Jesse Harster, Author at MrTakeOutBags.com Blog

In Products

A Must Watch if You’re Sick and Tired of Using T Shirt bags – Meet the Super Wave and Ameritote Bags

October 15, 2015 No Comments

Let’s talk about two of our most popular take out bags… the Super Wave and Ameritote bags.

While they’re strong, super supportive and attractive bags…

Sometimes they leave folks scratching their heads when it come to determining the right size bag to go with.

So, the geniuses that we are, we thought we’d put together this little video to hopefully help you understand.

Check it out or read the breakdown below…

So, if you’re not into videos and are more of a reader like myself, here’s the long and short of it…

The bags I’m talking about, once again, are the Super Wave and Ameritote bags.

While these two bags are very similar to one another, the obvious difference is that the Super Wave bag has it’s handles “cut out” of the bag itself. This is what’s called a Die Cut Handle. And on the other hand, the Ameritote bag has two soft loop handles securely attached to it.

And compared to others bags, having these types of tops makes them super easy to load because nothing gets in your way.

You may recognize them from places like the Cheesecake Factory, Qdoba and Wendy’s.

One of the reasons they’re so popular is because they are 2 to 3 times as thick as regular T shirt bags or “Thank You” bags that you’re probably familiar with.

What that means to you is they won’t tear or split like a T shirt bag. You see, these bags are made of a unique blend of both high density and low density poly so they won’t tear. And so, they can hold much more weight inside of them.

The other great feature about these bags (and the cause of sizing confusion) is that they have a BOTTOM GUSSET which gives them a flat bottom.

So, first off, you might be wondering… “What’s a gusset”?

A gusset is just a fancy schmancy word for the extra material that’s inserted into a seam to add width or depth to a bag.

So, here’s the thing. Bags NORMALLY have their gussets on the vertical sides of the bags…

However, both the Super Wave and Ameritote bags have their gusset on the bottom.

And what this bottom gusset does is that it allows your to-go boxes or containers to sit flat inside the bag. That way your food doesn’t tip over or spill out.

That even reminds me of another great feature of these bags… there’s no bottom seam. That’s right. NO SEAM. So even if the bag bumped into something and food spilled out of the containers inside, it won’t leak out of the bag all over the place.

So, now that we understand that… let’s talk about these sizes.

You see, because the gusset is on the bottom and the sides are now “pinched” (without a gusset), the inner space is going to contract as you open the bag up.

As you can see from the image below, the length of the bag is going to get smaller and change shape as you open the bag and place a box in it.

For example, let’s look at a 15 x 14 x 5″ super wave bag.

And just so you know, the order of those #’s are… Length X Height X Bottom Gusset. So, this bag is 15″ across, 14″ high, and has 5″ bottom gusset. Capisce?

So, while you might think you have 15″ to play around with… you don’t. Like we said, the length will contract in. With this size bag, it will actually only fit a box or container that’s 10 x 5″ or less.

Here’s how to figure out what size take out bag will work for you…

Because the sides don’t have any gussets, more or less, all of the available space you’re going to get is going to come from the length of the bag. Remember, the first number.

And because there’s two sides to the bag, you would just double the length to get the total maximum area that a particular bag size will fit.

Let’s go back to this example of the 15 x 14 x 5″. So 15 multiplied by 2 gives you 30″.

So, for a box to fit inside this bag, the total perimeter (or measurement going around the entire box) would need to be equal to or preferably less than 30″.

Let’s do the math on a box that’s 10 x 5″. Adding all 4 sides together (10+10+5+5) gives me 30″. Whollah.

So, there you have it. I’m hoping we were able to clear up any confusion or uncertainty about these take out bags.

But, as always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate in giving us a call at 888-321-2248 and we’ll be more than happy to help.

And, in case you’re thinking these bags are pretty sharp, we have them in an “Enjoy” print, plain white, and of course we can custom print them however you’d like them

In Branding

Power of Perception (through Packaging)

September 30, 2015 No Comments

Don’t judge a book by its cover, right?

Especially nowadays in this uber politically correct world we live in. How dare we judge someone or something by it’s OUTWARD appearances, right?

So, here’s a question for you…

Despite probably being told NOT to judge people or things by their appearances…

Do you still do it? Do you judge by appearances?

If I was a betting man (which I’m not) AND if you were brutally honest with yourself…

Chances are the answer is YES – you more than likely pass judgment based on appearances all day long.

But, look. I’m not here on the other end of this article wagging my condemning, self righteous finger at you. I’m in the same boat as you.

You see, we all do this. We ALL judge based on appearances.

But, listen, it’s not your fault. It’s our human nature and it’s essentially hard-wired into us.

So, whether we like this or not, is beside the point.

You can either fight and kick and try to swim against the current of human nature… or… you can harness it’s power and strength to your advantage.

Sooooo, what does this have to do with your business?

Before we jump into that in a minute…

Let’s look at a pretty cool experiment done several years ago that exemplifies this exact point of snap judgments based on appearances.

Have you ever heard of Joshua Bell? He’s a world renowned violinist. Just to sit in the nose bleed section of an amphitheater and hear this guy play, you’re paying upwards of $100. No joke.

I heard him play here at the Pittsburgh Symphony a few years back. And let me tell you… this guy is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. What he can do with a violin will make your jaw drop.

So, here was this experiment.

Teaming up with the Washington Post, he dressed in blue jeans, a T shirt and topped off his attire with a baseball cap.

Standing in the lobby of a busy D.C. metro during rush hour, he started to play his world class music to passerbys in exchange for tips.

I mean here was the chance to stand 5 feet from this world famous violinist and experience his music. You couldn’t have had a better seat if you dished out $1,000 for a balcony seat at Carnegie Hall.

So I’m curious. How many people do you think stopped to take it all in?

How much in tips do you think people poured into his violin case sitting on the ground in front of him.

Surely, blue jeans and a T shirt wouldn’t skew people’s judgment. I mean they can hear how great the music is, right? Surely that will be proof enough and reason to shrug off his less-than-professional look.

Let’s take a look and see what happens…

So, how much did he take in that day, you ask.

A whopping $32. 17. That’s right, 32 measly bucks.

So, we ask WHY did he make so little?

It certainly wasn’t the music. He played the same genius-caliber music he plays to standing room only crowds in theaters around the world.

The answer is his APPEARANCE and the PERCEIVED VALUE people placed on him.

In an instant, as people walked by, they consciously and unconsciously “sized up” Joshua by his appearance.

You see, visual cues are one of the major determinants people use when assigning value to something.

I guess it’s for this same reason that people, when interviewing for a job, don’t show up in shorts and flip flops, right?

As Al Ries and Jack Trout famously state in their book, The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, because our perception is how we experience the world, it’s all we have.

So, when it comes to your business, rest assured, people are passing judgment and assigning values merely on appearance. Whether it be consciously or unconsciously.

Opinions are being formed based on the look of your business, the decor, how employees are dressed, and of course…

Based on your PACKAGING.

Is it fair? NO.

Will people continue to do it? ABSOLUTLEY.

Now, you’re obviously a smart and savvy businessperson already and understand that packaging and branding is important. Otherwise you wouldn’t be a client or subscriber of MrTakeOutBags.

But, if you’re ever looking to add to your perceived value and marketing efforts or have any questions about custom printing your packaging, give us a call at 888-321-2248. We’d love to talk packaging and help you explore some possibilities.

Learn How 3 Savvy Business Are Putting a Spin on Custom Packaging

These 3 clients are using their packaging in unique ways to increase their sales and build customer loyalty.

Click here to read HOW they’re doing it!

Title photo credit: Let books be your dining table, And you shall be full of delights Let them be your mattress And you shall sleep restful nights. ~Author Unknown via photopin (license)

In Industry

Shipping Tips on MrTakeOutBags.com

August 20, 2015 No Comments

“How much does shipping cost?”

“How long will it take to get to me?

“Do you offer free shipping?”

