Cups vs. Cones: Why The Ice Cream Cup Wins Every Time
With 90% of households in the United States regularly indulging in a sweet, frozen treat, ice cream is one of the most universally-loved foods out there. What isn't mutually agreed upon is whether using ice cream cones or disposable paper ice cream cups makes for a better experience.
While the quality of the experience may come down to the ice cream eater's personal preferences, ice cream shops can see many more benefits from relying on the trusty ice cream cup. Discover why the classic cup offers so much for your store than the standard cone.
Cups don't have an expiration date
Your ice cream shop already has to keep detailed tabs on the quality of your ice cream and other frozen treats, so why add more perishable goods to the mix? Unlike cones, paper ice cream cups won't go bad over time if they aren't used quickly enough.
Cones also tend to break and create unnecessary waste, but you won't see nearly as much damage with cups. You can even order cups in bulk and keep them in storage for months, simplifying your store's inventory management.
You can customize cups
Ice cream cups present the perfect opportunity to promote your company's brand. Whenever anyone orders a sundae, gelato, or frozen yogurt and takes it into the wider world in one of your custom paper ice cream cups, your store is getting free advertising.
Passersby will be able to see your shop's name and brand right next to the delicious treat, creating a positive association with your brand. You may see an increase in foot traffic and sales just from this simple branding technique.
Cups generate less napkin waste
Every time you give out one cone, you're probably also giving out a handful or two of napkins. Cones are inherently messier, necessitating a heftier clean-up. With each stack of  a customer grabs for their dripping cone, the amount you have to spend to replace those napkins increases.
Besides the cost of it, a cone-user won't even use many of the napkins they take. This results in an abundance of paper waste and garbage cans overflowing with dirtied napkins.
Of course, you can't get rid of cones completely. We wouldn't want to be responsible for diehard cone-lovers condemning your shop because of a lack of their preferred ice cream vessel.
However, you can encourage your customers to choose cups over cones by ordering custom ice cream cups from Frozen Dessert Supplies and touting their benefits in your shop.
Cups generate less napkin waste. Every time you give out one cone, you're probably also giving out a handful or two of napkins. Cones are inherently messier, necessitating a heftier clean-up.
With each stack of napkins a customer grabs for their dripping cone, the amount you have to spend to replace those napkins increases. Besides the cost of it, a cone-user won't even use many of the napkins they take.
This results in an abundance of paper waste and garbage cans overflowing with dirtied napkins. Using a hot coffee insulated drink sleeve can further reduce waste by minimizing the need for extra napkins to handle hot beverages.
