Today, more than half of consumers say takeout and delivery are essential to the way they live. They are hungry for higher quality and seeking restaurants that provide it. Importantly, restaurants meeting this need will sell more. In fact, when NRA surveyed consumers for the 2022 State of the Restaurant Industry report, 9 in 10 agreed they would order a greater variety of items to go – if the restaurant used packaging that helped keep the food’s temperature, taste, and quality similar to dine-in.
The right packaging will deliver what your chef intended and win more orders. It can also deliver innovative paths to protect or improve your profit margins.
Put Your Packaging to the Test
An average of 30-minutes will pass between when an order is packaged and opened for the first bite. During this time, you must preserve taste and presentation. When choosing packaging, prioritize testing on this timeline to identify the difference alternate packaging options provide.
Protect Texture and Temperature to Protect Taste
Crispy, craveable favorites like fried chicken must deliver a hot, satisfying crunch. To do this over a takeout or delivery timeline, excess moisture produced by the food’s heat must be properly vented. Technomic® consumer research found Crisp Food Technologies® containers were the best at retaining heat and protecting texture, delivering a better experience consumers could taste.
Protect presentation during travel
When food travels further from the kitchen, it must arrive looking as good as it tastes. Polypropylene (PP) packages retain heat and offer clear food visibility. These packages close securely to prevent messy spills, and are available in compartmented designs to keep sides and proteins neatly separated. Also, unlike fiber or foam, PP containers are consumer reusable and remain recyclable after use.
Package up Profit Growth
Packages that protect taste and presentation longer enable restaurants to deliver more of their menu to a larger delivery radius. Food that meets or beats expectations eliminates costly comps for unsatisfied customers. Also, strategically selected shapes and sizes can convey larger servings while supporting portion control. As a result, item quantities can be slightly reduced to lower food costs and maintain or improve profit margins.
The right package will deliver the best experience and is an investment in the next order. Choose packaging that delivers what your chef intended and win more of the off-premise growth opportunity.