When ordering online, I’m willing to bet (and I’m not a betting man), that at least one of these questions crossed your mind. If not all of them.

And rightly so… right? They’re all valid questions.

So, let’s jump in and tackle those questions and more so you’re well versed and know all there is to know about shipping and how it affects your business.

How to Calculate Shipping Costs

We get asked this question quite often, so we’ve built in a quick and easy way to calculate your shipping costs on MrTakeOutBags.com.

And you can do this without going all the way through the entire “checkout” process of including your address and billing information.

Here’s the way of it…

Obviously, first you’ll need to add all your desired items to your cart. Whatever it is you’re interested in getting.

Once you’ve done that, you just need to click the green “Checkout” button on the top right of the page.

From there, you’ll be taken to a page that displays all the information about the quantities, prices, and items in your cart.

As well, you’ll see in lower left portion of the screen an “Estimate Shipping” button. Click that guy.

From there, all you need to do is enter your zip code in the pop up form…

And whoollahhh, there’s all your options for shipping and their respective costs.

So, now you know what it’s gonna cost to ship. Next, you might be wondering…

“When is it going to get here?”

Great question.

So, while we do have other facilities around the country, the majority of orders will ship from our main Pittsburgh, PA location.

And that said, as long as you place your order before 2:00 PM EST, most orders will ship out that very same day.

So, back to your question of when it’s going to arrive. That will depend on where you live in the United Sates. For most of our clients, it’s going to fall between 1 and 4 days.

For our friends in Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and a few really rural patches in the US, it’s 5 days.

Here’s a handy map below to help you identify how many days it will take to ship to you…

So, for example…

If you live in Kansas and place your order on Tuesday at 1:30 PM EST, we’ll get your order out that same day. Now, as you see from our trusty map, Kansas is 3 day transit.

And because you don’t count that initial order day into the equation, you would begin counting Wednesday as Day 1, Thursday as Day 2, and Friday as Day 3. So, your order will arrive on Friday. Just in time for the weekend.

Moving on, let’s talk about a topic or question we get from time to time…

“Do you offer free shipping?”

And with other companies out there “claiming” to offer free shipping, it’s certainly a valid question.

To plainly answer that question… No, we don’t offer free shipping.

But, in response I’d ask, who “truly” offers free shipping? I mean, is there ever really a free lunch?

Look, you’re a savvy businessperson, so you’ve probably realized that the other companies claiming to offer free shipping, have merely moved that cost and added it into the cost of the product. It’s merely an accounting trick.

At MrTakeOutBags.com we try to be more transparent and open.

So what we do is offer very competitive pricing on our products, oftentimes the lowest in the industry, along with a shipping component. From there we will help you to find the best cost and method to ship to you.

If you do a little comparison shopping, you’ll notice that the prices of our product plus shipping COMBINED are LESS THAN other companies that offer free shipping.

On top of that though, there are still a few tips or ways that we can help you with…

How To Reduce Your Shipping Costs

1. Ship to a commercial address

First things first, if you’re able, ship to a commercial address, as opposed to a residential address.

Commercial addresses are defined as having a public entrance along with posted hours of operation.

Depending on the size of the order and where you’re at in the US, you can save between 10 – 20% by shipping to a business location over a residence.

2. Order larger quantities of the same item.

On the right hand side of every product page, you’ll notice a price break at 2-4 cases and a greater price break at 5+ cases.

So, if you’re using a product anyways, why not go ahead and save by getting more of it?

I get it. I realize the UPS driver is drop dead gorgeous. But the more times he’s making deliveries, the more your shipping costs will be.

So, go ahead, order more cases, have your UPS driver put those muscles to good use, and save money. It’s a win-win.

Enough about your UPS driver… let’s move on.

3. Order an overall larger “basket of goods” and receive Weight Discounts.

Why juggle 5 different suppliers and deal with ordering one item here, one item there.

Because here’s the thing… once your order gets above 250 lbs, we get a discount from UPS that we’re more than happy to pass right along to you.

By the way, that discount is typically in the neighborhood of 20 – 25%. (Which is a pretty nice neighborhood to be in.)

