Service Styles
Mid-Size Event Catering in Medellín for 20 to 50 Guests
Medellin Elite Catering plans and serves events for 20 to 50 guests throughout Medellín, the size of most birthday parties, baby showers, team celebrations and intimate weddings. At this scale a party feels personal, yet it is large enough to need real planning around food quantities, staff and space.
Hosts range from expat couples marrying with close family to companies marking a product launch, and from grandparents celebrating a 70th birthday to new parents throwing a gender reveal. We send a single itemized quote, so you see every line before you pay a deposit.
Since 2019, groups of 20 to 50 have been the size we serve most often. That experience lets us predict quantities closely, so you are not left with trays nobody touches.
- Itemized quotes available
- Bilingual English and Spanish coordinators
Plan your event
Our Catering for 20 to 50 Guests
For groups of 20 to 50 we offer three main formats: a full-service buffet, a buffet with live food stations and a plated dinner. All three include cooks, servers, tableware, setup and cleanup, and the team stays 5 hours on site.
| Format | Suits | Servers for 50 | How guests eat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-service buffet | Birthdays, showers, team parties | 2 to 3 | Guests walk the line, about 25 minutes for 50 on one side |
| Buffet plus one live station | Engagements, launches, cocktail-style parties | 2 to 3, plus the station cook | The line plus one dish cooked to order |
| Plated three-course dinner | Small weddings, formal dinners | 4 to 5 | Every course served at the table at the same moment |
Quantities follow the format. For a dinner buffet for 50 we plan 9 to 11 kg of cooked protein in total (180 to 220 g per guest), plus rice or potatoes and two salads, while a two-hour cocktail needs 8 to 12 canapés per guest.
The most common events at this size are 40th and 50th birthdays, which our adult birthday party catering covers in detail, along with showers, engagement dinners and team celebrations. Small weddings for 30 to 50 guests in a finca or a hotel garden are also frequent, especially among couples flying in from abroad.
This size is also where food stations start to make sense. A pasta or ceviche station adds energy without needing a large venue. Guests gather around the cook, which helps a mixed group of locals and visitors start talking.
Staff and Equipment for This Size
An event for 50 guests usually needs a cook, an assistant cook, 2 to 5 servers depending on the format and one bartender if there is a bar. An event coordinator plans the timeline with you in English or Spanish beforehand. You may bring your own wine or spirits, and our bartender serves them alongside anything we supply.
| Role | Buffet for 50 | Plated dinner for 50 |
|---|---|---|
| Cooks | 2 | 3 |
| Servers | 2 to 3 | 4 to 5 |
| Bartender | 1 | 1 |
| Coordinator | Plans before the event | Plans and attends |
For a 50-guest buffet we bring four to six chafing dishes, a 2 m serving line, 60 ceramic dinner plates, dessert plates, flatware and glassware. A portable induction burner or a gas burner covers any finishing at venues without a kitchen.
The venue needs a sturdy table for the line, a standard power outlet within reach and a covered corner of about 3 by 3 m for our prep area. Tables, chairs and linens, if the venue has none, come from our partner suppliers and are itemized separately. Our buffet catering service explains line layout and food-safety holding in more depth.
Venues That Fit 20 to 50 Guests
Most events of this size take place in salones sociales of residential towers, private homes with terraces, small fincas and hotel or coworking event rooms. Each type has its own rules, and we check them before confirming your menu.
Salones sociales are the social halls in apartment buildings, common in El Poblado, Laureles and Envigado. Under Ley 675 of 2001 the building administration approves their use, may set quiet hours in line with the police code (Ley 1801 of 2019) and often asks for the caterer's details for the security desk.
Small fincas in the hills above Envigado and Sabaneta hold 30 to 50 guests comfortably and usually have a basic kitchen we can use. Some restaurants and coworking spaces also rent private rooms with outside catering allowed, which works well for corporate dinners and rehearsal dinners.
Planning Timeline
Staffed events need at least 2 weeks' notice, though popular Saturdays in October to December book out two to three months ahead. Weddings at this size follow our wedding lead times of 3 to 4 months outside peak season.
We confirm the final headcount 7 days before the event and plan the food for that number. Guests added after that are served if food allows.
Couples planning a small wedding can book a tasting for two at our kitchen, credited when they confirm the booking. For a party in the south of the valley, we also provide catering in Itagüí for staffed and drop-off events.
Questions and answers
Mid-Size FAQs
How many servers do 50 guests need?
Fifty guests need 2 to 3 servers for a buffet and 4 to 5 for a plated dinner. Our ratios are one server per 20 to 25 guests at a buffet and one per 10 to 12 at plated service. Add one bartender if you are serving cocktails or an open bar.
Reserve your date
Get a Quote for Your 20 to 50 Guest Event
Share your date, guest count, venue and preferred format through the quote form, and an itemized proposal arrives within 24 hours. Or send the details to info@medellincatering.com.
- Itemized quotes available
- Menus, staff, tableware, setup and cleanup in one quote
- Food-handler certified team and labeled allergens on every tray
- Monday to Saturday
- 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Sunday
- Closed (events still run)