Restaurant Caps 2026: Richardson 112 vs Sport-Tek STC39 vs Trucker Options

A branded cap is the most visible single logo placement in a restaurant merchandise program. The front panel sits at eye level and faces forward — readable across a dining room, out a drive-through window, or in every customer photo. That’s why the cap, more than any other piece, became the flagship resale item for breweries, coffee roasters, and restaurants. This guide compares the seven custom restaurant caps we stock, from the industry-standard Richardson 112 down to a $7.58 giveaway trucker and up to a UPF performance cap for outdoor staff.

Prices shown are “from” prices — blank cap plus the cheapest decoration option (one front-panel embroidered or DTF logo). Final cost rises with logo size and stitch count, and falls with volume. This is part of our restaurant merchandise guide. For more on headwear styles generally, see our custom embroidered hats guide.

Mesh-Back Trucker Caps — The Merch Flagship (from $23–$29 decorated)

Trucker caps are the resale and brand-visibility champions. Structured front panel, mesh back for cooling, snapback for one-size fit. This is the category most restaurant and brewery merch programs build around.

Budget & Twill Caps — Volume and Uniform Looks (from $14–$18 decorated)

When you need hundreds of caps for a giveaway, or a cleaner uniform look for kitchen staff, the budget foam trucker and the full-back twill cap deliver at the lowest price points.

Performance & Seasonal Caps — Outdoor Staff (from $16–$30 decorated)

Outdoor roles — patio, valet, food trucks, beer gardens — need sun protection in summer and warmth in winter. These two extend the headwear program across seasons.

All 7 Restaurant Caps Compared

Match the cap type to the role and the budget tier:

Cap	Type	From (decorated)	Best for
Richardson 112	Mesh-back trucker	from $27.50	Brewery / cafe merch flagship
Sport-Tek STC39	Mesh-back trucker	from $23.00	Budget trucker, high volume
New Era NE410	Foam rope trucker	from $28.88	Retro / vintage concepts
Port Authority C993	Foam trucker	from $17.58	Lowest-cost giveaways
Port Authority CP80	Six-panel twill	from $14.50	Uniform look, kitchen staff
Richardson 220	UPF performance	from $29.99	Outdoor / patio / valet sun
Port Authority C918	Fleece beanie	from $15.99	Cold-weather outdoor shifts

How to Choose Caps for Your Restaurant

• Merch resale & front-of-house: Richardson 112 — the cap customers actually want to buy and wear. Worth the premium for the brand it carries.
• High-volume giveaways: Sport-Tek STC39 or Port Authority C993 — same trucker look, best unit economics.
• Kitchen / back-of-house: Port Authority CP80 six-panel twill — cleaner, more uniform, full-back coverage.
• Outdoor staff: Richardson 220 UPF for sun, C918 fleece beanie for cold.
• Retro / craft concepts: New Era NE410 foam rope trucker for the vintage look.

The front-panel logo is the highest-visibility placement you’ll get from any garment, so invest in clean digitization here. Structured caps hold the embroidery shape better than soft caps, keeping the logo sharp through wear and washing. Embroidery is the standard decoration for caps — durable and premium; see our decoration method guide for when a printed patch makes sense instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best cap for a restaurant or brewery? The Richardson 112 trucker cap is the de facto standard for restaurant and brewery branded merch — its structured front panel takes embroidered logos cleanly, the mesh back keeps it cool, and the snapback fits every head. It’s the most recognizable and most-resold cap in hospitality merch. For tighter budgets at high volume, the Sport-Tek STC39 offers the same trucker silhouette for less.

How much does a custom embroidered restaurant cap cost? Blank cap prices in our lineup range from $7.58 (Port Authority C993 foam trucker) to $19.99 (Richardson 220 UPF performance cap), before embroidery. Embroidery typically adds a few dollars per cap depending on logo size and stitch count, with per-piece cost dropping at the 12, 25, 50, and 100-piece volume tiers. A typical Richardson 112 all-in lands in the low-to-mid $20s per cap at moderate volume.

Should restaurant kitchen staff wear trucker caps or twill caps? For kitchen line staff who need hair coverage and a more uniform look, a full-back six-panel twill cap (Port Authority CP80) reads cleaner than a mesh trucker. Truckers (Richardson 112, STC39) are better for front-of-house, merch resale, and brand visibility. Many programs run a twill cap for back-of-house and a trucker for front-of-house and customer merch.

What cap should outdoor restaurant staff wear? For patio service, valet, food trucks, and beer-garden roles in the sun, the Richardson 220 UPF performance cap adds moisture-wicking fabric and built-in sun protection. For cold-weather outdoor shifts, add the Port Authority C918 fleece beanie. Both embroider a clean front or cuff logo and extend the headwear program across seasons.

Is there a minimum order for custom restaurant caps? Our standard floor for decorated orders is 12 pieces per design, and you can mix cap styles toward a program. Single-piece samples are available so you can approve the embroidery first. Caps are one of the highest-ROI merch pieces because the front-panel logo is the most visible placement in the entire program. See our MOQ guide for volume pricing.

Why is the front of a cap the best logo placement? A cap’s front panel sits at eye level and faces forward, making it readable from across a dining room, out a drive-through window, or in a photo — far more visible than a chest logo that turns away as someone moves. Structured caps like the Richardson 112 hold the embroidery shape better than soft, unstructured caps, keeping the logo sharp through wear and washing.