And even further up the scale, once we approach or exceed 500 lbs, it begins to make sense to send your order “freight” via carrier shipping.

And because, we’re then shipping 1 large package (a pallet) rather than 27 individual packages, we’re able to drastically slash your shipping costs even further.

However, because it is a pallet, it does need to be unloaded either from a dock or taken off the back of a truck. You see, there are other options available to consider that we can advise you about, such as a “lift gate service” that brings the product down from the truck to the ground and optional delivery appointments that some customers require.

When your order gets to either of these levels, it’s best to call us and we can ensure you get the absolute lowest shipping charges possible.

Now, I realize you may not have had time to explore our entire website before you placed your last order…

But when you do have a minute, take a look around our site, or give us a call at 888-321-2248. We can possibly help you locate other items you need or are using now.

And finally, no conversation about shipping would be complete without answering the question…

“Do you ship internationally?”

So, here’s the long and the short of it… while we do have international clients, we do not ship directly to international locations.

What I mean by this is that we only ship internationally through what’s known as a Freight Forwarder.

So, we’ll ship our client’s order of packaging items to their freight forwarder located here in the US, such as Miami, New York, etc. And the freight forwarder will then consolidate that order along with many other people’s orders into a freight container that’s bound for that same international destination.

So, while this might have been quite a bit of info to digest, hopefully you’ve found it helpful.

However, if still have further questions, please let us know. We’re happy to help.

Cheers to a happy and speedy delivery.

In Products

4 Ideas for Smarter Food Service Packaging

August 3, 2015 No Comments

Food service businesses have a great many options available to them when packaging their foods for distribution to retailers or directly to consumers, and lacking any reason to act otherwise, they often choose the simplest and cheapest packaging solution. However, this is often not the best solution for the customer, and by extension not the best solution for the food service packaging. Better decision-making about packaging can have a huge impact on customer satisfaction and ultimately on the bottom line for the food service company. Here are some steps that are worth considering for better food packaging.

Microwaveable To-Go Containers

Prepared foods that are intended to be warmed up before consumption should be delivered to consumers in a microwave-safe container that promotes thorough heating of the product, but does not remain warm to the touch itself. The heating part is not so unusual, but a container that will not burn the user after being warmed is just as important.

It could deter the person from wanting to purchase similar foods in the future, not to mention the scramble for aloe vera to soothe burning flesh. A container that is secure and not too slippery in handling will also be appreciated, and even though these are characteristics not actively sought, they are appreciated when present.

Customize Your Food Service Packaging

This is an idea that can pay an awful lot of dividends after an initial investment. When a food service company uses high-quality containers for packaging their foods, these are often kept by the purchaser rather than thrown away, because they are very handy containers. When that handy container also has the company name brand or logo prominently customized into the lid or on the side, it is a reminder to the buyer, and an advertisement to anyone else who sees it. Customized to go containers can be a wonderful promotional aid for a company that provides a huge return on investment.

Gable Boxes

These are sometimes referred to as ‘barn boxes’ because of their shape, but they can look much more exciting than a barn. Combining the features of a bag and a box all in one container, these can be very sturdy and very colorful packaging for foods. For instance, even several pieces of fried chicken won’t leak through the solid structure of a gable box. Like the custom to go containers mentioned above, gable boxes can also be customized with company branding graphics or text for promotional use, and they can be available in practically any conceivable size.

Green Disposable Lunch Containers

Most to go lunch containers are disposable nowadays, so as to offer the buyer the convenience of being able to quickly dispose of it after the meal, and for many buyers that will always be a priority. However, there is also a tremendous emphasis on sustainable resources these days, and more and more people are joining the groundswell of support for being responsible caretakers of the planet.

A food service business that offers a ‘green’ disposable lunch container satisfies both groups of people and positions itself as a company that cares about the environment. Some disposables are even compostable, which is a quality that has the wonderful effect of returning the container to the earth for re-use. At least one segment of the consuming public will want these containers for that reason alone, and will support the company that offers them.

