When a per-person catering budget is fixed and the group size is known, the fastest way to a decision is a direct price comparison — not four separate menu pages open in four separate tabs. Chipotle, Subway, Olive Garden, and Chick-fil-A cover four different catering styles at four different price points, and the "cheapest" option changes depending on group size, whether it's a build-your-own spread or a packaged meal, and what counts as included versus an add-on. Here is how the four actually compare on cost.
Chipotle Catering Cost: Build-Your-Own Pricing
Chipotle catering runs roughly $8.25 to $14.50 per person, structured around two formats: a build-your-own spread (proteins, rice, beans, salsas, and tortillas set up for guests to assemble bowls, tacos, or burritos) and pre-made "Burritos by the Box." Minimum order size is typically 6 people for burritos by the box, with taco bar or bowl bar spreads generally starting around 10 people. Serving utensils, napkins, and warming dishes are usually included with the spread. What is not included: chips are always an add-on, and guacamole or queso adds roughly $2.60 to $3 per person on top of the base price. For a group deciding between Chipotle and a competitor, that add-on math matters — a $12 quoted price per person can land closer to $15 once chips and guac are added for everyone.
Subway Catering Cost: Platters and Lunch Boxes
Subway is priced two different ways depending on format. Sandwich platters (typically five footlong sandwiches serving 5 to 9 people) can start around $7 per person in some markets, while individual boxed lunches — a sandwich, chips, and a cookie per box — run closer to $8 to $10 per person. Bundled orders that combine platters, chips, and bottled beverages average higher, with some bundle options landing well over $100 for a modest group. Minimum order sizes vary by location, but many locations also enforce a roughly $50 online order minimum regardless of headcount. Utensils, plates, and napkins are generally included. For a small office lunch where everyone eats from a shared platter, Subway is usually the least expensive of the four on a strict per-person basis; for a group that wants individually packaged meals for handoff convenience, the boxed-lunch pricing narrows that gap considerably.
Olive Garden Catering Cost: Family-Style and Pasta Stations
Olive Garden sits at the top of this comparison, generally $13.50 to $18 per person, with family-style Meal Combinations for groups of 8 to 14 running $16 to $28 per person depending on the entrees selected. A scalable buffet-style option, the build-your-own pasta station, starts around $14.50 per person for groups of 10 or more. The higher price reflects what is bundled in: house salad, freshly baked breadsticks, and a dessert come standard with Meal Combination and pasta station orders, and delivery orders add grated cheese, serving utensils, table covers, plates, napkins, and mints at no extra line item. A $100 minimum is typical for delivery (sometimes $75), while pickup orders have no stated minimum. A la carte individual pans serving 4 to 6 people are available but don't include the salad and breadsticks by default — those get added separately, which is worth checking before assuming a pan order is fully self-contained.
Chick-fil-A Catering Cost: Trays and Packaged Meals
Chick-fil-A catering generally runs $7 to $13 per person for packaged meals, with most full catering orders landing between $8 and $17 per person once trays and sides are factored in. Large nugget trays can price out as low as roughly $3.72 per person when ordered at full tray size, since trays are sold to serve a set headcount (a large nugget tray serves approximately 25 people) rather than priced per individual meal. Packaged meals — entree, waffle potato chips, and a cookie — are typically sold in quantities of 10, 25, or 50-plus, which makes Chick-fil-A a strong fit for a known, round headcount and a poor fit for an odd number like 14 or 22. All signature dipping sauces are included at no charge, which is a genuine value difference from chains that treat sauces as an add-on.
Side-by-Side Cost Comparison
| Restaurant | Typical cost per person | Common minimum | Pricing format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subway | ~$7–$10 | 5–9 person platter / ~$50 order min. | Platters or boxed lunches |
| Chick-fil-A | ~$7–$17 | Sold in 10 / 25 / 50+ quantities | Trays or packaged meals |
| Chipotle | ~$8.25–$14.50 | 6 people (burritos) / ~10 (bar spreads) | Build-your-own or boxed burritos |
| Olive Garden | ~$13.50–$28 | 8–14 people / $75–$100 delivery min. | Family-style combos or pasta station |
The pattern that falls out of this table: Subway and Chick-fil-A compete at the lower end for casual, working-lunch orders, Chipotle sits in the middle with the most flexible per-person build-your-own format, and Olive Garden is priced as a sit-down-style meal replacement rather than a quick lunch — which is exactly why it bundles in a starter course and dessert that the others don't.
Choosing Based on Group Size and Budget, Not Just Sticker Price
The lowest quoted per-person price isn't always the cheapest actual order. A Chipotle spread that looks like $10 a head can climb once chips and guacamole are added for a full office. A Chick-fil-A tray priced beautifully at $3.72 a head only pencils out if the group size matches the tray's serving count — ordering a tray built for 25 to feed 12 erases the savings. Subway's per-person cost is genuinely low, but the $50 order minimum means very small groups may pay more per head than the platter math suggests. Olive Garden's higher price includes the most complete meal — salad, bread, and dessert bundled in — so comparing its $16 per person against another chain's $10 base price isn't an apples-to-apples read unless the extras are priced in on both sides. The reliable way to compare across chains for a specific event is the same every time: total the actual order (base price, required add-ons, and any delivery minimum shortfall), divide by the real headcount, and only then compare that number against the other three.