How hungry are you? Boom. We did the math, now you do the ordering.

Slice to Pizza Size Ratio

Pizza size is a huge variable when deciding how many pizzas to order, so let’s break it down. Here are the average sizes of pizza from a standard pizza restaurant, ranging from a small pie to an extra-large pizza, including the number of slices that come in each size.

• Small Pizza: 8-10 inch pizza with 6 slices.
• Medium Pizza: 12-14 inch pizza with 8 slices.
• Large Pizza: 14-16 inch pizza with 8 slices.
• Extra-large Pizza: 16-18 inch pizza with 8-10 slices.

Contrary to popular belief, the average pizza usually comes with 8 slices no matter what the size. The exception is the small pizza, which typically contains 6 slices due to its size.

Here are some examples to give you an idea of how the sizes vary across pizzerias, according to interviews with pizza experts in Pizza Today.

• Joe’s Pizza in New York City does a large plain cheese at 21 inches with 8 slices each.
• A large pizza at Metro Pizza in Las Vegas is currently 18 inches, cut into 6 or 8 slices based on location.
• Of the 50+ pizza restaurants on Scott’s Pizza Tours in NYC, the standard pie across the board is 18 to 20 inches and cut into 8 slices.

Remember, pizza size will vary from restaurant to restaurant so be sure to confirm over the phone when you place your order. Pizza shops are happy to take special requests when it comes to cutting, so if a large cheese pizza is typically 8 slices at your local pizza joint, they can easily cut the pizza into more slices to accommodate your group. This is the ultimate pro tip when you are ordering pizza for kids so that they can eat smaller slices with ease! You can also get the pizza uncut so you can do it yourself.

Fun fact: Restaurants may also offer square cut pizza in many cases. In Northeastern PA, the standard pizza is a rectangle shape and it’s called a pizza tray, not a pizza pie! It’s also sold in cuts rather than by the number of slices. There are 12 cuts to a whole tray, so a half tray would be 6 cuts. Check out our friends Arcuro’s in Old Forge to try this special take on a classic pizza!

Tips for Ordering Pizza For Both Small and Large Groups

If you’ve used our pizza calculator to see how much pizza to order for your group but are still stumped, read on to discover the variables we consider when ordering for ourselves.

1. The number of adults vs children.

It’s important to know the number of guests you’re ordering pizza for, but what’s even more important is knowing WHO those people are. How many adults? How many children? Kids play a big factor when it comes to pizza ordering because they tend to eat less than your average adult.

2. Appetite level.

How hungry are you, really? The average number of pizza slices an adult will eat is 3, but this number can vary greatly depending on the person’s appetite. It’s true that some people just want a slice and others can handle half a pie, so be mindful of your guests’ eating habits when ordering for the group. Hunger level is a sliding scale, folks!

3. Preferences, allergies and diet requirements.

A hot topic for both large and small groups is pizza toppings. Whether you like pepperoni, supreme, veggie, black olives, green peppers, red onion, Italian sausage, Hawaiian, BBQ chicken, anchovies, white pie, specialty pizza or plain cheese, it’s good to note the group’s preferences so you can order enough of everything.

In addition to the type of pizza, consider, too, if anyone in the group has dietary restrictions. Pizza providers do a great job of catering to allergies and offer gluten-free pizza, cauliflower crust and vegan and vegetarian options. Plus, there’s always apps to supplement your meal including Italian favorites like antipasto, eggplant parmesan or fresh mozzarella!

4. Understand how many slices are included with each size.

Knowing how many slices of pizza are in a standard pie is great intel to have when deciding whether to get multiple pizza sizes. This mostly comes down to the number of people, but there are also so many different crust types, from crispy thin crust pizza to chicago-style deep-dish, which is helpful when deciding how much pizza is enough.

Perhaps, after evaluating with our pizza calculator, you determine you need 3 pizzas but want to have a little extra for later. Our guideline is to always order a small cheese to have on-hand. Oftentimes, guests want another slice but don’t want to commit to a full one, so this is a great way to offer smaller bites to guests! Another hack is to ask for the pizza to be double cut. A double cut pizza is cut into double the amount of slices, so if you’re ordering a large cheese you’ll now have 16 smaller slices instead of the standard 8. This is a perfect option for a group of kids or if you want appetizer-sized portions.

Tipping for Large Pizza Orders

For large catering orders, it’s customary to tip at least 20%. There is a lot that goes into preparing your order behind the scenes. In addition to cooking the pizza and preparing it for carryout, the pizza place has to pack it properly to accommodate the group and make sure there’s napkins, spices, sauces and cutlery as requested. That’s all before it even goes out the door! Catering tips are often split with all employees including the driver and chef so be sure to take this into consideration when tipping on a large order. Add an extra 10-15% for inclement weather conditions like snow and rain as well as during busy hours and holidays like Super Bowl Sunday and NFL games.

For more on how much to tip pizza delivery drivers, check out our complete guide on tipping and use our pizza tip calculator.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, if you’re still on the fence about ordering that extra pie, even after using the pizza calculator, just do it. We’ll teach you exactly how to reheat pizza the next day so that ooey gooey slice is as good as new.