There are a virtually limitless number of options to help you define your business with innovative food service packaging materials. Give your brand a packaging makeover with help from the to-go container and packaging experts at MrTakeOutBags.com. For years, MrTakeOutBags.com has been providing innovative packaging solutions for all types of businesses. No matter if you run a bakery or a carry out cart, shop MrTakeOutBags.com for all your to-go container and packaging needs.

In Branding

How 3 Savvy Businesses Are Putting a Spin on Custom Packaging

July 31, 2015 No Comments

Sure, we all know that Custom Packaging and Branding your business is important, right?

Nothing new there.

But, today I wanted to share with you 3 awesome ways a few of our customers are putting a spin on custom packaging to help differentiate their businesses and drive sales.

So, outside of putting your logo, company name and contact info on your packaging…

What else can you do?

How else can you leverage your custom printed packaging?

Great questions. Glad you asked.

1. The “Bounceback”

So, if you’re not familiar, a bounceback is an offer or discount you give a customer after they’ve bought from you in order to entice them to come back, or “bounce back”.

And here’s the thing… they work fantastically.

Here’s how Walnut Grill is doing this RIGHT ON THEIR BAGS…

Use custom printing to include an offer or promotion on your packaging

These bouncebacks can be just a straight offer to get people to come back…

Or, you might want to increase traffic and sales on certain days or times of the week. In that case, you would gear the offer to only being redeemable then.

2. The “Cross Promotion”

This is great if you have multiple locations or have two or more businesses. Why keep your budding empire a secret?

Let customers of your one business know about your other locations or businesses. Work smarter and LEVERAGE your customer bases off of each other… growing both.

This is just smart marketing.

Use multiple-logos to cross promote

Two well placed logos can help cross promote each other.

But what if you have only one business? Can you still apply this idea?

Absolutely. But you have to be a little more creative. Perhaps there’s another business in town that doesn’t directly compete with yours.

What if you two formed an alliance and using the same bag, cross promoted each other? Some might call that a “WIN-WIN.”

3. The “Exclusivity Principle”

Status. We all want it.

If it wasn’t for status… brands like Mercedes and Rolex WOULDN’T exist.

Let’s face it, functionally speaking, a Yugo or Timex gets the job done, right?

It gets the job done, but doesn’t look great doing it

So, outside of just hiking up your prices… how do you apply exclusivity to your packaging itself?

Well, here’s what another one of our clients does…

More expensive purchases get more expensive bags

So, here’s the deal with Femi.

When you shop at this boutique clothing store and spend less than $200, your items are put into the white bag.

However, when you spend over $200, you’re UPGRADED to the higher-status black bag. So, when you’re checking out and then walking around with your dapper black bag, other people now know that you’re a “baller.”

Status achieved.

So, those are three super cool ideas I’ve seen recently how our clients are leveraging their custom packaging to do more.

In Branding

Better Market Your Brand with Custom To-Go Containers

July 24, 2015 No Comments

Restaurants and other food service companies need to use every advantage to market themselves to potential customers. This has traditionally been accomplished through commercials on television, radio, print and through old-fashioned word-of-mouth advertising. These traditions obviously are far from dead, and they’ve even been joined by social media advertising, but companies that offer take-out or delivery services can also use their own packaging and to-go containers to sell themselves. Here are just a few examples of how that is done.

Memorable Logos

One of the smartest things that a food service company can do with its packaging is display its logo. Logos are far more powerful than many people realize, with many being instantly recognizable to people all over the world. Fast food restaurants are perhaps the best known for this practice. Everyone can recognize a container from McDonald’s from its iconic golden arches, just as everyone knows a KFC bucket thanks to Colonel Sanders’s face. The simple act of carrying a bag of McDonald’s food home turns people into a walking advertisement for the restaurant.

Other restaurants that aren’t considered fast food have also adopted this marketing approach. Applebee’s offers take-out food in fairly distinct bags, and restaurants such as Timber Lodge have their logos on their styrofoam to-go boxes. It’s a simple yet effective marketing strategy that requires little effort on the part of the company.

