At EnvironTakeout, we have multiple great options for your restaurant’s takeout container needs. Our products balance eco-friendliness and convenience, without being cost prohibitive. The right takeout container offers these features, but also safely holds the contents until the customer is ready to eat. So what containers are best for your restaurant’s takeout and delivery business? To determine this, there are some factors to consider. Let’s explore a little more below.

What Are You Serving?

The first and easiest thing to consider is if the dish you’re serving is made up of mostly liquid. Items like hot soups, stews, and sauces need to be carried in containers that are ideal for holding hot liquids. Our paper food containers and coordinating lids (sold separately) are designed to hold hot (or cold!) dishes safely. Customers and delivery drivers can safely transport meals without having to worry about the contents spilling out onto the floor of their car or the seat. The lids for our paper food containers fit firmly in place and have steam holes for steam to escape the container. These small holes keep the lid in place by preventing pressure from building up inside the container.

Paper food containers are also great for transporting cold items like grain salads, rice, lo mien, or fruit salads. Having a lid pop into place ensures that there are no messes if the containers slide around a bit during transport. They are not spill proof, but they provide more protection in that regard than something like a clamshell container.

Clamshell containers are more ideal for carrying items like French fries, sandwiches, burgers, and anything not too “soupy”. Greens salads, full meals, and desserts can all go in their own single compartment clamshell container.

Clamshell containers come in a range of sizes, from 6” x 6” x 3” to 9” x 9” x 3”. The smaller containers can hold items such as a single burger, or a slice of cake, or a small salad. The larger containers can hold a full meal for an adult, or shared sides. Divided clamshells are great for packing a full-sized meal where you might not want the components to mix.

Presentation is Key

As humans, we eat with our eyes first. Presentation can go a long way in making a meal look appetizing or completely unappealing. This is especially important in businesses such as grocery stores, grab and go sections of delis or restaurants, or cafeterias.

Using a biodegradable container or bowl and a clear plastic lid is a great way to entice customers into buying your pre-made options. When they can see what’s inside, they’ll be able to see freshly made items such as salads, sushi, or taco bowls, or any dish your business wants to present in style!

Our oval bowls and coordinating lids are perfect for dishes that have layers, like a poke bowl, or burrito bowl. Their shallow but long shape allows you to start with a bottom layer of rice or grains, and then add on protein, veggies, and sauces. This way, the customer can get a bit of each component in one bite. Oval bowls can be used for pre-made meals in grocery stores or when creating custom meals for customers.

For Here or To Go?

If your business has a lot of customers that dine in rather than take out, our bowls are a great option, as they are designed to be eaten from directly. Lids are sold separately, so it is easy to buy only what you need without taking up extra storage space, or budget!

If you are mainly serving takeout orders, it is best to assess your needs by considering points above; take into account the foods you serve, where they are serve, and how you want them presented to the customer.

Need more help? Reach out to our friendly and knowledgeable customer care team for assistance with our products or to place an order.