Pop-Up Food Stall Supplies: What 5 Essentials Cost Per Serve

Last updated: 12 October 2026

Five items cover most pop-up menus: a food box, a plate, a napkin, a hot cup and a cold cup. From what we stock, they cost from under 2c to 58c + VAT per serve. A hot lunch in a windowed box with a napkin comes to about 60c + VAT, and a small coffee with a lid about 7.6c + VAT.

Most pop-ups price the food and the pitch fee carefully, then guess at packaging. Here's what each essential costs per serve, so you know before your first weekend.

In this guide

• What does pop-up packaging cost per serve?
• Which box suits hot meals and salads?
• Which plate holds hot, saucy food?
• What napkin should a pop-up use?
• Which cup suits small coffees?
• What about cold drinks?
• What does a busy day cost in packaging?
• What should I stock first?
• FAQ

What does pop-up packaging cost per serve?

All prices are ex VAT and were checked on 12 October 2026.

Which box suits hot meals and salads?

The 850ml Lunchipak is the one most pop-ups build their menu around. It takes a regular portion of salad, pasta, curry or a pie, and the window lets people see the food before they open it, which helps at the counter and in a delivery bag.

It's FSC-certified kraft board with a grease-resistant lining, the lid comes with it, and it's microwaveable. One thing to know: the window is compostable cellulose acetate, which still counts as a plastic under EU single-use plastics rules, so it isn't a plastic-free box.

• Good: lid included, handles oily dressings, customers can reheat in it.
• Watch: not for soup or very wet dishes, and it's the dearest item on this list.

Which plate holds hot, saucy food?

When a paper plate would go soft, use the 9" bagasse plate. It's sugarcane fibre with no plastic lining and no wax coating, so it copes with curries, pasta and fried food.

• Good: microwave and freezer safe, grease resistant, compostable in commercial composting within 90 to 180 days, stacks neatly in a small prep space.
• Watch: more than you need for sandwiches or desserts, where a paper plate will do.

What napkin should a pop-up use?

The 33cm 2-ply kraft napkin is the everyday lunch size. A bigger dinner napkin is wasted on a street food menu. It's unbleached kraft with no whitening agents, compostable and recyclable, and the 8-fold format dispenses easily at a counter.

At under 2c each, napkins should never be the thing you run out of. The brown finish won't suit every brand, though. There's more on sizes and folds in our napkins guide.

Which cup suits small coffees?

For an 8oz coffee, single wall is enough. A cortado or piccolo is gone in a few sips, so you don't need to pay for double wall. Our 8oz white single wall cups are PE lined with a rolled rim, and take a standard 80mm lid.

Lids are sold separately, so count them in. Cup and lid together come to about 7.6c + VAT. The cup gets hot to hold without a sleeve, and with a PE lining, recycling depends on your local council. Running a coffee van or cart? See the coffee van supplies checklist.

What about cold drinks?

The 200ml clear PP cup is the cheapest serve on the list at about 1.7c + VAT. It's rigid and crack-resistant, light to carry on a tray, and suits water, soft drinks and juice.

Two things to check first. It's plastic, so it isn't compostable. And many markets and events now have their own packaging rules for traders, so ask the organiser before you order. Our festival and event disposables checklist covers what organisers usually ask for. At 200ml, it's also too small for long drinks.

What does a busy day cost in packaging?

Say you sell 150 lunches in a box with a napkin, 200 small coffees with lids, and 100 cold drinks.

• 150 lunches: about €90 + VAT
• 200 coffees: about €15 + VAT
• 100 cold drinks: about €1.75 + VAT

That's roughly €107 + VAT for the day, or about 24c a serve across 450 serves. Put your own numbers in and you'll know what to build into your prices before you open.

What should I stock first?

Stock in the order your menu needs it, not by price. Running out of cups stops service just as fast as running out of food.

1. Boxes if you serve hot meals, salads or delivery.
2. Bagasse plates if any dish is hot, saucy or greasy.
3. Hot cups and lids if coffee is on the menu.
4. Cold cups if you serve cold drinks, once you've checked the organiser's rules.
5. Napkins in bulk, since they cost so little.

Start with one case of each, see what you use over two weekends, then order more of what moves fastest.

Frequently asked questions

How much does packaging cost per serve for a pop-up?

From what we stock, between about 1.7c and 58c + VAT per item. A hot lunch in a windowed box with a napkin is about 60c + VAT, and a small coffee with a lid about 7.6c + VAT. Add up the items in each dish to get your own cost per serve.

What disposables does a pop-up food stall need?

Most menus are covered by five items: a food box, a plate for hot food, napkins, hot cups with lids, and cold cups. Add cutlery if your dishes need it.

Do pop-ups have to use compostable packaging?

Not by law for every item, but many markets and events set their own packaging rules for traders, often asking for compostable food packaging. Check with the organiser before you order.

Are the lids included with the coffee cups?

No. The 8oz single wall cups take an 80mm lid, which is sold separately. Cup and lid together come to about 7.6c + VAT.