Paper Snack Cups

Handheld snacks for crowds on the move

Snack cups are built for food people eat with their fingers while walking, standing or watching something: French fries on a boardwalk, chicken nuggets at a ballgame, popcorn at a school play, nachos at a carnival, kettle corn at a farmers market, churros at a street fair, boiled peanuts at a roadside stand, corn chips with chili at a high school football game. The cup has to hold up to grease and salt, fit in one hand, and leave the other hand free for a drink or a phone.

Concession stands, food trucks, cinemas, sports venues, carnivals and quick-service restaurants are the main buyers. A paper snack cup does what a flat tray cannot: it keeps the food upright and contained in a crowd, and it slides into a cup holder at a stadium seat or in a car. It is also taller than a tray, which gives more room for your printed name.

Seasonal operators should plan their snack cup order around the calendar. Fair, festival and football season all start at roughly the same time, and a stand that runs out of cups in its busiest weekend loses sales it cannot make back. Count last season's busiest day, multiply by the number of event days, and add a buffer. Leftover cups store well in a dry room until next year, as long as the design does not carry a date.

Snack, size and coating

Sizes run 4, 6, 8, 12 and 16 oz. If you serve fries as a signature item and want a shape made only for them, our custom French fry containers are cut for that job. Snack cups suit menus with several different snacks that can share one cup design.

Grease, heat and salt

Fried and buttered food is hard on paper. Oil works its way into untreated board and shows as dark spots on the outside, which looks messy and can ruin a printed logo. Snack cups use grease-proof board or a grease-resistant lining to stop that. Board between 250 and 300 gsm keeps its shape with hot food inside and does not fold when a customer grips it while walking.

For warm, wet foods like chili cheese fries or nachos with cheese sauce, choose the heavier end of the board range. For dry snacks like nuts and candy, standard board is fine and costs less. White board gives the cleanest print; kraft shows grease less and suits a rustic or street-food look. Recyclable and biodegradable options are available.

Designing a snack cup people remember

A snack cup is often the only branded thing a customer touches at a fair or a game, so it is worth some thought.

• Go bold. Big logo, strong color, readable from a few feet away in a crowd.
• Print the menu item. "Loaded fries" or "Kettle corn" on the cup helps staff and acts as an ad for people waiting in line.
• Use kraft wisely. Dark inks on kraft look great and hide minor grease marks.
• Add a social handle. Snack cups get photographed at events. Make it easy to tag you.
• Think about die-cut shapes. A shaped top edge or a scalloped rim makes a cup stand out on a counter.

Gloss finishes help shed grease spots on the outside and keep colors bright under stadium lights. Matte gives a craft feel at farmers markets and fairs. PMS printing matches team or brand colors exactly.

Serving at a busy stand

Pre-open a stack of cups at the start of service so staff are not separating stuck cups during a rush. Keep them away from the fryer, where heat and oil vapor can soften the top of the stack. Fill fries and nuggets straight from the holding station, and if you add a dip, set a lidded sauce cup on top or in a carrier beside the snack. For family orders, a cup carrier or tray holds several snack cups and drinks together. At venues, a cup that fits a seat cup holder saves a lot of spills; test one before you order in bulk.

When a snack comes with a dip, matching printed paper sauce cups complete the set.

Order steps

1. List your snacks and choose a size for each.
2. Pick board weight and a grease-resistant lining for fried foods.
3. Choose white or kraft, plain or printed, and any die-cut shape.
4. Send your logo and menu names. Our designers help for free.
5. Select quantities from 100 cups per size and approve the proof. Production takes 4 to 6 business days, with rush options before festival season.

Free samples are available, and shipping is free to the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia.