In a previous article we compared the price of different types of lunch boxes according to their material of manufacture. We compared the paper lunch box with 2 types of plastic lunch boxes. Here we will compare the cost of using paper lunch box with reusable tableware.
Indeed, paper lunch boxes can only be used for takeaway food but they can also be used instead of the main tableware. Some restaurants only use single-use packaging such as mc donald, little fat duck and others and that’s good for a reason. We will see this in the rest of this article.
The different types of dishes
When you open a restaurant or café you have to choose the type of tableware you will use. First of all you have to choose the type of plates and cutlery for customers who stay to eat indoors. Commonly, restaurateurs use reusable tableware that they wash themselves. But is it really the most economical solution? This is what we will see later. Others choose to use single-use packagings to make their work easier and not have to add the extra task of managing dishwashing.
Then if you decide to offer the takeaway option or make delivery via an existing food delivery platform you will have to think about packaging. For economic reasons, you will necessarily have to focus on single-use packaging. Then come the choice of the type of packaging you want to use. For this reason I invite you to read the article I mentioned above which compared paper lunch boxes and plastic lunch boxes.
Management according to the type of tableware
Depending on the type of dishes you choose, its management will be different.
For reusable dishes you will need to plan something to wash this dish. A dishwasher for professional ? Hand washing dishes? You will need to provide the manpower to perform these tasks.
If you choose to use single-use dishes such as paper lunch boxes, you will not have to manage anything extra. Once the packaging has been used, just put it in the trash. Moreover, you will not have to make a distinction between sit in customers and those who take away.
If you choose single-use packaging you will only need a very small space to store it. Opting for this solution will clearly simplify yout life when opening a new business
Costing differences between each type of dishware
The different types of packaging also have a different cost.
A lunch box costs about RM0.26 to RM 0.36 per piece and that’s it. No extra cost, no maintenance cost, no management cost at all. You buy the lunch box once and that’s it.
For reusable dishes, a simple reusable plastic plate costs at least RM1. But that’s not all there’s also the cost of maintenance. With the labour, water used, etc. the cost of washing a reusable plate is about RM0.25/pc. Reusable tableware is an investment in time but there are risks. You can lose it, damage it or break it and you will have invested money in the wind
When starting your business it is preferable to use paper lunch boxes rather than reusable tableware because it will certainly be more profitable in the long term but it will already require a certain number of uses. If you start with single-use dishes, nothing will prevent you from changing to reusable dishes in the future because you will not have made any investment over the long term
