(303) 356-9009
The Main Types of Party Platter, and What Each Is For
Platters are not interchangeable. Each does a specific job in a spread, and most under-ordering problems come from picking three platters that all do the same job.
- Boards: charcuterie, artisan cheese, mezze. These are the visual centerpiece and the thing guests photograph. They graze slowly and hold for hours. One board per spread is usually enough.
- Substantial items: petite sandwiches, sliders, street tacos. These are what actually fill people up. If your party runs through a mealtime, you need one.
- Vegetable platters: crudité, balsamic roasted veggies. Always ordered last, always eaten first. They are also the cheapest way to make a table look full.
- Small bites: deviled eggs, bruschetta, pretzel bites, meatballs, skewers. These are the volume filler and where you get variety cheaply.
- Dips: guacamole, queso, salsa. High-impact, low-cost, and they make a small spread feel generous.
- Desserts: mini-desserts, cookies and brownies. Order these even for a short party. People expect something sweet.
How Many Party Platters Do You Need?
Because Silver Spoons prices platters per person rather than per tray, the question is not "how many trays" but "how many selections." That makes the math unusually simple.
| Occasion | Duration | Selections per person | Composition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cocktail hour before dinner elsewhere | 1-1.5 hrs | 3-4 | One board, one vegetable, one or two small bites |
| Afternoon party, food alongside | 2 hrs | 4-5 | Add a substantial item and a dessert |
| Platters replacing a meal | 2-3 hrs | 5-6 | Two substantial items, one board, one vegetable, small bites, dessert |
| Evening party, long grazing window | 3+ hrs | 6-8 | As above plus a second dessert and a dip |
| Office drop-off lunch | 1 hr | 3 | Sandwiches, vegetable, dessert |
Three rules that prevent most ordering mistakes:
- Count the mealtime, not the guests. A party from 3 to 5 p.m. needs far less food than the same party from 6 to 8 p.m., regardless of headcount.
- Fewer items in larger quantity beats more items in small quantity. Four well-stocked platters read as abundance. Eight half-empty ones read as a party running out of food.
- Add 10 to 15 percent to your headcount for an open house or drop-in party. People bring people. For a fixed guest list with RSVPs, your number is your number.
What Party Platters Cost Per Person
Published per-person pricing from Silver Spoons' party platters menu. Every item carries a 15-guest minimum.
Boards and substantial platters
| Item | Per person | Dietary |
|---|---|---|
| The Artisan Cheese Platter | $11.50 | VEG |
| The Charcuterie Platter | $11.00 | |
| The Mezze Platter | $9.25 | VEG |
| Farm Fresh Vegetable Crudité | $8.50 | VEG, GF |
| Petite Sandwiches | $8.50 | 15 per variety |
| Pepperoncini Italian Brisket Sliders | $8.50 | |
| Sayulita Street Tacos | $8.25 | |
| Individual Charcuterie Boxes | $15.25 each | 15-box minimum |
Small bites and dips
| Item | Per person | Dietary |
|---|---|---|
| The 3 Amigos: all three bundle | $18.25 | |
| The 3 Amigos: guacamole or queso | $6.75 | |
| The 3 Amigos: salsa | $4.75 | |
| Shrimp Cocktail | $6.75 | GF |
| Balsamic Roasted Veggies | $6.50 | VEGAN |
| Chicken Skewers | $6.20 | GF |
| Bacon Wrapped Little Smokies | $4.75 | GF, DF |
| Spiced Man Candy Bacon | $4.50 | GF |
| Potato Bites | $4.25 | |
| Devilish Eggs: Jalapeno & Bacon | $4.25 | GF |
| Devilish Eggs: Rock Shrimp | $4.25 | GF |
| Tomato & Sweet Basil Bruschetta | $4.00 | VEGAN |
| Artichoke & Jalapeno Tart Platter | $3.50 | VEG |
| Sweet Bourbon BBQ Meatballs | $3.50 | DF |
| Devilish Eggs: Dill & Capers | $3.50 | GF |
| Soft Pretzel Bites & Pale Ale Cheddar | $3.50 | VEG |
Desserts and extras
| Item | Price | Dietary |
|---|---|---|
| Assorted Mini-Desserts | $3.50 / person | |
| Gourmet Cookies & Double Fudge Brownies | $3.50 / person | |
| Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies | $3.50 / person | GF |
| Eco-Friendly Disposables | $2.25 / setting | |
| Simple Disposable Chaffer Package | $14.25 | |
| Elevated Chaffer Package | $33.00 |
Pricing current as of September 2026. Confirm at order.
