How to Reduce Packaging Costs for Restaurants

You’re looking for food packaging for your restaurant. After doing some research, you’ve come across all kinds of options. In the end, you decided to go with fully customized, personalized packaging.

That’s a great choice. It’s one of the most effective ways to promote your restaurant, as we shared in the article “How to Improve Your Brand Through Food Packaging.”

If you haven’t read it yet, we suggest taking a quick look. It will help you better understand why packaging that reflects your brand can make such a big difference.

Of course, custom packaging does come with a cost. But don’t worry. Even with a small budget, it’s still possible to make it work.

In the rest of this article, we’ll walk you through some practical ways to reduce your packaging costs while still giving your brand the professional touch it deserves.

First of all, we’ve seen that multiple types of paper can be used for food packaging. These papers differ in terms of thickness, for example.

The higher the GSM (grams per square meter) of the paper, the thicker and more resistant it will be.

However, the price of paper also varies according to its GSM value. The higher the GSM, the more expensive the raw material. Some types of packaging require high GSM paper, but that’s not always necessary.

So, you’ll need to think carefully about the type of paper you choose. With proper guidance and by selecting the minimum GSM suitable for your packaging, you’ll get a product that’s strong enough for your food’s needs, while also saving significantly on raw material costs.

Still on the topic of paper, there are various types of coatings available. Depending on the type of food you serve, a specific coating may be necessary. For example, if your food contains sauces, PE-coated paper is essential to prevent leaks.

Some coatings, such as clay coating, are applied to the exterior of the packaging purely for aesthetic purposes.

If you're looking to cut down packaging costs, this type of coating can be left out. Raw, uncoated paper is naturally more affordable than coated alternatives.

Of course, the packaging may appear slightly less polished without a coating, but the savings can be significant.

Customizing packaging from A to Z can be quite costly, especially when it involves full-color printing across the entire surface of the paper. The price per unit can rise quickly for packaging that includes full-surface printing.

But don’t worry, there are more affordable alternatives. Instead of printing directly on the whole surface, we can help you customize sleeves or stickers that can be placed around or on your packaging.

This option significantly lowers your packaging costs while still giving you the personalized touch that’s important for promoting your brand.

Finally, you can optimize the size of your packaging. Paper packaging is typically cut from large sheets or rolls of paper.

However, cutting also generates waste. In some cases, the size of your packaging may only allow one unit to be cut from a single sheet. But by reducing the size by just 1 cm, it might be possible to cut two units from the same sheet.

So, it’s worth checking with your supplier to find the ideal size that meets your functional needs while also keeping production costs as low as possible.

At Foodabox, we specialize in helping restaurants find the perfect balance between budget-friendly packaging and brand impact. From material selection to smart sizing and creative customizations, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

Let’s make your packaging work smarter. Contact us today!

Ready to elevate your food brand with packaging that makes an impact? Let’s build a solution that’s sustainable, smart, and tailored to your needs.

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