Eco-Friendly Packaging

Since styrofoam and plastic aren’t exactly environmentally friendly, some people may be reluctant to order food from restaurants that use them for take-out orders. On the other hand, more and more people are going to restaurants that use more eco-friendly biodegradable packaging. This may not exactly be a marketing strategy, but the very fact that so many smaller companies are using this kind of material for their food definitely makes people take notice.

Providing Menus with To-Go Orders

Restaurants that rely heavily on delivery and take-out orders often include menus with their food. Not only does this make it a lot easier for repeat customers to order food in the future, but the menu makes a great advertisement for anybody who sees it. Many Asian take-out restaurants like to use this strategy, and some restaurants may even print the menus on the packaging itself. This may not work as well as simply putting a copy of the menu in with the food since the packaging is usually thrown away, but it’s still a good example of how some food service companies are using their own food packaging as a marketing opportunity.

These are just a few ways that food service companies can use their own packaging as marketing opportunities. Plenty of restaurants and other similar businesses use these marketing strategies to their advantage, but there are also plenty of businesses that still rely on nondescript styrofoam packaging when it comes to sending food to their customers’ homes. More specialized food containers are surprisingly inexpensive, and they can be customized to have practically any logo and be any color. They are a perfect way to provide a restaurant with some inexpensive advertising, and any take-out restaurant, delivery service or fast food place would do well to find packaging that works for them.

If you’re looking for custom to-go containers to help put your business over the edge, look no further than the huge in-stock selection from MrTakeOutBags.com! Dedicated to helping your business create a distinctive and customized food packaging solution, MrTakeOutBags.com features the largest selection of innovative food service packaging solutions with same0day shipping and the lowest prices around. Whether you’re looking to give your business an eye-catching new design or take your marketing to the next level, make sure to shop MrTakeOutBags.com today!

In Products

4 Ways Your Business will Benefit from Disposable Food Containers

July 21, 2015 No Comments

Disposable food containers sometimes get a bad rap from the press. It’s been said that disposable lunch boxes, disposable soup bowls and other food service containers that get thrown away after just one use are wasteful and bad for the environment. While there are certainly some food service products that will just spend years in a landfill, there are also plenty of companies that use biodegradable materials for their containers. These can be safely thrown away or recycled, effectively eliminating one of the biggest complaints about disposable food products.

Considering that any disposable food containers you use are made from recycled or biodegradable materials, they will offer plenty of advantages for your company. Here are just a few to remember.

Sanitation

One advantage of disposable food containers that many people may not consider is that they are often more sanitary than reusable plates and lunch boxes. A plate or piece of silverware can certainly be washed and reused, but that won’t eliminate all the bacteria that might be left over. Meanwhile, a disposable food container is thrown away after just one use, lessening the chances of food-borne illness and contamination.

Saving Water and Energy

It takes a lot of water and energy to constantly wash reusable dishes. An industrial-sized dishwasher that might be used by a major restaurant uses seven to eight gallons of water per minute. This water can reach temperatures of up to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile, disposable food containers require no washing; they are merely thrown away.

Convenience

The reason why so many restaurants and their patrons would want to use disposable food containers is because of the convenience factor. Not only is there no need to wash things like disposable soup bowls and plates, but there isn’t even any reason for customers to keep them in a restaurant. Diners can take their food with them if they are in a hurry and want to eat later, which in a way is convenient for everyone involved.

Keeping Food from Spoiling

Disposable food containers are obviously great for restaurants that offer delivery or takeout food, but not because they can be cast aside when they are no longer needed. Many disposable lunch boxes are designed to keep food hot while it is in transit. This means that it will be fresh and ready to eat even after a lengthy trip. This still isn’t as ideal as simply eating a meal as soon as it is prepared and served, but it cuts down on the amount of food that has to be thrown out due to spoilage and improper storage.

Keep in mind that while disposable food containers do offer plenty of advantages to restaurants and individuals, you should be sticking to recyclable or biodegradable containers whenever possible. Styrofoam does make for an effective takeout container, but it also doesn’t break down when it’s thrown in a landfill. Stick to “green” biodegradable containers made from paper or cardboard instead if you can. It’s much better for the environment.

