A glass with your logo on it is one of the simplest ways to make a new restaurant feel finished. Guests notice it, photograph it and remember it. But most opening teams leave it too late, or assume it's only for big groups.
Here's how logo printing on glasses actually works, from what we've learned printing for restaurants across London.
It's not just for big groups
You don't need hundreds of sites to print your own glasses. The minimum run is just 96 glasses for a one-colour logo. That's comfortably within a single restaurant's opening order.
More colours need a bigger run:
One colour: 96 glasses
Two colours: 240 glasses
Three colours: 528 glasses
The price per glass falls as the quantity goes up. For most restaurants, a one-colour logo looks the cleanest anyway.
Choose the glass first
Any glass we supply can be printed, from hard-wearing tumblers to fine wine glasses. Choose the glass that suits your drinks list and your service first, then think about the logo.
That includes Riedel. The one thing to bear in mind is that very fine, delicate glasses are more likely to break during printing, which can add to the cost. We'll tell you before you commit.
Let your logo do two jobs
Placed at the right height, your logo can mark a measure, such as 125ml or 175ml for wine. That makes it a free-pour line: staff pour to the logo, every glass is consistent, and service is faster. CE-stamped glasses are also available for measured serves.
It's a small detail that makes a printed glass work harder than a plain one.
Allow about 3 weeks, and more for plates
Printed glasses take about 3 weeks from when you approve the design, if the glass is in stock. Plates with your logo take longer, 8-12 weeks, because the logo is applied by the pottery.
So if you want both, order the plates first. We'd suggest deciding on branding at least three months before you open.
You'll see it before anything is printed
Once you're happy with the quote, you get a digital mock-up showing exactly how your logo will sit on the glass: its size, position and colour. Nothing is printed until you approve it.
A JPEG of your logo is fine to start with. If the printer needs anything else for the final version, we'll tell you.
Plates can carry your logo too
There are two ways to brand plates:
Underglaze: applied by the pottery when the plates are made. It's the most durable finish.
On-glaze transfer: added to ranges that are already made, which gives you more choice of plate.
Minimums depend on the range, so it's worth asking early.
Will it last?
Yes. Printed glasses are dishwasher-proof, so they go through your glasswasher like any other glass. The one rule for staff: no scourers, which can wear the print over time.
Don't have room to store them?
A full run of printed glasses takes space that new restaurants rarely have. We can store your printed stock for a small fee and send it as you need it, so you can order the full quantity without filling your stores.
Glasses guests want to take home
Sometimes the branding works best on the box rather than the glass. Guests at St John liked the shape of their wine glass so much that they wanted to buy it. So we supplied the same glass, unprinted, packed in St John's own branded boxes, ready to sell in the restaurant.
Printed or plain, it turns a glass your guests already love into a small retail line.
Want something similar? We can supply glasses, printed or plain, in your own branded gift boxes.
Ask us about packing your gift boxes.
How to get started
Send us your logo and the glass you like, and tell us roughly how many you need and when you open. We'll come back within 24 hours with options, a quote and the next steps.
Talk to us about logo printing or call 01884 266057.