Food service cup dispensers, systems, and methods

A cup dispenser for dispensing a cup with printed information for use with a food service order, the cup dispenser comprising:

• a housing defining a footprint that enables the cup dispenser to sit on a counter within a food service preparation area;
• a cup source configured to hold a stack of cups;
• a cup source removal structure positioned within the housing and configured to separate the cup from the stack of cups so as to cause the cup to drop under the influence of gravity along a path within the housing and become positioned in a printing position;
• a motor positioned within the housing and configured to operate the cup source removal structure;
• a communication element positioned within the housing and configured to communicate with a remote computing device, wherein the remote computing device is configured to receive a request for food service for a customer, wherein the request for food service includes the food service order that includes a drink order and one or more custom order characteristics for the drink order;
• a controller positioned within the housing and configured to determine, based on data received from the remote computing device, order information and personalization information to print on the cup, wherein the order information and the personalization information are based on the food service order and the customer associated with the cup;
• a printer positioned within the housing and configured to print, using ink, the order information and the personalization information on the cup when the cup is in the printing position, wherein the printed order information includes text detailing at least the one or more custom order characteristics, wherein the printed personalization information includes a printed image or text associated with the customer that requested the food service order, wherein the cup source is positioned above the printer such that the separated cup falls into the printing position for being printed on by the printer;
• and
• a dispensing slot positioned along the path and configured to receive the cup with the order information and the personalization information printed thereon and enable a user to retrieve the cup for preparation of the drink order according to the text detailing the one or more custom order characteristics printed on the cup.

A method of dispensing a cup, the method comprising:

• providing a cup dispenser for dispensing the cup with printed information for use with a food service order, the cup dispenser comprising:
• a housing defining a footprint that enables the cup dispenser to sit on a counter within a food service preparation area;
• a cup source configured to hold a stack of cups;
• a cup source removal structure positioned within the housing and configured to separate the cup from the stack of cups so as to cause the cup to drop under the influence of gravity along a path within the housing and become positioned in a printing position;
• a motor positioned within the housing and configured to operate the cup source removal structure;
• a communication element positioned within the housing and configured to communicate with a remote computing device;
• a controller positioned within the housing;
• a printer positioned within the housing and configured to print, using ink, on the cup when the cup is in the printing position, wherein the cup source is positioned above the printer such that the separated cup falls into the printing position for being printed on by the printer;
• and
• a dispensing slot positioned along the path and configured to receive the cup;
• receiving food service order data corresponding to the food service order received from a customer, wherein the food service order includes a drink order and one or more custom order characteristics for the drink order;
• determining, based on the food service order data, the order information and the personalization information to print on the cup, wherein the order information and the personalization information are based on the food service order and the customer associated with the cup;
• and
• causing dispensing of the cup into the dispensing slot of the cup dispenser, wherein the dispensed cup includes the order information and the personalization information printed thereon to enable a food service person to retrieve the cup for preparation of the drink order according to the order information printed on the cup, wherein the order information printed on the cup includes text detailing at least the one or more custom order characteristics, wherein the personalization information printed on the cup includes a printed image or text associated with the customer that requested the food service order.