If you own or manage a food service business, having disposable takeout containers is a must! Make sure you are shopping the largest in-stock selection around by visiting MrTakeOutBags.com! At MrTakeOutBags.com, we provide our customers with the guaranteed lowest prices around and same day shipping! Take advantage of working with the best food service packaging provider in the business and visit MrTakeOutBags.com today!

In Branding

4 Tips to Liven Up Your Custom Takeout Containers

July 15, 2015 No Comments

Custom takeout containers and food storage containers may be convenient for both employees and customers, but have you ever thought about how they can help you advertise and build your brand? When customers take their to-go containers home or see your food storage containers, they will think of your brand and be more likely to revisit your restaurant. Their coworkers, friends and family members may also see these containers and become interested in visiting your restaurant. With so much marketing potential, you can’t afford for your to-go containers to be boring and plain. You need to liven them up in a way that will make your food service more attractive and appealing.

Colors

What catches your eye first, a plain white or clear container or one that is bright and colorful? Are you more likely to remember the name of the one restaurant that gave out the colorful containers, or one of the many restaurants that gave out the same boring white one? Color can make a big difference in how your food service packaging gets noticed, and if you can find a way to add color to your to-go containers, you may just get the attention of more customers.

Logo

The best way to advertise your restaurant or food service company is with your logo. You can add your logo to a variety of merchandise, so why not add it to your food storage containers as well? People who notice someone eating food from a carryout container may be hesitant to ask where the food is from, but if you logo is already on the container, they will instantly know where to go to try the food they want to taste.

Stickers

When you were a kid, you used stickers to liven up your papers, folders and walls. Why not use them to make your food containers more attractive? You can create custom stickers with the name of your company or a logo, or you can just use any random sticker to make the packaging more fun and memorable. This is a particularly good idea if your food service business has a lot of young customers or parents who want to get their children excited about trying different foods.

Notes and Messages

Nothing makes a customer remember a place more than being treated well and appreciated. Making your customers feel special or significant is a great way to earn repeat visitors. When you pack up your customers’ food, consider writing a nice or funny message on the to-go container. Not only will it make it a more memorable experience for the customer, but it will make them more likely to talk about your restaurant with friends and family members too.

By making some simple changes to your custom food packaging and to-go containers, you can make your food service company or restaurant much more memorable for customers. When customers remember your brand or think of your company, they are likely to talk about it and give you free advertisement. Why settle for dull, boring food storage when you can liven it up with just a little effort?

In Branding

3 Ways to Make Your Takeout Bags and To Go Containers Stand Out in 2015

July 8, 2015 No Comments

Marketing a restaurant or some other kind of small food service business can be challenging. If you’re just starting out, you have to convince people somehow to go with your services instead of more established businesses. Of course, there are plenty of great ideas for attracting business to a new restaurant. You can market your services on social media, air television and radio spots or circulate flyers. All of these are great ideas and have been very successful in the past, but one idea that you should never overlook is to use custom food packaging and takeout containers to advertise your business.

Take out food containers and other kinds of food packaging can be pretty simple; all they really have to do is keep a customer’s food fresh until they can get it home. However, they also provide some great opportunities for you to market your restaurant to others. Here are just a few ways that disposable food containers can be a great opportunity to advertise your business.

Showcasing a Unique Logo

The most obvious thing that you can do for your takeout food containers is to showcase your business’s logo. Creating a great logo is an art in itself, but once you have a logo for your restaurant you should display it as often as you can, including on your custom food packaging. It should also have a consistent appearance and color scheme since the idea is to create brand recognition across all advertising platforms.

Including a Menu

Depending on what kind of takeout food containers you have, this may not be an option. It obviously takes a lot of space to include a menu on a to-go box, but if you have that space you should by all means take advantage of it. Not only is it convenient for your customers who will want to order food in the future, it may also attract new customers and let them know what your restaurant has to offer.

