I noticed my local coffee shop was drowning in single-use cups

I stopped by Ground Up Cafe in Portland last Tuesday and saw they go through like 200 paper cups before noon. The owner said they spend $400 a month on cups alone. I told him about a bulk discount for compostable cups I found through a local green business group. He cut his cup cost by 30% and switched to a better option. Has anyone else helped a small biz make a switch like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_robin19h ago

Is it just me or is this kind of thing happening everywhere now? lol I was at a taco truck last week and they had a whole pile of styrofoam containers out back. The guy said he just buys whatever's cheapest. I showed him a local restaurant supply place that sells these simple paper boats for like half the price. He switched the next week. It's wild how many small places are stuck with bad habits just cause nobody tells them there's a better way. Feels like everyone's just coasting on autopilot until someone gives them a nudge.

-1

phoenix_thompson416h ago

oh yeah totally, @the_robin hit the nail on the head about that autopilot thing. its like once someone gets into a routine with their supplies they just stop looking for better options even when theyre right there. i saw a coffee shop using those plastic stirrers that break immediately and showed them a box of bamboo ones that cost the same and last way longer. the owner was like oh i just always ordered the same thing from the same vendor. its crazy how one little nudge can break a cycle that someone has been in for years. feels like we all need someone to point out the obvious sometimes.