Custom Fries Cups

Board That Stands Up to Hot Oil

Fresh fries are hot and oily, and plain board soaks oil up quickly, leaving dark patches that spoil the print and weaken the cup. Fries cups are made from food-contact grade board with a grease-resistant inner surface, which keeps oil on the inside and the outside looking clean for the few minutes it takes to finish eating.

White board gives the brightest print for bold, colourful brands. Kraft board suits rustic, burger-joint and street food styles, and it disguises the odd mark if a cup sits around. Thicker board makes the cup feel more substantial in the hand and stops it bending when a customer grips it while juggling a drink.

If your fries come with a heavy, wet topping such as curry sauce or gravy, mention it when you ask for a quote. We can suggest a heavier board or a fully coated inner surface for those lines, so the cup stays rigid even after a few minutes under a sauce. For dry fries with salt and seasoning, the standard grease-resistant board is more than enough. p2 The board grades are explained on the guide to board and card types.

Printing That Works at Arm's Length

A fries cup is seen from a step or two away, in the hand of someone walking past your stand. That is a strong argument for a simple design: a big, confident logo, a single brand colour and perhaps a short line of copy. Fine details and small text get lost once the cup is full of chips and in someone's grip.

Print can run around the full wall of the cup, so think about how the logo will look from the front and from the side. Some brands add a pattern on the inside rim, which peeks out above the fries. Social handles or a short slogan on the back give curious customers somewhere to find you later.

Colour choice matters more than people expect. Red and yellow are traditional for fries because they are bright and appetising, but a deep green, navy or black cup can look striking at a street food market where every stall is competing for attention. Whatever colour you pick, check how it looks next to golden fries on the proof, because the food becomes part of the design once the cup is filled. p2 The guide comparing print options shows one-colour on kraft beside full colour on white.

Matching Cups to the Rest of Your Takeaway Range

Fries rarely travel alone. If you also serve burgers, wraps or hot dogs, it pays to design the fries cup alongside the burger box, the wrapping paper and the carrier bag. A consistent colour and logo placement across every item makes your brand look established, even if you are a single trailer at a market.

Think about how the cups sit on the counter or in a carrier. Cups that nest when empty save storage space in a cramped kitchen or van. When full, a standard base size lets them sit in a drinks carrier or a meal tray without tipping.

For events and festivals, consider whether the cups need to cope with being carried a long way. A slightly deeper cup keeps fries inside when someone is weaving through a crowd, and a rolled rim is more comfortable to hold than a cut edge. Small details like these are easy to build in at the design stage and make a noticeable difference to how customers feel about your food. p2 The same brand set usually includes printed burger boxes in the same colours.

Sizing Your Portions

Most outlets run two or three sizes. A small cup works as a side with a meal deal, a regular cup is the standard portion and a large cup is for sharing or loaded fries. Weigh a typical portion of each size and pile it into a cup you already have, then tell us the height you want the fries to reach. We will suggest the right capacity from there.

Make sure each size is easy to tell apart at a glance. A different colour band or a size letter printed near the base helps staff grab the right cup in a rush. p1 Scoop-shaped cones for a smaller portion are covered on our fries cones and holders page.

Pile a Weighed Portion Into a Cup You Already Use

The quickest way to size a fries cup is with your own scoop. Weigh a regular portion as you actually serve it, pile it into any cup on the counter and note how high it sits and how far it fans out. Do the same for the small and the large, and tell us those heights with the weights. We work the capacity back from there, which beats guessing from a volume figure.

Say which lines carry a wet topping, because curry sauce or gravy needs a heavier board or a fully coated inner surface, and tell us which drinks carrier you use so the base diameter is checked on the proof. The custom quote arrives by email within one working day, from £0.25 a cup on larger runs, with the minimum set per job so a new truck starts small.

The free proof shows the print on the flat blank and on the formed cup. Production takes 4 to 7 working days after approval, with free tracked delivery to UK mainland addresses after that. Outlets that serve chips with the burger in one hand usually add fold-flat boxes for fries to the same order for delivery work.