A beverage cup dispenser is handy for many industries. Whether you're storing cups in a break room, are serving fountain drinks at a convenience store or have take-out services for your restaurant, you will benefit from having cup dispensers.

It takes more than a cup dispenser to make the most of your beverage services. From cups and lids, straws and stirrers to creamer and sweeteners, you will want all the right supplies as well.

1. Stock cup dispensers with creamers and sweeteners.

2. Include plastic straws and coffee stirrers.

3. Offer hot and cold drink cups and lids in your restaurant cup dispenser.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Include creamers and sweeteners as an accessory for a coffee cups dispenser

When you are using a beverage cup dispenser to store and dispense coffee cups, creamers and coffee sweeteners are an important accessory to have on hand. Keep a supply of both dairy and non-dairy sweeteners available, as well as sugar, Splenda, Equal and Sweet 'n Low. You can purchase these items in serving-size packets or in bulk containers.

I recommend: Nestle is a producer of many products, including coffee creamers. It provides fact and trend information on its website. K-State Research and Extension News has an article predicting the future trends of coffee creamer. Coffee Cow is a supplier of sweeteners for coffee, including sugar, Equal, Splenda and more.

Purchase straws and coffee stirrers to go with cup dispensers

When you serve drinks from a soda fountain, chances are that the majority of your customers will sip their soda from a straw. Likewise, consumers that add cream and sugar to their coffee will need stirrers to complete their morning drink. These are important items to include in your cups dispensing accessory budget.

I recommend: For a large variety of plastic drinking straws and coffee stirrers, look to Instawares. It carries a supply of straws and coffee stirrers in varying colors, styles and sizes. Another provider of plastic drinking straws is CupDepot.com.

Get cups and lids for a Dixie cup dispenser

Cups and lids are a definite must for cups dispensers. Make sure that the cups you purchase are compatible with your cup dispensers. You will also need to make sure you purchase the correct type of cup for the beverage you are selling. Purchase coffee lids for coffee cups and flat lids with straw holes for cold beverages.

I recommend: The WEBstaurant Store sells a wide variety of foam cups and lids. Georgia-Pacific is a provider of Dixie products. It sells napkins, cups, lids and many other accessories for Dixie cup dispensers. Read the article on GrinningPlanet.com to find out some of the environmental and health hazards of drinking from certain cups.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  To reduce the cost of supplies for cup dispensers, use cups that can hold cold or hot drinks.

Whether you work out of an office or have a restaurant or convenience store, you need a cups dispenser to store your cups until they are used. The office has the water cooler with the Dixie cup dispensers and maybe a beverage cup dispenser in the break room. The convenience store or fast food restaurant has the multi-compartment cup dispenser near the soda fountain so your customers can select the cup size they want.

Many manufactures provide a restaurant cup dispenser or Dixie cup dispensers. First, you need to know what type of beverage cup dispenser you need for your workplace or store. Look at:

1. Multi-compartment countertop cup dispensers for your store.

2. Cups dispenser accessories.

3. Paper cups dispensers for your office cooler or break room.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose cups dispensing units for your restaurant or store

Choose cup dispensers that dispense the type of cup you are using. Will you use paper, plastic or foam? What sizes do you need? Check to see if the cup dispenser unit can work with multiple cups sizes and materials so you do not have to buy new beverage cup dispensers when you change type of cups.

I recommend: Stak-Pak offers a "fits all" cup dispenser that allows you to adjust cup size from extra-small to extra-large without removing cups. These cups dispensers work with any type of cup material as well, foam, plastic or paper from almost any manufacturer. These cup dispensers clean easily, also.

Select the cups dispensing accessories you need

You also need lids dispensers to go with your cups dispensers. Cold drink items need straws, and coffee and hot drink items need stirrers and cream and sugar packets. You must provide your customers with napkins, so you need napkin dispensers.

I recommend: Globe Equipment Company offers wire lid dispenser units to go along with your cup dispenser units. You can choose from the three-compartment wire lid unit that sits on the counter top, or the wall mount unit to save countertop space. Velter Products offers a full line of dispensers from straws to lids to napkins and more. Choose from several styles including counter top dispensers and wall mounts.

Buy Dixie cup dispensers for your office water cooler

Water cooler bottled water is a great idea for the office and a lot less expensive than individual bottles of water. Just get your Dixie cup dispenser to go along with it, and serve your employees and customers with cold water drinks.

I recommend: Toilet Paper World offers cup dispensers that fit both the cone shaped or flat bottom cups. Choose any size from 4.5 ounce to 12 ounce cups. This dispenser can hold up to 180 cups for your thirsty office. ReStockIt sells stainless steel cup dispensers. Look at their line for the durability that comes with stainless steel products.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep small paper bags and cup holders available for your customers who want to take their hot and cold drinks with them. The cup dispenser suppliers sell paper bags in bulk, but shop around for the best price.

