When quoting a customer a price for their wedding cake, do you charge them by the number of people they need the cake for, or by the number that you figure it will feed?
I know that if a customer wants a cake that would feed 150 people and they are only having 50 people, you would obviously charge them for the 150. But I guess my question is, if they need a cake to feed 90 people and by your calculations the cake they will need to feed 90 would actually feed 105, would you charge them for the 90 or the 105?
I do not include the top tier in my per slice pricing, I usually charge a flat fee for the B&G cake. Does anyone else do this? How much do you charge for the top tier? or is it just easier to include in the price of the cake?

Thanks!

I tell them it can either be designed to feed xx amount or xx amount, and charge them the amount it's supposed to feed.

I do what ccr does.

the number it's designed to feed.

I do not think its reasonable to charge based on the number they need it to feed. We've all seen those customers whou would be asking for a cake that only needs to feed 17. It is not your fault that the cake pans are designed in certain sizes. You still pay for the same amount of ingredients for a 10" cake whether they intend for 10 people or 20 to eat it.

mmgiles, I had a lady call for a sheet cake. I told her the 11x15 served 35. She asked if I could make it to serve 30.

Sure lady ... I'll just hack 2" off the side, throw it in the trash and not charge you for it! Let me know when your grocery store bakery does that, or if they let you open the bag of Oreos and take 7 of them out because you don't neeed that many.

I told her if she only wanted 30 pieces, she could just cut them a little bigger.

Ya gotta luv 'em sometime, don't ya!

Yeah, I cant believe some people ask those questions. Or when it comes to wedding cakes, they want to kow if you can pre-cut the cake for them. Like somehow it would stay together and not fall apart, and you wouldnt see it either. I've only had a couple ask this once, of course it was the groom, and the bride and I just stared at him like he was an idiot. Fortunately, I didnt have to answer.

I ditto all the responses....I tell the customer what the cake will feed..give them the options of too little or too much and then that's what I charge.I charge per serving so if they have to order a few slices more..so be it.Who doesn't like extra cake anyway!! I always say..."Better to have too much than not enough"