How much sushi do I need?

Short answer: about nine pieces a person when sushi is the meal, about five when it is one dish among several. For twenty people eating sushi as lunch, that is roughly 180 pieces, or four platters at Domo’s usual 32- to 46-piece sizes.

Treat that number as a starting point. Below is how to adjust it, and what the arithmetic looks like against real platters.

The starting table

Guests	Sushi is the meal	Sushi is one of several dishes
10	~90 pieces	~50 pieces
20	~180 pieces	~100 pieces
30	~270 pieces	~150 pieces
50	~450 pieces	~250 pieces

To turn pieces into an order, divide by the platters you are actually buying. Domo publishes its piece counts, so the math is simple:

• Mixed Combo Platter, 46 pieces, $61.95
• Kazoku Sushi Platter, 40 pieces, $76.95
• Hotate Platter, 34 pieces, $100.95
• Deluxe Sushi Platter, 32 pieces, $69.95
• California Platter, 32 pieces, $56.95

Twenty people, sushi as the meal, mixed group: two Mixed Combos and two Californias get you 156 pieces for $237.80. Add a Kazoku if the group skews hungry or if the invite list is still moving.

The four adjustments that matter

Is sushi the meal or the appetizer? This is the single biggest variable, and it is why one number cannot answer the question. A lunch where sushi is the whole plan needs nearly double what a potluck needs.

How many guests will not eat raw fish? Count them, then tell the store when you order. The printed menu does not mark platters raw or cooked, and Domo counts masago as raw fish, so the store is the one to say what suits them. Do not solve it by ordering more raw platters and hoping.

How long is the event? A two-hour party eats less than a five-hour graduation. Long events also mean holding food safely for longer, which is a separate problem worth reading about on the fresh fish page.

Who is in the room? Teenagers clear a platter. A meeting of eight people eating over laptops does not. Adjust up for a hungry crowd rather than adding a platter type nobody asked for.

What we would order

Ten people, office lunch. One Kazoku at 40 pieces and one California at 32. Seventy-two pieces, $133.90, covers a team with cooked options included.

Twenty people, family party where sushi is one of several dishes. Two Mixed Combos at 46 each. Ninety-two pieces, $123.90. If half the group skips raw fish, swap one for a California.

Fifty people, graduation, sushi is a centerpiece. Start at six to eight platters weighted toward high piece counts, then call the store you’re ordering from to check your date.

Where the estimate breaks

Piece size is not standardized across restaurants, so a per-person number borrowed from another guide can be well off. These figures are ours, based on Domo’s platters, and we treat them as a planning tool rather than a rule.

The other thing arithmetic cannot tell you is whether the store can build it on your date. Graduation Saturdays, holidays and the weeks around them fill up. Order early for those dates.

Plan your order

Start with the headcount and whether some of your guests skip raw fish. The catering planner turns that into a platter mix with a piece count and a price, and you can order online when you’re ready.