What Is the Difference Between Flat and Domed Lids?

When a customer orders a beverage in your restaurant or coffee shop, you will likely give them a cup based on the size they ordered. However, you may be unsure whether you should top it off with a flat or domed lid. If you are wondering what the differences are between the two, this blog can help. Read on to learn the factors that distinguish these two from each other, so you can determine which may be better suited for certain applications.

Shapes

Perhaps the most obvious factor that sets flat and domed lids apart is their shapes. A flat cup lid has a semi-level surface and a small opening for your customers to insert their straws into.

Meanwhile, the domed lid has a far more curved appearance, with an arch that extends over the edges of a cup. This gives a guest a clear view of their beverage and sometimes features a larger, circular opening for the customer’s straw.

Applications

Another area where flat and domed lids differ is in their applications. Although a flat lid is a good choice for a cup that features a refreshing cold drink, such as carbonated soda, fruit punch, or lemonade, a domed lid is a better fit for a drink like an iced coffee or even when the customer orders an ice cream sundae.

The dome’s curved shape provides more room to add toppings that will cater to the customer’s taste buds. Thanks to that extra space, you can top those drinks off with tasty whipped cream, cherries, or even cinnamon sticks that will enhance the flavor. Although you could serve those drinks with a flat lid, the product would press down on them and look less aesthetically appealing than a beverage with a domed lid.

Visual Appeal

Speaking of aesthetics, both flat and domed lids differ in terms of their visual appeal to customers. Although flat lids can be incredibly useful, their look doesn’t quite match up to the “wow” factor that the domed lids offer.

When a person carries a drink with a domed lid through your establishment, its distinctive shape is more likely to attract people’s eyes than the flat lid. In addition, when people see toppings like whipped cream, chocolate chips, caramel syrup, or cinnamon sticks peeking through the domed lids, they will take notice. It may even motivate them to order that same item at your eatery or coffee shop, which can boost your profits!

Straw and Spoon Use

These two lids also differ in terms of the customer’s ability to use a straw or spoon with their beverage. When people get a drink with a flat lid, all they can really do with their straw is put it through the opening to drink or stir their beverage. If they purchased a milkshake and wanted to eat it with a spoon, they would have to remove the flat lid first.

Instead, domed lids are much more convenient in this respect. Thanks to the larger, circular opening in the lid, customers don’t need to remove it. Instead, they can use spoon straws to scoop up and enjoy portions of their drinks or sweet treats. The larger opening also gives them more room to move the straw around and stir the contents of the cup.

Stackability

Flat and domed lids also have noticeable differences when it comes to the storage side of your restaurant or coffee shop business. As a business owner, you want to make the best use of every square inch when storing anything. In some cases, that may make flat lids a more appealing option for you!

When you stock flat lids, you should find them easy to store and stack, thanks to their shape. They do not take up more space than necessary, allowing you to get the most out of the confines of your storeroom.

However, it’s an entirely different story when you stock domed lids. Because of their curved shape, they tend to take up much more room than the flat lids, which will likely result in you losing some of that valuable space. Your workers may also find them a little more cumbersome to transport as they move them from your stockroom to your front counter.

Before placing your next order from your PET cup supplier, consider what is more important to you: saving space in your restaurant or providing customers with more convenience while they drink. Both can have positive effects on your business.

Cost

One last way that flat and domed lids differ is in terms of cost, which can also affect your business. Although the cost difference between the two is not substantial, bulk orders of dome lids tend to cost more than flat lids.

Once again, business owners must decide what is more important to them: saving funds or investing in an option that allows customers to drink their beverages more easily. However, the extra cost of the domed lids may be worth it, since they can attract people’s attention and increase your restaurant or coffee shop's profits.

What Flat and Domed Lids Have in Common

After examining the differences between flat and domed lids, it is essential to highlight a key trait they share: their ability to prevent leaks or spills. Using either product on your customers’ beverage is a great way to ensure that their beverage doesn’t leak out and spill its contents on their clothes or belongings, creating a negative experience that they would associate with your business.

Instead, you can feel assured that both products will create a firm, reliable seal when you attach them to your cups. Investing in these lids will allow your restaurant or coffee shop to ensure the drinks stay where they belong: in the cups.

Now that you know more about what sets flat and domed lids apart, take the time to look at which is best for your restaurant’s financial and space needs and your customer base. The right lid can make a positive contribution to your success.