First of all, I invite you to read our article “Understanding the Technical Jargons When Buying Paper Food Box” in order to have all the keys to easily understand the vocabulary about food packaging we will use in the rest of this article.
Identify your needs
First, ask yourself the right questions to identify the characteristics of your products.
– My food is in sauce?
– Is it dry?
– Is it greasy?
– Are my portions large, medium or small?
By doing so, you will identify the specificities of your future packaging. Once you have done this, ask yourself questions about the type of packaging you want.
– Do you want a packaging with a round or rectangular shape?
– What type of paper do you want? More like white or kraft? Printed or not?
– Do you want your packaging to be opaque or do you want to see through it?
Now that you can see more clearly what your needs and desires are, you can start to focus on your packaging research.
Coating
First of all, consider the type of coating you want for your packaging. What is the coating? Well, it’s a thin layer of material that when applied to the paper gives it new technical characteristics. Indeed, this is essential for paper food packaging. Depending on the type of food you want to put inside your packaging, the coating must be adapted. If your dish is in sauce, PE coated paper (a very thin layer of plastic) is necessary to avoid any risk of leakage. If you sell fried rice, paper with a coated greaseproof may be sufficient. And finally, if you sell dry biscuits for example not very greasy a paper without any coating can be sufficient. For a small aesthetic touch and a slightly cleaner finish, you can opt for a clay coating on the outside of the paper.
Shape
Then think about the shape of your packaging. Is it a rectangular or round shape that will best match your food? If you choose something more circular, think of bowls. There are different sizes that can be perfectly adapted to the portions you serve. On the contrary, if you want rectangular packaging, think of the lunch box. Just like bowls, there are many sizes depending on the suppliers and you will necessarily find what suits you.
Custom packaging
Moreover, if you do not find what you are looking for, do not hesitate to ask for personalised dimensions or even a completely customised design, designed for you and your restaurant. With completely customised packaging, you can choose all the characteristics of your packaging from A to Z. For this purpose, you will be accompanied by your supplier who will make suggestions and help you to make the best decisions thanks to his valuable experience.
Design
Last but not least, the design of the packaging. Indeed, you can keep your packaging in the colour of the paper you choose (white or kraft for example). But, you can also decide to choose a printed paper with your own design. You can therefore have packaging that perfectly reflects your restaurant but also improves your brand image. It’s perfect to promote your brand in a simple and effortless way because it’s done by your customers. If you are interested you can take a look at this article which explains the advantages of choosing a customize.