Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Cold Cup Sizes

This is topic Cold Cup Sizes in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Andrew McCrea (Member # 674) on 09-10-2005, 11:56 AM:

Hello Everyone,

Again, I've searched the archieves and found nothing.

I know most chains sell soda in cups of 21oz, 32oz, and 44oz. Any chance that there's a next size up, like 52oz. or 60oz.?

Does Pepsi or Coke sell thier generic cups to indies, and what selection do they offer?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-10-2005, 12:34 PM:

..Maybe problems with paper cups getting that big is the volume of the water against the weight of the paper. Remember, water weighs 8lbs per gallon, and sugar water has an increased density. With pushing the envelope so to say, a 60 oz cup is 4 ounces from being a half-gallon. That's one pretty heavy cup of soda that the paper, or even styrofoam walls of that cup will have to hold...let alone the customer having to juggle such a monster without that cup exploding when sitting it down.

44 0z cups is pushing the limit on how the paper can hold that much weight and volume.

-Monte

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-10-2005, 12:50 PM:

We buy our cups from Pepsi. We carry 12, 16, 22, 32 and 44 oz. sizes. They are all paper cups except the 12, which is plastic. We never have any problem with the cups.

I've priced cups from our concession (candy) warehouse, but the Pepsi cups are cheaper. The only thing that bugs me is, they often arrive with advertising on the side, sometimes for events that conflict with the theatre, but I don't care because nobody can see the ads in the dark anyway. The price difference is worth the minor irritation. (Gee, too bad the people who hate onscreen ads can't adopt that attitude.)

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 09-10-2005, 01:02 PM:

We sell 21, 32, 44.

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 09-10-2005, 01:17 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
I've priced cups from our concession (candy) warehouse, but the Pepsi cups are cheaper.

Assuming you are using Pepsi at your theatre, aren't you under contract to use Pepsi cups? Years ago when we had Coke, we used our local concession supplier to purchase genaric cups. But once we switched to Pepsi, it was required that we use their paper products . . . or so I was told.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-10-2005, 01:37 PM:

I guess I don't know about that. We've always used Pepsi cups and since I compared the prices and found Pepsi's to be less, I've never had to raise the issue. I know we can't sell non-Pepsi items from our machine though, since they own the machine.

Posted by Heath Dutton (Member # 3265) on 09-10-2005, 02:08 PM:

Good point about the paper cups. Another issue would be the length of time they would hold the drink. Many theaters provide free refills on the larger cups, meaning if they were made of paper, they could be used for well over 2 hours. Most paper cups will begin to seep after an hour and a half if it's too big.

Posted by Andrew McCrea (Member # 674) on 09-10-2005, 03:37 PM:

Thanks for the suggestions...

Maybe theatres could use the plastic cups, similar to the Big Gulp ones?

Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 09-10-2005, 03:57 PM:

We sell 16, 24, and 32. We also have a 12 oz for the kids combo/courtesy cup.

We buy cups from Coke. They are the cheapest I have been able to find, but lately the service around here has been awful. I haven't get the 24's for three weeks. Earlier this summer I had trouble with the 16 oz lid. Has anyone else had problems getting stock from Coke?

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 09-10-2005, 04:06 PM:

back in maine, we sold a 64oz coke that came in a plastic mug with a handle. It didn't fit in the cup holders, but the handle was shaped like a gun handle, and was a perfect hook to hang on the cup holder. The mugs were coke branded and were purchased through our regular soda supplier.

Posted by Wayne Keyser (Member # 2420) on 09-10-2005, 10:14 PM:

A modest proposal (just for something to do, y'know?)

Hot summer evening...

gangsta or skateboarder movie...

too few staff (send some of 'em home, like in another thread)...

sale on those big-ass cups ("we sold a 64oz coke...handle was shaped like a gun handle")...

and regardless of what they ask for, pour 'em Red Bull Energy Drink.

Sit back & watch the fun.

----------------

Sorry, my mind got carried away there.

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 09-10-2005, 10:45 PM:

We sell 16, 24 and 32 oz.

We had plastic 32s, but the customers assumed that meant we had free refills. If YOU do, that might be a reason to carry plastic.

If I went to 46 or 64 oz, I'd probably have to add 15 more stalls and another septic tank out here... and the one I have now holds 14,000 gallons!

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 09-10-2005, 11:18 PM:

We've got 24, 32, and 44 (all wax paper) Coke cups at our biggest drive-in. The 32 is the most popular followed by the 44.

Coke wanted to do their iCoke promotion with us on the 24 ounce cups, which was stupid with it being the smallest size we sell (except for a 16 with a kids combo). I don't think we sold too many of the iCoke combos (24 oz Coke and a hot dog or something like that).