Three Sample Platter Spreads
1. Cocktail spread for 25: two hours, dinner elsewhere
| Item | Per person | 25 guests |
|---|---|---|
| The Mezze Platter (VEG) | $9.25 | $231.25 |
| Tomato & Sweet Basil Bruschetta (VEGAN) | $4.00 | $100.00 |
| Soft Pretzel Bites & Pale Ale Cheddar (VEG) | $3.50 | $87.50 |
| Devilish Eggs, Dill & Capers (GF) | $3.50 | $87.50 |
| Eco-Friendly Disposables | $2.25 | $56.25 |
| Total | $22.50 | $562.50 |
2. Platters replacing dinner for 25: birthday or backyard party
| Item | Per person | 25 guests |
|---|---|---|
| The Charcuterie Platter | $11.00 | $275.00 |
| Farm Fresh Vegetable Crudité (VEG, GF) | $8.50 | $212.50 |
| Sayulita Street Tacos | $8.25 | $206.25 |
| Devilish Eggs, Jalapeno & Bacon (GF) | $4.25 | $106.25 |
| Gourmet Cookies & Double Fudge Brownies | $3.50 | $87.50 |
| Eco-Friendly Disposables | $2.25 | $56.25 |
| Total | $37.75 | $943.75 |
3. Office drop-off lunch for 30
| Item | Per person | 30 guests |
|---|---|---|
| Petite Sandwiches | $8.50 | $255.00 |
| Farm Fresh Vegetable Crudité (VEG, GF) | $8.50 | $255.00 |
| Gourmet Cookies & Double Fudge Brownies | $3.50 | $105.00 |
| Eco-Friendly Disposables | $2.25 | $67.50 |
| Total | $22.75 | $682.50 |
Note what the middle spread costs relative to the first: $15.25 more per person buys a substantial item, a full board instead of a mezze platter, and dessert. That is the actual shape of the decision: not "how many platters," but "is this a meal or not."
Grocery Store Deli Trays vs. Caterer Platters
Worth being straightforward about, because it is the comparison most people are actually making and most catering sites pretend does not exist.
A grocery store tray is the better choice when:
- You are feeding fewer than 15 people: below most caterers' minimums anyway
- Lowest possible cost per head is the deciding factor
- You need it today, or tomorrow morning
- It is a casual gathering where the food is background
- You are happy to pick it up, plate it, and handle the setup yourself
A caterer is the better choice when:
- You have 15 or more guests, where per-person catering pricing becomes competitive
- You need delivery with the food arranged and ready, not boxed
- Dietary labeling matters: vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and dairy-free marked per item
- You want composed items a deli counter does not make: mezze, street tacos, brisket sliders, deviled egg varieties
- The event has any stakes: a client meeting, a memorial, a milestone birthday
- You need hot items held at temperature, which requires chafers and a plan
- You would rather make one call than four
The honest summary: for a dozen people and a football game, buy the tray. For thirty people and an occasion, the per-person difference is smaller than most people assume and the difference in how the table looks is not.
How to Build a Balanced Spread
A good platter table is balanced along four axes. Check your order against each.
- Temperature. An all-cold spread is easiest and cheapest. One hot item adds real appeal. Two or more hot items means chafers, monitoring, and a different kind of event.
- Substance. At least one item should be filling. Boards and small bites alone leave people hungry, which is the most common failure mode of platter-only parties.
- Color. Charcuterie, cheese, and pretzel bites are all beige. A vegetable platter, bruschetta, or street tacos fixes the photo and the palate at once.
- Diet. One clearly vegan or vegetarian item and one gluten-free item covers most rooms. Both are marked on the menu, so this takes no extra effort.
Hot Items, Chafers, and Disposables
Two line items catch people out.
Chafers. Anything served warm (BBQ meatballs, chicken skewers, potato bites, sliders) needs a chafer to hold temperature. The simple disposable chafer package is $14.25; the elevated package is $33.00. This is per warming setup, not per person, so it barely moves the math at 30 guests and dominates it at 15.
Disposables. Eco-friendly disposables are $2.25 per setting and include the plate, cutlery, and napkin. For 30 guests that is $67.50, small, but it is the difference between a $22.50 per-person spread and a $20.25 one, so include it when you compare quotes. Compostable sugarcane plates and reusable chafer sets are detailed on the eco-friendly disposables page.
If you would rather not think about any of it, staffed stations and server-attended appetizer service are the alternative: someone else replenishes, tidies, and breaks down.
How Far in Advance Should You Order Party Platters?
Three to five business days is comfortable for pickup or delivery in the Denver metro. Same-week orders are common and often fine. The exceptions worth planning around:
- November and December. Denver's holiday party calendar compresses hard. Two to four weeks, and the good dates go early.
- Large orders. Anything over about 75 guests deserves a week or more.
- Multiple varieties. Petite sandwiches carry a 15-guest minimum per variety, so a five-variety order is really five orders and benefits from lead time.
- Saturdays in wedding season. Peak dates fill on other events first.
Ordering Party Platters in Denver
Silver Spoons offers pickup and delivery party platters across the Denver area, with online ordering and a 15-guest minimum on most items. The kitchen is at 1170 South Kalamath Street, and phone consultations run Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at (303) 356-9009.
If your event is larger or needs staffing rather than a drop-off, the full catering menus cover buffets, brunch, staffed stations, and plated service. For an office order specifically, boxed lunches are often the cleaner format, and corporate catering cost per person breaks down the pricing.