Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “it’s what’s on the inside that matters.” While this might be true sometimes, in the restaurant industry, the packaging is going to determine a lot about what customers will assume about the inside. Delivery has been on the rise the last few years, so food packaging has become more important. Customers might not notice a lot about packaging, but they will notice the first time something goes wrong with it. So what is it that customers look for when it comes to food packaging? Let’s look at some of the most important factors you should consider when deciding what packaging to use at your restaurant.
Durability
Nobody wants their packaging to get soggy on the ride home and leak through. Getting food to-go is supposed to be a convenience that allows you to not have to cook or wash dishes, so having to clean up a soggy mess kind of defeats the purpose. You want whatever is holding the food to hold up from start to finish!
Sustainability
The concerns of product packaging and its effects on the environment is something that customers do not take lightly. Find out what kind of sustainability works best for you. You could have reusable to-go containers, recyclable containers, or maybe find a compostable option. Your location, budget and type of food can all play a role in deciding what will work best, but it is important to understand that there are options.
Insulation
If your packaging does not keep the food warm, there are going to be complaints. Imagine getting home to find a soggy box of take-out due to poor ventilation and lukewarm food. It’s not a pretty picture. Make sure that whatever you are using to deliver food keeps everything at the correct temperature for as long as it possibly can.
So after you have your back office solutions set in place and your restaurant is running like a well oiled machine, you have more time to pay attention to the little details that might not seem important, but actually make a difference.Taking these suggestions into consideration is sure to keep your customers coming back for more. If you want to go above and beyond, you can even consider packaging that is easy for people to consume on the go. Restaurants have easy to open ketchup containers that allow people to dip their fries, or a to-go tray that has your food setup to easily eat so you don’t have to rummage through a bag. Of course, you can’t always do it all, but it is good to know your options and see what works best for you and your restaurant.
