Takeaway Food Packaging: How important is having good quality food containers for your restaurant?

The aftermath of the pandemic has left many of us ordering more takeout and delivery food than ever before.

When you are left without the comfort of dining at your favourite restaurant with a steaming plate directly from the kitchen to your table, the opportunity to have it served directly to your house does limit the blow. But not when it arrives cold!

You’ve been waiting for a while to have that dish you so missed and when you could finally savour it… it’s not even warm. This could turn your favourite restaurant to one you won’t visit again, never mind ordering a delivery.

Now, if you’re a restaurant manager or owner and you’re dealing with a similar situation, then you should not postpone a packaging overhaul any longer. Getting proper packaging supplies will assure your delivery orders are fulfilled at the highest standard so that clients aren’t let down by cold food or leaky containers and keep on ordering from your business.

Yet, more than a practical function, food containers are now also a matter of safety. The coronavirus pandemic presence means that for businesses to keep running and maintaining their customers, they have to implement efficient ordering systems. A large part of this takeout or delivery plans are food containers and, as we explained earlier, good quality takeaway packaging can make the difference between retaining customers or disappointing them.

But what are the essentials that make up a good takeaway food container? That’s what we’ll discuss today as well as the importance of having great packaging for takeaways.

The essential elements to consider when deciding on your Restaurant’s Food Packaging:

• Cross-Contamination Protected Containers

Cross-contamination, in the context of a restaurant, is when bacteria or other unhealthy microorganisms transfer into food from equipment, people or other food. These transfers can happen throughout any step of the dish’s preparation, including when packing food for takeout orders.

Quality takeaway delivery boxes are built to be tamper-proof, keeping food free of any cross-contamination that could occur during transportation, something that is particularly useful with a global disease around.

• Enhanced experience

A meal is a pleasant experience that touches more senses than one. Your sight has a significant influence on any food-related experience as your eyes will make it more or less appealing. For instance, if you’ve just ordered a tasty and intricate dish to treat yourself and it comes all tilted and dismantled, half the experience has just gone out the window.

An appropriate packaging will keep the dish upright and intact so that any order leaves the kitchen and arrives at a client’s table in the same pristine condition.

• Thermal insulated packaging

Food has to be savoured at its correct temperature. Pasta, pizza or a burger just aren’t the same when tasted cold and if that’s the state they arrive in, you probably wouldn’t order from the same place again.

Reviews from a restaurant’s delivery system are heavily dependent on the food’s temperature, freshness and quality. To ensure your customers are satisfied with your service, go for efficient thermal containers and, as an extra step, place hot and cold food items separate from each other so that both are enjoyed as they’re meant to be.

• Helps Boost Sales

Customers buy not only with their taste buds but also with their eyes. If through your website or at the counter, clients glimpse your beautiful packaging, they’re much more likely to order from your takeout. In an era of social media sharing, an attractive package that looks good on a feed is of major importance to gain more customers.

• Strengthen Your Brand Identity

Having branded packaging with your restaurant’s colours and logo will create an instantly more appealing brand identity among the public. The custom packaging should reflect your brand with its values, colours and distinct traits while having smart implementations of designs, copy and colour to connect with your patrons.

• A Showcase for Your Values

Your business’ values are important and whether they represent your dedication to the local area or spreading awareness for a social issue, placing it on your packaging is a great opportunity.

For example, if sustainability is your commitment, you should opt to use compostable and biodegradable containers for takeaway as a way to reduce your footprint while showing your customers your environmental stance.

Features to Consider in order to Choose the Packaging for Your Restaurant:

Once you know how important the right packaging materials can be to your business, it’s time to look into implementing them in the best possible way. There are diverse factors that will dictate your containers’ design from current trends to branding and even safety.

Safety Aspects

Safety should never be disregarded and especially not in the middle of a global pandemic. When deciding on a food packaging supply, assure it is safety and hygiene standards compliant. Though risks of transmission of COVID-19 through food may be smaller, your customers will definitely be less anxious if they know you’re doing everything in your power to have their food delivered free of virus or any other harmful bacteria.

