Party Packs vs Live Counter: Which One Fits Your Event?

Most enquiries start with a live counter because it is the more visible option. For a good proportion of them, packs are the better answer, and it is worth knowing which situation you are in.

Party packs, in short

Pre-packed tubs of frozen yogurt with a sealed topping kit, cups, spoons and a serving scoop, delivered chilled. You set it up and serve it yourself.

Choose packs when

• You have fewer than about forty guests.
• The venue has no space or no power for equipment.
• Your event is casual — a house party, a small office celebration, a family gathering.
• You want to keep the budget tight. No equipment, no crew, no setup.
• The timing is flexible and dessert does not need to happen at a fixed moment.
• You are happy to serve it yourself.

The live counter, in short

Machines, full topping bar, trained crew, branded cups, setup and teardown included.

Choose a counter when

• You have more than about a hundred guests.
• Dessert is meant to be an experience, not just a course.
• The event is formal or photographed — a wedding, a launch, a milestone.
• You want no operational involvement on the day.
• Guests will arrive over a window rather than all at once.
• There are children, who get considerably more out of a counter.

The middle ground

Between roughly forty and a hundred guests, a party cart usually fits better than either — two flavours, a curated topping spread, one crew member, and a footprint of about four feet square.

Comparison at a glance

The question that usually settles it

Ask yourself whether dessert is meant to be a moment in the event or simply part of the food.

If it is a moment — something guests gather around and photograph — you want a counter, and the budget difference will be justified. If it is part of the food, packs will do the job perfectly well and nobody will feel short-changed.