Being Convenient and Functional

As important as it may be for your packaging to have a unique logo and a menu, the most important aspect is that it is functional. Takeout containers need to be able to hold a customer’s food, after all. When you’re designing your custom food packaging, don’t get so caught up with being aesthetically pleasing and unique that you end up making your containers impractical. Customers will remember a useful container much more than they will a pretty and unique one.

With over 50,000 satisfied customers and counting, you cannot go wrong by taking your food service packing needs to the to-go container experts at MrTakeOutBags.com. From customized to go containers and bags to baked goods packaging and cupcake boxes, MrTakeOutBags.com is your one-stop-shop for all your food packaging needs. Our expansive selection of containers and to go bags is sure to meet any of your packaging needs, and all of our products are available at some of the lowest prices around with same day shipping guaranteed! Make the most out of your company’s food packaging this year, shop at MrTakeOutBags.com today!

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5 Food Packaging and Container Needs for Your To Go Restaurant

June 26, 2015 No Comments

If you own or run a food delivery business, food packaging and containers likely comprise a major percentage of your inventory. When you package food and beverage products efficiently, your customers will be more satisfied and you will grow your bottom line. If you’re starting a food delivery business or wish to improve the efficiency of your packaging and container system, you might consider adding the following items to your regular inventory of to-go containers.

Hinged Containers for Ease of Use

Your top priorities in relation to take out containers will include ease of use for both your employees and your customers. Hinged containers are generally easy to keep closed, which is crucial when prepared food is being transported. Regardless of the type of material you choose for such food boxes, the fact that they are hinged will help you save money. They will aid your workers in preventing spills, which will prevent the need to replace orders. Additionally, customers who must deal with messes are not apt to become return customers, so hinged containers can help you to avoid losing customers unnecessarily.

Transparent Containers for Efficiency

Transparent containers can help you to improve the efficiency of your food delivery business. When employees are able to instantly view the contents of to go boxes, bowls, and cups, they can save time by not being forced to open them. This can be especially useful when large or bulk orders are being prepared for delivery.

Clear containers also allow customers to see food, and this can produce a positive effect (on multiple levels) in regard to how they feel about the items they’ve ordered. Once an order is delivered, a customer can see that the right food has arrived. Viewing the food through its container is also the equivalent of seeing it as it’s delivered to a table in a restaurant. This instant visual opportunity may enhance the entire dining experience.

Microwaveable Containers for Convenience

Another way to offer convenience to your customers (and thus, to increase your value to them) is to package their food orders in microwaveable containers. No matter how hot an order is when it leaves your restaurant, it can still cool down somewhat by the time it reaches the customer’s location. Additionally, countless people store their restaurant leftovers in their takeout containers. Such individuals are apt to appreciate having the ability to reheat their food without placing it in different containers.

Eco-Friendly Packaging for the Environment

An option that many customers may prefer is delivering food packaged in containers that are environmentally friendly. Not all cities are equipped to recycle Styrofoam, and not all plastic containers are recyclable. The solution to these issues is a container made from material that is more likely to be recycled, such as cardboard. This kind of packaging can be designed to be leak-resistant, and it can even be made to go in the microwave safely.

Customized Packaging for Additional Advertising

In a market that is always highly competitive, you can’t ever really advertise too much. Any opportunity to plant the name of your business in the minds of customers should be utilized. By customizing all of your to go containers to include your restaurant’s name, logo, and contact information, you will be advertising your business to every customer who orders from you. This can help to increase your percentage of repeat business. Customized packaging may also be seen by your customers’ houseguests and coworkers, which can further maximize your advertising efforts and budget.

The main purpose of to go containers and packaging is to securely transport and store food and beverage orders. However, the kinds of packaging and containers you select may serve many additional purposes. No matter what your purpose may be, make MrTakeOutBags.com your one stop shop for all your packaging needs. With same day shipping and the largest selection of innovative food service packaging options, finding the perfect to go container for your needs is easier than ever. Shop today for our guaranteed low prices and discover how we can help your business grow its bottom line.

MrTakeOutBags.com Foodservice Jesse Harster Blog

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