Printed Paper Bowl Cups for Salad and Poke Bars

Where paper bowls earn their place

Bowls suit food that people eat with a fork rather than drink. Salad bars, poke shops and smoothie bowl cafés order them more than anyone else.

The open shape shows off the colours of the food. A bowl of mango, granola and berries sells itself when it can be seen over the rim.

Caterers like them for buffet lunches too. A stack of printed bowls next to a salad station looks tidier than mismatched plates.

• Salad and grain bowl counters
• Poke and sushi bowl shops
• Açaí and smoothie bowl cafés
• Pasta and noodle takeaways
• Frozen yoghurt and fruit bars
• Office lunch caterers

Bowl cup or deep tub

A bowl is the right choice when the food is layered and needs mixing. A deep tub is better for liquids such as soup, where height stops spills.

If most of your menu is broth or stew, our deep paper soup tubs will travel better. Many kitchens stock both and use the bowl for everything that is eaten with a fork.

Picking bowl sizes

Most bowl menus need two sizes: a side and a main. A 12oz bowl makes a good side or snack, and a 16oz bowl holds a full lunch.

A 20oz bowl is worth adding if you sell loaded poke or large salads with grains. An 8oz bowl covers fruit pots, dips and kids' portions.

The full list of cup sizes we print shows where bowls sit next to the rest of the range.

Try filling each size with a real portion before you order. A bowl that looks generous on the counter keeps regulars happy, while one that looks half empty invites complaints.

Designing for a short, wide wall

A bowl wall is short, so tall logos get squashed. Wide layouts work better, such as a printed band, a row of icons or a repeat pattern.

Our photos show three common styles: bold polka dots, a pale bowl with a thin coloured band near the base, and a white bowl with a large logo mark. Each one reads clearly from above and from the side.

We print in full colour CMYK or Pantone on one side, two sides or a full wrap. A full wrap suits patterns, because the eye sees the bowl from every angle on a counter.

Kraft bowls take the same layouts, though pale inks fade into the brown board. Stick to black or a deep brand colour on kraft.

Warm dishes and wall choice

Cold bowls such as salads and fruit are fine in single wall. It keeps the price down and the bowls nest tightly in a carton.

Warm pasta, rice and noodles can make a thin bowl uncomfortable to hold. Double wall gives a firmer bowl with a layer of air between the food and the hand.

Ripple wall is available too, though most bowl shops prefer a smooth outside for their print.

If you serve hot and cold dishes, you can split the order. Single wall for the cold bowls and double wall for the warm ones is a common mix.

Lids for bowls

Bowls going out for delivery need a lid. A flat lid lets bowls stack, while a dome leaves space for tall toppings and herbs.

Each bowl size has its own rim, so lids are quoted size by size. Our guide to choosing lids and carriers covers the options in more depth.

Toppings that wilt, such as fresh herbs or crispy onions, travel better under a dome. Dressings and sauces are best packed in a separate small pot.

From artwork to delivered bowls

Bowl cups are priced from £0.25 per cup, with the final figure set out in your written quote.

To see how a pattern looks on a curved bowl, try the Design Your Cups page first.

1. Choose your bowl sizes, wall type and lid style.
2. Send a logo or pattern as AI, PDF, EPS, SVG, PNG or JPG.
3. Our designers lay it on the bowl template for free if you would like help.
4. Approve the digital proof once every edit is made.
5. Bowls are printed in 4 to 6 working days and reach you on a tracked service in 2 to 3 more.

Building a bowl around the menu

Think about the food that sits inside. Bright poke and fruit bowls look good against a white bowl with one accent colour.

Earthy grain bowls and roasted vegetables suit kraft board with a dark logo. The brown board frames the food without competing with it.

Seasonal menus are easy to handle too. A plain bowl with a printed band carries a spring salad, a Halloween pumpkin bowl or an Easter fruit pot equally well.

• Match the band colour to your menu boards
• Keep the logo off the bottom third of the wall
• Use one strong colour on kraft, not four
• Leave space for a sticker if dishes vary daily

Bowl ordering mistakes

The most common error is ordering a deep cup for a salad. Customers end up digging with a fork and dropping dressing on their sleeves.

Another is a tall logo squeezed onto a short wall. It ends up small and hard to read, so a wide version of the logo is worth preparing.

Last is ordering one lid style for every bowl. Domes waste space on simple fruit pots, and flat lids flatten salad leaves.

• Deep cups used for forked food
• Tall logos on a low wall
• Domes on bowls that need to stack
• Single wall chosen for hot pasta

Small pots that go with bowls

Bowl shops rarely sell bowls alone. Dressing, sauce and extra toppings usually go out in a small pot tucked beside the bowl.

Printing the pot with the same band or pattern makes the order look like one set. It also stops pots from different shops getting mixed up in a busy delivery bag.

Our printed paper sauce cups come in sizes that sit neatly next to a 16oz bowl.

Shipping your bowls and fixing faults

Bowl orders ship free to the UK, always tracked. You will see the exact print on your proof before production starts.

If bowls arrive misprinted or damaged, send photos within 10 days. We reprint or refund the bowls affected.

Keep your approved proof to hand when the cartons arrive. Comparing one bowl against it takes a minute and makes any claim quick to settle.