There's also the possibility of impressing a customer with the food and losing him at the door — with grease dripping through a thin, flimsy box, steam making fries soggy on the way, or the delivery box that looks just like all the others in the bag. It does everything in a world where nothing actually goes wrong when a customer orders food to go or a brand doesn't make a strong impression on a market where the majority of orders are now placed via a delivery app rather than the dining room. The problem of packaging functionality and the problem of creating a brand is solved simultaneously with the creation of food packaging boxes which are built according to the specific characteristics of a particular product: grease, moisture, temperature.

What are Custom Food Boxes?

Custom food boxes can be in several forms including grease-resistant folding boxes for fried or greasy food, vented boxes where the steam can escape rather than be trapped against the hot food, and clamshells for food that must remain separate during transportation. These custom packaging are made with food coating material which is rated for direct food contact, unlike the common shipping boxes. The format depends on the product, a box designed for a burger will not fit a soup, and one designed for a cold product won't fit a hot product.

Benefits for Businesses

Branding is more important when it comes to the delivery than in person: when it comes to delivery, the printed box is often the only brand point of contact that the delivery customer has. Protective grease resistant coating and vent placement prevent soggy fries and foul sauces, behind one-star reviews, that have nothing to do with the food. Most restaurants place orders more often and reach the bulk order threshold with their custom packaging requirements, resulting in cost savings. More and more food-safe, eco-friendly materials are compostable and recyclable, even if not grease- or moisture-resistant. Customer experience is directly tied to repeat orders: delivery apps make the switch from one restaurant to another a one-tap affair, and a well-packaged order is one of the few things that a restaurant can control after it leaves the kitchen.

Who is Ordering Custom Food Boxes?

The primary buyers are restaurants that have a high number of deliveries and takeout. When they have restaurant packaging failures, it will be reflected in the reviews they receive on their delivery app. When dealing with food trucks and quick-service food concepts, durable, brand-conscious packaging is required, without the dine-in service. Custom printed boxes will also be ideal for packaging food products such as baked goods and packages that must keep their freshness and shape throughout the transit process. Packaging is the only tangible branding that ghost kitchens have, as customers are never given the chance to encounter a storefront. For catering companies, large restaurant orders require uniformity in packaging.

What makes Empress Packaging so special?

Empress Packaging produces a range of food packaging boxes and custom printed boxes that are made on-site to the exact type of food product that a restaurant or brand provides. Custom packaging pricing is based on the quantity of orders placed and whole boxes are delivered according to regular schedules corresponding to the frequency of actual orders. Each box is handcrafted using your menu, not a standard one designed from a catalog.

FAQs

Q: Does custom food packaging really provide food safety? 

A: Materials used for direct food contact use are used by reputable suppliers; check the material's direct food contact rating for the specific food and use requirements, as they differ.

Q: Is it possible to package food that's not only compostable, but grease-resistant too? 

A: Certain material combinations provide both, but it must be verified with a supplier as both characteristics do not necessarily occur together.

Q: Does there really need to be a minimum order for restaurant packaging?

A:The MOQs are dependent on format and most restaurant scale orders are within normal wholesale box tiers.

Get a FreeQuote.

Looking to order food packaging for the foods you actually pack up? Please send a query to Empress Packaging, either by email at query@empresspackaging.com or by phone (888) 900-7629 to get a free quote.