TicketRunQuick answer: Print numbered meal tickets with the event name, date, place and price, sell or hand them out, and collect them at the serving table. For seated dinners, paste your guest list into Named tickets from a guest list and each ticket prints the guest's name, table and meal choice.
Numbered meal tickets for fundraiser meals
Pancake breakfasts, spaghetti dinners, fish fries and barbecues usually sell tickets in advance. Numbered tickets let you count advance sales, plan how much food to buy and see how many tickets were used at the door. The generator above is set to 300 meal tickets, 10 per page, with no stub; turn on a stub if you want a record of who bought each ticket.
Named tickets with table and meal choice
- Keep your guest list in a spreadsheet with columns such as Name, Table and Meal.
- Save it as CSV, or copy the cells and paste them into Named tickets from a guest list.
- Choose the name column and tick the other columns to print. A ticket then reads, for example, “Jane Doe” and “Table 4 · Meal: Vegetarian”.
- Download the PDF. Tickets are numbered from your first number, one per guest, in list order.
The guest list is read in your browser and never uploaded. Sort the spreadsheet by table before exporting if you want tickets grouped by table.
Meal ticket ideas
| Event | Useful fields |
|---|---|
| Pancake breakfast | Date and serving hours, “includes one drink”, price |
| Conference or retreat | Day and meal (Lunch, Tuesday), guest name, dietary note |
| Gala dinner | Guest name, table number, meal choice |
| School lunch or camp | Week, meal type, a prefix per child group |
| Volunteer meals | “Volunteer meal”, the shift date, no cash value |
Collecting tickets at the serving line
- Put one volunteer at the start of the line to collect tickets in a box or on a spike, so each ticket is used once.
- Sell walk-up tickets at a separate table and give those buyers a ticket too. Every meal served then has a ticket, which keeps the count simple.
- After the event, count the collected tickets against the cash and the number of plates served. Missing or duplicate numbers show up straight away.
For a takeout or drive-through dinner, print the pickup time in the Date and time line and use a prefix for each time slot (for example 5PM- and 6PM-), so the kitchen can see how many meals are due in each slot.
Frequently asked questions
How do I print names on meal tickets?
Paste your guest list (with a header row) into Named tickets from a guest list, choose the name column and any extra columns such as table or meal, then download the PDF.
Can I print meal tickets for several days?
Yes. Make one batch per day with a prefix such as MON- or a different colour, or include the day in the ticket text.
Do meal tickets need numbers?
Numbers aren't required, but they help you count sales, spot copies and reconcile cash after the event.
Is my guest list uploaded?
No. It's read and turned into a PDF entirely in your browser.
More ticket types and guides
Last updated · Written by the MiniTools team. General information, not legal advice.