Cups! Paper and Ceramic

[ODanchez]

Hi everyone! I was wondering what everyone does for cups in their shops? I've been browsing website after website and starting to get bogged down with the options! We for sure want to offer paper cups and sleeves with our logo printed on them to keep our name out there, but also thinking about getting some ceramic mugs, and maybe a few tea pots for customers relaxing in our shop, and I don't think we'd put our logo on the ceramic ones. We plan to be in a pretty busy spot in a semi-higher class area. What do you think, is it worth it to buy the ceramic cups/pots? If you have done this, how many did you start out buying? I don't know if we are allowed to post names of companies or not? But if we are, have you found any companies you really like to order your cups (paper or ceramic) from? Or do you just go to a normal home store to buy ceramic mugs and order the cups? Also what about reusable cups you custom order to sell to customers with your logo on them? We are thinking about offering these with an incentive of a discount if they bring them back to get their coffee each time. Has anyone done that with success? Thanks for any ideas/advice!

 

[tazzadiluna]

If I'm from a semi-high class neighborhood, I don't think I'd bring your cup back with or without your logo on it so I can get a discount... On the other hand, if you worded it so that I'm making a greener decision AND I get a special VIP pricing, that would probably get me in.

 

[PinkRose]

Most people won't bother to bring the cups back to have you fill them with coffee. Plus, there is a sanitation issue regarding handling those cups.

If you use ceramic mugs and tea pots in the shop, will you have a dishwasher, or will you make an employee do it? I've seen how some employees "wash" the mugs, and I wouldn't drink out of them if you paid me.

There are plenty of places to buy plain mugs in bulk. For example: Ceramic Coffee Mugs - WEBstaurant Store
I'm sure some of our members can make more suggestions for places to buy them.

Rose

 

[CoffeeJunky]

I use paper cup mostly but I sell small cappuccino in specialty ceramic cup. I charge 15 cents more for this. One of the training I do for my barista is to make one small perfect cup of cappuccino.
I sell about 35-40 cups of these per day. Of course i sell about that many in small cappuccino but this gave our business pretty good name.... I still get the compliments like, "this is the best cappuccino i have ever had to I am glad i can still get cappuccino in traditional way" All sales gimmick but this made my coffee shop stand out from all others.....

 

[tazzadiluna]

Most people won't bother to bring the cups back to have you fill them with coffee.

I agree, even Starbucks had an original 25% customer goal of using reusable cups for 2015. Now they've lowered it to 5%, since they realized it's probably not going to happen.

 

[ODanchez]

Thanks for all the advice! Yes, we mostly were thinking of using the ceramic for our Cappuccino that way my artsy husband can do some coffee art for fun too without it being hidden by a lid. We also want to offer quite a few different teas in pots and cups. We will for sure have a commercial dishwasher, I have also seen some employees not wash very well at a restaurant I used to work at. No thank you! I'm a little bit of a germaphobe and OCD when it comes to that kind of stuff. And good reminder on the wording of the incentive program. We still aren't sure if we'll do it or not, but it is quite popular in this city mostly for the green factor. We plan on doing all pour overs and no drip so I guess we would just have to throw the individual pour over cone that was used into the dishwasher right away or something to sanitize it. I don't want to offer something that is unsanitary, so we will have to look into that more. Also thank you PinkRose for the coffee mug link, I will check it out!

 

[John P]

In house: always ceramic.

To go: paper.

These are two different sets of customers, they should be handled differently.
People who stay are taking the time to taste and feel the texture of the coffee or latte. They are more appreciative of the aromas and the warm feel of a proper ceramic (or china) cup in their hands. You are doing both them and yourself a disservice if you serve any hot drinks to stay in a paper cup.

I wrote about why ceramic should be your only consideration HERE at Specialty Coffee Retailer.