Posted by Thomas Dieter (Member # 2507) on 09-11-2005, 01:02 AM:

We are currently Carrying 16, 32, and 44. Yeah big jump from small to medium, but makes it easy on upselling.

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 09-11-2005, 11:38 AM:

We carry 16, 32, and 44. But Vistar recently stopped carrying my favorite, the "stout" 32 oz. cups, in favor of the taller ones. The stout cups are my favorite because most distributors make lids that will do double duty on those 32 and the 44 oz. varieties.

I think plastic cups, or buckets as it were, are great for the larger, half-gallon sized drinks. Check out KFC, they've got paper and plastic, plus the huge new size.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-11-2005, 06:31 PM:

quote: Andrew McCrea
Maybe theatres could use the plastic cups, similar to the Big Gulp ones?

Unfortunately, the cost of a case of, let say the 44oz, might be quite a bit more than of the paper variety. Thus, this increased cost would be cutting into the profit margin that indies and circuits needs to keep their overall profit margin at a certain level to at least, an existing level - in which profit margins of popcorn and drinks, either solo or combos, is the main driving force for the theatre to make the money since the boxoffice is grabbing the usual 70 percent of the gate.

-thx Monte

Posted by Brian Hogan (Member # 940) on 09-11-2005, 08:36 PM:

during my time here in the southern hemisphere ive come to notice how scaled back the sizes are compared to the states. drink sizes, whether you are at a fast-food place or movie theatre, are smaller. 16, 24 and 32 ounces are the common sizes basically wherever you go. compare that to the 24, 32 and 44 (and beyond) ounces you find at any macdonalds or megaplex you go to in the states. how do the sizes stack up in other parts of the world?

Posted by Barry Floyd (Member # 385) on 09-12-2005, 01:09 AM:

We use 24oz., 32oz., & 44oz. cups. During the busiest part of our season we buy all of our drink cups and popcorn tubs from PMG (Promotional Management Group) . The sell various movie related promotional themed cups, tubs, etc, and they sell an exclusive "Drive-In" themed line of cups and tubs as well.

Our PMG 44oz. "Drive-In" cups are plastic, but the rest are paper. Last year we used a 44oz. plastic Coca Cola "Contour Cup" and our customers loved them. They were very expensive however as compared to the paper cups. This year we switched to the PMG cups and the customers liked them too, but still ask when we're getting the Coke cups back? My only complaints about the PMG stuff is that the lids seem to be a little on the flimsy side.

I couldn't imagine a 60oz. drink at an indoor theatre. The cleanup on that would be a nightmare. 60oz. of whatever is a heck of alot of drink.

Posted by Christian Volpi (Member # 2370) on 09-13-2005, 12:15 AM:

Quit a few years ago a theater that I worked at actually sold 64oz. drinks. They were Pepsi cups (regular paper style like all the others). Our distributor gave us a couple of cases for free because they were no longer going to carry them. He thought that we might be able to use them as popcorn "tubs." He was quit suprised to find out that we were indeed selling them for drinks and they sold quit well.

Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 09-15-2005, 06:49 PM:

Here's an idea that would save on the cost of cups. Theatres could run small hoses under the cement floors and to each seat. Then the patrons can consume their soda intravenously.

Posted by Tim Reed (Member # 137) on 09-15-2005, 10:33 PM:

quote: Monte L Fullmer
Remember, water weighs 8lbs per gallon

Son of a gun, so does diesel fuel. Use that to figure gross weight sometimes.

Posted by Brandon Willis (Member # 2345) on 09-28-2005, 12:09 PM:

16, 32, 44, and 54 ounces.

Posted by David Yauch (Member # 2754) on 10-02-2005, 08:00 PM:

We use 12 oz kid combo cups, 16 oz courtesy cups, and then 20, 32, and 44 oz regular drink cups. Most of the time we are carrying at least one promotional cup(usually either the medium or the large). We also have our souvenir cups, which are 32 oz. and come with $1 refills until the end of the year.

Posted by Tyler England (Member # 2577) on 10-07-2005, 11:03 AM:

We Sell 16oz 25oz 32 oz cups. Purchased from Pepsi.

Posted by Robert Burtcher (Member # 3227) on 10-18-2005, 09:04 AM:

Here, our sizes are 12oz Coke-branded Courtesy/Kid's Pak cup - 22oz Sm - 32oz Med - 44oz Lg.

I believe both Pepsi and Coke will sell their cups to Indies, as long as you sell their product. (i.e. can't serve Coke in Pepsi cups, and vice-versa)