Custom takeout food boxes are branded cartons and folding containers that carry a restaurant meal from the pass to the customer, built to the size of the dish. TBPB prints them with no minimum order and a price-beat guarantee, so a one-location kitchen gets the same terms as a chain.
Match the box to the food
Takeout is not one product. A folded paperboard pail with a wire handle suits noodles and rice, because the tapered walls hold a rounded dish. A tuck-top carton suits sandwiches and wraps. A corrugated clamshell suits a burger and fries together because the flute insulates and resists a soggy bottom. A flat-lid pizza box is a different build altogether. Choose by what spills, what steams and what gets stacked in a delivery bag, not by what looks nicest in a mock-up.
Heat, steam and grease
Hot food produces steam, and steam turns a sealed box into a wet one. Small vent holes or a loose-fitting lid let it escape, and fried food especially wants a vent. Grease is the other enemy. Plain uncoated paperboard soaks it up within minutes, and a grease-resistant coating or a liner paper is how good takeout boxes stay clean. Ask us what coating options exist for your menu, and confirm food-contact suitability with your own regulatory adviser. We print the artwork you supply and do not certify materials for food use.
Sauce-heavy dishes are best in a rigid container with a lid and a separate sauce cup. A box alone will not hold a loose liquid.
Board and print options
- Folding carton paperboard, commonly 16 to 24 pt, with a coated face for sharp print
- Kraft paperboard for a natural, cafe-style look
- E-flute or B-flute corrugated for heavier meals and better insulation
- One-color black ink, full CMYK, or Pantone to match your brand
- Matte or gloss aqueous coating on the outside
- Handles, windows, tuck lids, tear-off strips or tamper stickers
A single-color black logo on kraft usually looks better than a four-color image, and it is easier on the menu budget. Print gets lost when the box is greasy, so keep fine type larger than you would on a retail pack.
Before you order a large run, buy a small batch and pack real meals into them. Fill a box with the hottest, wettest dish on your menu, close it, then carry it to a car and back. That ten-minute test shows whether the lid stays shut, whether the walls bow and whether steam beads up on the inside. It costs almost nothing when there is no minimum order, and it saves you from reprinting a thousand boxes that look good empty but fail under a real order. Repeat it with the stacked delivery-bag test if you work with apps.
Where other box types fit better
If your menu is mostly Asian-style takeout, our Chinese takeout boxes are the classic pail shape. For burgers and fried sides, fast food boxes are a closer fit, and a separate french fry box keeps sides from steaming the main dish. The full custom food boxes category has bakery and dessert styles.
Ordering sensibly matters. Sizes that fit one meal each tend to waste less than a single oversized box, and fewer SKUs reduce the number of sizes you have to stock.
Send the dish dimensions, weight and what it contains, plus how many boxes you want, even one. We draw the dieline and quote it. There is no minimum order.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a minimum order for custom takeout food boxes?
No. TBPB has no minimum order. A new restaurant can order a handful to test sizes and print, and a busy kitchen can reorder in volume. The dieline process and the price-beat guarantee are the same at every quantity.
Which takeout box style is best for hot food?
Hot food needs venting. A tapered folded pail with a wire handle suits noodles and rice, while a corrugated clamshell holds burgers and fries and resists sogginess. A grease-resistant coating or liner helps with anything fried. Send your menu items and we will suggest a style.
How do I stop grease from soaking through the box?
Use a grease-resistant coating or a liner paper inside, because plain uncoated board absorbs oil in minutes. For very oily food, a separate wrap helps. Confirm contact suitability with your own regulatory adviser, since we print supplied artwork and do not certify food use.
What size should my takeout box be?
Measure the dish or its container at its widest point and add room for the lid to close without crushing the food. Steam also needs headroom. Standard-fit boxes waste less board, so send your portion sizes and we will check them against a custom dieline.
Can I print my logo on takeout boxes?
Yes. A one-color black logo on kraft is a popular and affordable look, and full CMYK or Pantone match is available for brand color. Matte or gloss coating on the outside protects the print. Keep small text larger, because grease and handling blur fine detail.
Do you make delivery-safe boxes for apps?
Yes, in the sense that we can add tamper strips, tight-closing lids and sturdier flutes. Boxes that stack in a delivery bag need flat tops and strong walls. Tell us how the food travels and we will draw the box to survive it.
More Custom Food Boxes
See the full Custom Food Boxes range, or explore related options with no minimum order and our best-price guarantee:
