Custom Take Out Bags

Built for the Lunch Rush

A take-out bag is judged by one thing first: can staff grab it, open it and fill it in two seconds during the lunch rush? After that comes whether it holds the order without splitting and whether the customer walks away carrying your name. Custom take-out bags are the counter workhorse for quick-service restaurants, and they are bought in quantity because they are used on every order that doesn't eat in.

The places that go through the most are burger and chicken counters, Chinese and Thai takeout, taquerias, pizza-by-the-slice shops, sandwich shops, bagel shops, coffee shops with breakfast menus, food trucks and food hall stalls. Takeaway bags are also standard at bakeries for boxed cakes and at convenience stores with hot food counters.

Many shoppers who search for "printed carryout vest bags" mean the plastic T-shirt-style bags with two handles. This product is paper. If you are moving from plastic to paper, a flat-bottomed paper bag in two sizes covers most of the same orders and gives you a far better print surface.

Sizes for a Quick-Service Menu

Look at your POS data and find your three most common order sizes. In most quick-service restaurants, a single meal, a meal for two and a family order cover nearly everything. Fewer sizes mean faster service and simpler reordering.

Kraft is the standard for take-out because it is strong, inexpensive and hides grease marks from fried food. White paper gives sharper print and works for cafés and salad bars. Thick kraft is worth the small step up for the medium and large sizes that carry heavier orders. All food-contact papers meet FDA requirements, and recyclable stock is available.

A word on cost, since take-out bags are bought so often. The price per bag falls as quantity rises, so the cheapest approach is usually to standardize: one design, two or three sizes, ordered in larger runs a few times a year. Printing a different bag for every promotion pushes the cost up and leaves you with half-used cartons of last season's artwork. Keep seasonal messages for stickers or menu inserts, and let the bag stay the same.

Food trucks have their own constraint: storage. A truck has little shelf space, so flat-packed bags in one or two sizes are far easier to carry than boxes or clamshells for every item. Many trucks run a single medium bag for everything and add a small fry bag for sides.

Design for Speed and Visibility

A take-out bag is often stapled or folded shut with a receipt attached, carried down the street and put on a car seat. Make sure your logo sits on the lower part of the front so the fold doesn't cover it. Print on both sides so the brand faces out whichever way the bag is carried.

• One or two PMS (Pantone) colors are fast and economical for high-volume runs.
• A printed "Order #" or name box saves staff from writing over the logo.
• Your website or a QR code for ordering ahead encourages repeat pickups.
• A pattern or full-coverage print hides grease from fried food.
• Seasonal designs work for promotions, though a single year-round design keeps stock simple.

Fried sides travel better in their own inner bag. Our printed french fry bags for takeout keep fries contained and steam-vented inside the main bag.

Running the Packing Station

Keep take-out bags in a rack or shelf at the pass at waist height, sorted by size with the next bag ready to grab. Staff should place the heaviest container flat on the bottom, drinks out of the bag in a carrier, and sauces and cutlery last. Fold the top twice and staple or sticker the receipt across the fold.

Store bulk cartons in a dry storeroom away from the dish area and the walk-in door. Rotate stock so older cartons are used first. For orders going out with a driver rather than over the counter, our custom food delivery bags are sized for multiple containers and longer trips.

Ordering Take-Out Bags

1. Pull your order data and settle on two or three sizes.
2. Choose kraft or white paper and thick stock for the bigger bags.
3. Send your logo and colors, plus any fixed text such as your website.
4. Test free samples on a full lunch rush.
5. Approve the proof; production takes 4 to 6 business days after approval, with rush options available.

Take-out bags are a high-volume item, so volume discounts make a real difference; the minimum is still 100 bags per design for new locations or trial runs. Free design help and free shipping to the USA, Canada, the UK and Australia are included. Get started on our free take-out bag quote form.