Whether you need beverage supplies for your employees or your customers, you'll want to consider cup dispensers pricing and costs. Although many workplaces encourage employees to use reusable mugs, disposable cups are handy backups. Because they aren't reused, they can be healthier, too. For customers, disposable cups offer an inexpensive way to serve a quick drink.

There are several types of dispensers to consider, from bathroom cup dispensers to restaurant cup dispenser styles. For each, consider quality and use. For example, stainless steel may cost more initially, but it's unlikely to break and need replacing as soon as plastic. And the sort of dispenser you need for the employee bathroom is very different from the type used in quick marts and fast food restaurants for coffee cups. Consider:

1. A metal cups dispenser for longevity,

2. A restaurant cup dispenser or plastic water-cooler type dispenser,

3. And supplies for beverage cup dispenser products.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose metal for cups dispensing

Stainless steel is one of the most hygienic surfaces because it's so easy to clean. You just need to wipe it down with a damp cloth and a mild detergent. Properly maintained, stainless steel products may never need to be replaced. A long-lasting, adjustable stainless steel cup dispenser for 4.5 to 7 oz. cone-shaped cups or 6 to 12 oz. flat cups costs around $26 to $39 each wholesale. A stainless steel dispenser designed specifically for Dixie paper cups runs about $30 to $40.

I recommend: Marko sells quality metal cup dispensers that are adjustable to accommodate many cup sizes. Reliable Paper sells Dixie cup dispensers of stainless steel.

Select plastic wall or countertop cup dispensers

Plastic is inexpensive and sturdy enough for many applications. A damp cloth and mild detergent clean it well, as long as the surface is smooth. A revolving cup and lid dispenser suitable for quick marts and fast food restaurants costs around $40 to $65. An unbreakable polyethylene cup dispenser, such as can be used in a bathroom or kitchen, is $28 to $38. Plastic cup dispensers holding about 50 cups sell wholesale for about $9 to $13.

I recommend: Globe Equipment Company sells revolving cup dispensers of plastic. Wholesale Janitorial Supply sells bathroom-style plastic cup dispensers and many dispenser supplies. Theyhaveit Janitorial Supplies offers polyethylene dispensers.

Don't forget cups for your cup dispenser

A case of 1,000 8-oz. hot beverage cups for a Dixie cup dispenser cost about $65 to $85. Disposable 5-oz. cups for cold drinks run around $100 to $130 for 3,000. White cone 4-oz. cups cost only $5 to $7 for a bag of 200.

I recommend: StorePulls.com offers a wide variety of disposable cups, including those by Dixie, at wholesale prices. ReStockIt.com also sells many disposable cups.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Choose to be more 'green' by using only paper cups for your business' cup dispenser. Plastic cups take longer to decompose, and paper cups may even be recyclable in some areas.

Cup dispensers can be used in stores, restaurants, water cooler areas, break rooms, and cafeterias. They can be mounted on a wall or placed on a counter or other space. Choosing a cup dispenser may seem like an easy task, but there are many different types of cup dispensers available on the market. Some of the many choices in cup dispenser designs include vertical and revolving dispensers available to save counter space, stainless steel or plastic construction, gravity or spring fed dispensing, adjustable openings to handle various cup sizes and accessories for cup dispensers. Getting to know some of the terminology used by cup dispenser manufacturers and suppliers can help you choose the right cup dispenser to keep your space organized and customers happy.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Counter top

Counter top cup dispensers have multiple openings for various size cups. They often have spaces for lids and accessories, using a small footprint that allows for storing several items in a small amount of space.

I recommend: See Dispense-Rite for selections of counter top cup dispensers and cabinets.

One size fits all

San Jamar holds a patent for the EZ-Fit cup dispenser design. It uses a gasket to adjust to multiple cup sizes and rim diameters, allowing a variety of cups to fit in a dispenser without making adjustments.

I recommend: Read more about the EZ-Fit product line at the San Jamar website.

Adjustable

Adjustable cup dispensers can hold a variety of cups by making adjustments to the housing. They are available in plastic and stainless steel, with various mounting options.

I recommend: Check out Instawares for an example of an adjustable cup dispenser.

Spring-fed

Spring-fed cup dispensers use springs to keep cups pushed forward. They are filled from the front or bottom. Lighter spring kits are often available for lightweight cups like Styrofoam. Spring-fed dispensers are more accurate than gravity-fed models, which can help to control inventory and waste.

I recommend: View literature from Manitowoc Beverage Equipment that explains how spring-fed cup dispensers work.

Gravity-fed

Gravity-fed or pull-type cup dispensers are usually positioned at an angle or vertically. When a cup is removed, another cup slides into place. They are a good choice for water coolers and restrooms.

I recommend: See City Supply for examples of gravity-fed cup dispensers.

Accessories

Accessories for cup dispensers can be a necessity if the unit does not have built-in accessory compartments. Accessories include straw dispensers and holders, lid holders and compartments for sweeteners and condiments.

I recommend: See some of the choices available in cup dispenser accessories available at Carlisle FoodService Products.