Custom French Fry Bags

Fries Have About Five Minutes

A batch of fries is at its best for a few minutes after it leaves the oil. After that, steam from inside each fry starts working against the crisp outside, and the container decides how fast that happens. An open-top paper fry bag lets steam escape out of the mouth while the paper soaks up a little surface oil. That is why burger joints, fish fry stands and boardwalk vendors keep coming back to the simple paper bag instead of sealed clamshells.

The bag also does marketing. Fries get eaten in the car, on a park bench and at the stadium seat, often while the bag is held up near the face. A printed fry bag with a bold logo shows up in photos and on social feeds more than nearly any other piece of packaging you buy.

Who uses them: burger restaurants and drive-thrus, food trucks, fair and festival vendors, pubs serving a side of chips, fish and chip shops, hot dog stands, sports concessions and anyone selling loaded or seasoned fries by the scoop. Some also use them for onion rings, tater tots, churros, sweet potato fries and fried pickles.

Fry Bag Sizes and When Each Works

Most menus run small, medium and large portions, and the bag should fit each portion with the top few fries just showing. Fries that sit below the rim look skimpy; fries piled well above it fall out on the walk to the table. Fill a sample bag with your scoop to see where the line sits before you settle sizes.

Grease is the main design question. Kraft hides oil marks well and looks natural with fried food. White paper gives a sharper print, but oil shows through faster, so it suits shops that drain fries well before bagging. A grease-resistant paper is worth asking about if your fries go out hot and heavily salted. All of our food-contact papers meet FDA requirements.

Print That Looks Good With Fries in It

Customers hold a fry bag from the bottom or the sides. Logos placed too low end up under the palm, and anything at the very top sits behind the fries. The middle band of the bag is your billboard. Big, bold shapes in one or two colors work better here than detailed artwork.

• Red and yellow are classic fast-food colors for a reason: they read from far away. Pick yours with PMS (Pantone) so every batch matches.
• Kraft with black print gives a craft-burger feel and hides grease.
• A repeated pattern of the logo means the brand still shows from any angle.
• Skip foil and spot UV here; a matte print reads better once oil reaches the paper.
• A short tagline works; jokes about putting the fries in the bag tend to get shared.

Fries are rarely served without a dip. Match the bag with printed paper sauce cups for ketchup so the side and the sauce look like one order instead of a pile of mismatched parts.

On the Line

Keep fry bags in a holder or bin beside the fry station but away from the fryer splash zone. Oil spray settles on paper, and a stack of bags with greasy edges looks bad when handed over. Many kitchens use a fry scoop that drops portions straight into an open bag held in a rack, which is fast and keeps hands off the food.

Salt fries in the basket or a bowl, not in the bag, so the seasoning spreads evenly. For delivery or longer takeout trips, fold the top of the bag over once to keep heat in, or leave it open for a short walk so the fries stay crisp. If customers eat at a table or on the go with a burger in the other hand, a cone holds better, and our custom cone fries packaging sits upright in a stand.

Placing Your Order

1. Decide which portion sizes need a printed bag and fill test bags with your scoop.
2. Choose kraft, white or grease-resistant paper.
3. Send your logo and colors. If you only have a photo of your sign, our free design help can rebuild it.
4. Request free samples and run them through a real lunch rush.
5. Approve the proof; production takes 4 to 6 business days after approval.

The minimum is 100 bags per design, and pricing improves at larger quantities, which matters for an item you go through daily. Shipping is free to the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia, and rush options exist for a new opening or festival. Request pricing on the free fry bag quote page.