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Choosing Right Food Containers for Take-out Food

The type of food container used for take-out restaurant food has to be functional, be suitable for purpose, and be able to reflect the standard of your dining establishment. Food that isn't properly contained can give a bad impression, whether for take-out or as a dog bag, so it is important to choose the right food containers for the different types of food.

Expect a customer to include the take-out container of your restaurant or eating establishment when ranking their experience. It may seem an unusual part of the experience, but consider how a customer will feel if the food leaks, falls through or goes bad due to an insufficient food container. Moreover, an upscale deli won't be satisfied with clunky and ugly food containers for its customers carrying delicious food home. Those containers have to be elegant and perhaps even marked with the deli's name and logo.

As part of your research in determining which containers to choose for your restaurant, find out what kind of customer you usually attract, as well as their dining habits and the level of income they probably have. This will help you to determine the cost you're willing to outlay on the food containers.

Determine the size of the food to be placed into containers. Set the portion size for one time meal only and price it right. Some foods are required by FDA to also have the ingredients and nutrition facts on a label added to the packaging. This label can be used to enhance the packaging as well, if you plan to sell the food in a tightly sealed non-clear container.

Also, determine at what temperature you want to sell your food. For hot food, in order to taste at its best, it may require constant heating, so you have to put in a blown moulded plastic container or into aluminum foil pans. You'll need to find one that has enough thickness to retain the heat. Be aware that heat can change the container's shape. It helps to prick the lid with a tiny hole, so as to avoid fog.

If it is regular cold food, on the other hand, you can use clear plastic food containers for better presentation. However, if it requires a colder temperature, it is better to use PET material. If it is frozen, use polystyrene, as this is the best material for preventing cracks.

What’s more, make sure that your food will still look at it's best after you shake the container for five minutes. Use compartments ,risers and grids to keep the food in its place. If the food container is for take out, it has to be capable of coping with movement and be damage proof when shaken. Do a little testing of your own before sending the food out with customers.