Disposable Drinking Straws
Match the straw to the drink, from short cocktail straws to wide smoothie and boba straws
Brand
Color
Style
Length
Individually Wrapped
Material
Helpful Resources
Disposable Drinking Straws for Fountain Drinks, Cocktails and Smoothies
A straw is the last thing a guest touches before the first sip, and the wrong one gets noticed fast: too short for the cup, too narrow for the shake, or soft before the drink is finished. Disposable drinking straws run from everyday plastic straws for fountain sodas and iced tea to short cocktail straws for the bar, wide smoothie straws, a boba straw broad enough for tapioca pearls, flexible straws that bend at the neck, and a spoon straw for slush and other frozen drinks. Alongside plastic you can choose paper, kraft paper, PLA, agave-based straws and straws made from upcycled marine waste, sold by the pack or by the case.
The selection includes trusted names like D&W Fine Pack, Goldmax Poly-King, StrawFish, TableCraft, The Sustainable Agave Company, and World Centric, offered at competitive prices.
Wrapped or Unwrapped, and What Holds Up in the Cup
Wrapped for the guest's hands. Most of these straws are individually wrapped, which is what a drive-thru bag, a delivery order or a self-serve drink station calls for, since the straw stays covered until the guest opens it. Unwrapped straws make sense behind a bar or a counter, where staff drop the straw into the drink.
A straw that outlasts the drink. Agave-based straws are listed as not getting soggy the way traditional paper straws can, the kraft paper straws are described as holding up in a variety of beverages, and the straws made from upcycled marine waste are listed as performing in both hot and cold temperatures, with the look and feel of plastic.
Color that fits the room. Black is the most common color and the usual pick for a bar, with clear, white, brown and beige for a quieter look, and red, blue, striped and assorted neon straws for a concession stand or a kids' menu.
Which Straw Fits Which Drink
- Width: standard straws suit soda, tea and water. Milkshakes, smoothies and frozen drinks need a wider straw, and boba needs the widest of all. Jumbo and giant are makers' names for a wider straw, not fixed sizes, and one maker's jumbo can match another's giant, so go by the diameter on the listing where one is given.
- Length: a short straw sits right in a rocks glass or a kids' cup, while a tall to-go cup with a lid needs a long straw that still clears the lid when it rests on the bottom.
- Material: plastic is the familiar choice. Paper and kraft paper are the common swap, and the kraft paper straws are made with no added PFAS. PLA, agave-based and marine-waste straws are the alternatives for operators who want something other than conventional plastic or paper.
- Disposal claims: "eco-friendly" does not mean one thing. One line of clear straws is listed as commercially compostable, the marine-waste straws are listed as biodegradable in landfills with no commercial composting required, and several listings make no composting claim at all. Read the listing and confirm with your hauler before putting a claim on a menu or a sign.
Cups, Lids and Stirrers That Go Out with the Straw
A straw only works if the lid lets it in. Cold-cup lids for disposable plastic cups come with or without a straw hole, so choose the lid and the straw as a set.
Paper cold cups for fountain and iced drinks are in disposable paper cups, along with a cold-cup lid that takes a straw.
For a coffee bar or a cocktail station, the narrow sip-and-stir straws made for hot coffee and mixed drinks are in coffee stirrers and straws.