A deep-dive look at how a 12-location independent café chain transitioned to eco-friendly, custom-branded cupware — cutting costs, boosting brand visibility, and delighting customers along the way.
Brew & Bean Café, a Portland-based independent coffee chain with 12 locations across the Pacific Northwest, approached Cup Source in early 2023 with a clear challenge: their packaging costs had risen 22% year-over-year, and their existing supplier was unable to accommodate their growing need for custom-branded, compostable drinkware.
The company needed a partner who could deliver at scale, maintain consistent quality across all 12 locations, and offer competitive wholesale pricing without sacrificing their commitment to sustainability.
Before partnering with Cup Source, Brew & Bean faced several interconnected problems:
We were spending $4,200 a month on packaging alone, and the quality wasn't even consistent from batch to batch. We knew we needed a better partner — but finding one that could handle 12 locations while keeping costs down felt impossible.
— Sarah Mitchell, Owner & CEO, Brew & Bean CaféCup Source assigned a dedicated account manager to work directly with Brew & Bean's operations team. Over a 6-week discovery phase, the team audited the café's packaging needs across all locations, identified the most cost-effective materials, and designed a phased rollout plan.
Through extensive testing, Cup Source identified the right product mix for Brew & Bean's specific needs:
Cup Source's in-house design team worked with Brew & Bean's brand guidelines to create a full-color, 4-process print design that wrapped around each cup. The design featured the café's signature mountain logo, a QR code linking to their rewards program, and clear composting instructions — all printed with soy-based inks.
The minimum order quantity was set at 10,000 units per SKU, which aligned perfectly with Brew & Bean's 3-month supply cycle and eliminated the need for costly storage.
Cup Source audited all 12 locations, catalogued existing packaging, and conducted a cost analysis.
5 rounds of physical testing with Brew & Bean's baristas. Final product specifications approved.
3 design iterations completed. Final artwork approved with 4-color process printing specs.
Initial rollout at the highest-volume locations to test supply chain logistics and customer response.
Complete transition to Cup Source products. Previous supplier contracts terminated.
Post-implementation review showed 34% cost reduction and zero quality complaints.
The transition to Cup Source produced measurable improvements across every key metric Brew & Bean tracked:
Monthly packaging costs dropped from $4,200 to $2,772 — a 34% reduction achieved through wholesale pricing, bulk order discounts, and the elimination of vinyl sticker labor. Over the first year alone, this translated to $17,136 in annual savings.
The custom-printed cups with QR codes drove a 47% increase in rewards program sign-ups within the first quarter. Brew & Bean's social media mentions increased by 23%, with customers frequently posting photos of the beautifully designed cups.
By switching to fully compostable materials, Brew & Bean diverted an estimated 14,000 lbs of packaging waste from landfills in the first year. The café was subsequently recognized by the City of Portland with their Green Business Certification.
With Cup Source's scheduled delivery system, Brew & Bean eliminated emergency re-order calls entirely. Inventory management became predictable, and staff no longer needed to spend time applying stickers to cups — saving an estimated 12 hours per week in labor.
The ROI was clearer than we expected. Within 4 months, the savings had already paid for the entire transition. But beyond the numbers, our customers genuinely love the cups — they've become part of our brand identity.
— Sarah Mitchell, Owner & CEO, Brew & Bean Café