Sandwich Tray Math: How Many Trays Feed a Crowd?

Tray orders fail in two directions: the sad half-empty platter, or forty orphan sandwiches at 2pm. The math below is how the kitchen actually sizes orders, using the published tray board.

The base rule

For a lunch crowd, plan close to one sandwich per person when sandwiches are the meal, and roughly half that when the table also carries salads and sides. Halves change the game: for $1 per sandwich the crew wraps and labels each half, which lets people try two kinds without committing to two sandwiches. Grazing events eat more variety and less volume.

Worked example: 25 people, sandwiches as the meal

That table lands around $355 plus tax, or about $14 a head with leftovers measured in slices, not trays.

Worked example: 40 people grazing at an open house

Grazing crowds want variety: figure 25 to 28 sandwiches in wrapped halves (50-plus pieces), two big salads at the $55–$80 tier, and let the afternoon do the rest. Total food cost sits near $450, and nothing needs a fork you have to wash.

Which sandwiches survive a tray

All of them travel; the board was built for it. The family-named signatures are the crowd-pleasers, and the dish guides break down what’s in each one. If your office has a Reuben faction (most do; one reviewer calls it “my fave place to get Reuben’s in Reno”), wrapped halves keep the peace.

Ordering it

Call before 10am for prompt same-day deli delivery ($10 minimum plus $10 charge), or put trays on a catering quote for bigger dates. Salads scale in two sizes, feeding 10–20 or 20–30, from $45 for the green up to $80 for the loaded boards.

Prices reflect the printed menus as of July 2026 and can change; the quote you receive is the number that counts. More guides: How Far Ahead Should You Book a Caterer in Reno? · Winter Event Catering Over the Sierra Passes, Honestly · Gluten-Free Guests at a Catered Event: How Paisan's Handles It · Real China or Deluxe Disposable? The $4 Question.