To achieve a fully safe packaging system, we recommend:

• Getting a comprehensive overview of existing food health and safety practices for processes such as temperature and time control, cross-contamination prevention, sanitising, food storage and others used in restaurants.
• Emphasising the frequency and meticulousness of the cleaning and disinfecting of the most touched/used surfaces such as areas where foods are packaged.
• Strengthening the use of tools for handling or dispensing food such as disposable gloves, spatulas, deli tissue or others.
• Sanitizing and cleaning coolers and insulating bags meant for takeout and delivery before packaging.
• Implementing a tamper-evident label system that, if ripped, will alert the customer that the order has been tampered with after leaving the restaurant.
• Placing a note to each delivery or takeout order with safety instructions for the client to follow before eating; Simple directions such as remembering to dispose or recycle any bags or containers appropriately and sanitising their hands and any contact surface afterwards. This will showcase your commitment to safety.

Although we hope these changes are temporary, having and showing extra precautions on your packaging will make the process that much safer for everyone involved.

Food Containers Trends

Food packaging says a lot about your restaurant’s identity, practices and how in tune with the times it is. As with everything, food containers follow trends and here are the top four:

Sustainable Packaging

Before the current pandemic hit, environmental awareness was steady climbing and having effects on the business landscape as customers were pressuring companies to be transparent about their ecological practices.

Sure, COVID-19’s new reality has placed those concerns on hold due to the need for disposable items. Yet, there are still those focused-on food origins, good practices and other trends.

But it is not only limited to food. Conscious customers are also interested in sustainable containers and food packaging. One time used plastic-based containers and non-recyclable items are not acceptable anymore, and the new trend is biodegradable and compostable packaging.

Opting for sustainable contain for your restaurant’s takeaways will win you new customers, as well as retaining others who notice your commitment to eco-friendly practices.

Minimalist Packaging

Minimalism is everywhere and is very much the trend in today’s decoration, design and even lifestyle. Minimalistic approach is all about clean and simple lines, less cluttering and getting rid of every unnecessary detail.

But why is this trend catching on with food packaging?

It’s because:

• Minimalism carries a no-nonsense approach to packaging
• It means less material is wasted and thus, less harmful to the environment and more cost-effective
• Makes brands look more upscale by enhancing the perceived value of the brand with the customer
• Less cluttering allows for the message to be communicated more effectively, spreading the company’s message and mission clearly

To make your own minimalist branded food containers, remove any unnecessary information or graphics that can be cluttering the design, and instead focus only on the basics.

Convenient Packaging

Takeout food has long been a matter of convenience, and the frantic lifestyles we live today bred the perfect demand for convenient takeout and delivery restaurants.

This demand for convenience influenced the restaurant markets with customers resorting to takeout or deliveries for eating at home or on the go, illustrated better in current times where people feel a lot safer in their home.

Convenience is one of the most important factors when deciding on food packaging items. Place the decision on a design that makes life easier and not a hassle.

Brand Identity

Takeaway food packaging is a great way to market your restaurant. Nowadays, with online orders and third-party delivery apps, customers are selecting their lunch or dinner through other sources other than directly from the restaurant.

By having a strong branding presence on your delivery food containers, you are showcasing your brand to the customers that will be remembered where their food came from, not just from a random restaurant in their app. Over time, your brand recognition will be one of your greatest assets and will make customers come directly to you.

Your custom food packaging will be an extension of your restaurant’s brand identity and, as such, it should carry your values and identity.

When designing your takeaway containers branding:

• Assure that the materials used are in line with your brand
• Communicate your brand’s personality through smart visual and information additions
• Try to connect with your target audience
• Make so that you can include labels with relevant information

The Dessert

Throughout this article, we have shown you how an excellent food packaging system can benefit your restaurant – by improving your health and safety, by boosting brand promotion, and many others.

Now, putting all these features together for your business’ packaging for deliveries and takeout will depend on your smart decisions from top to bottom, from selecting the proper materials and shapes to creating an appealing branding to place on the containers.

Your restaurant’s food will always be your biggest selling point, but the way you’re packing those delicious treats should also be considered as an important part of the entire process.

How Cafe Brands food containers will improve your takeaway business

Start your quest to improve your food packaging solutions today with Cafe Brands. Cafe Brands has a large range of containers for foods, drinks and everything in between to handle your restaurant’s takeaways.

Cafe Brands’ latest eco-friendly compostable containers solutions provide the perfect answer to the current eco-conscious consumers and will be a great hit with your audience too. Get in touch with our team, and we’ll be more than happy to help you with creating your new top of the line food packaging system.