Food is almost like a universal language next to music and art. It is art in many ways and a lot of restaurants from different cultures do an amazing job of representing them. Food is something people around the world unite on. It is not only essential for human beings to survive but makes for an amazing experience no matter where you go. You must have been to a lot of restaurants, some of them really well. And while the food may be spectacular, the packaging oftentimes is subpar or just getting the job done. That may seem okay until you come across a restaurant that pays close attention to packaging and hence has one that not only compliments the food but makes it look amazing in the process.
This is exactly why packaging plays a crucial role in deciding how good your restaurant will do in terms of sales. Even marketing is something good packaging can do automatically if you know just the things you need to add in order to make it look classy and advertise your place without making it too over the top. So, in this blog today, we will take a closer look at how packaging impacts your sales as well as your overall perception in the eyes of customers. We will share 6 unique ways you can tweak food packaging to make your restaurant stand out from the rest.
So, without wasting any time, let’s dive right in!
6 Stand-Out Food Ideas For Your Restaurant
Customizable Box
Nowadays, a lot of restaurants have similar-looking packaging for their takeout boxes. Nothing special is going on about them at all. When you get customizable packaging for your takeout boxes, not only do you easily stand out from everyone else but you can easily encourage people who don’t want to dine, to simply get takeout from the restaurant. You don’t have to completely go overboard and make it super shiny or flashy in any way. You can simply have a nice gable top box with cool art on it and everyone would love it.
Secondly, it also creates a sense of trust which is the foundation you need to bring in customers that are loyal and will keep coming back to you regularly. While we agree your food has almost everything to do with whether people return to you, the packaging is a big factor in determining their interest as well. There are other physical benefits to having customizable packaging as well. Like you can have the box food held differently in separate compartments in the box and tweak it to what your portions are. Personalized food packaging can also become a collectible for people especially have you have value attacked to it. For example, if you are a bakery company, you can get bakery boxes wholesale and have some games or unlockables at the end of it to make things interesting.
Food Package Designs With A Twist
Always remember, you don’t always have to stray too far from the traditional food packaging when designing your own. You can have one or two design elements that make your packaging unique and help you stand out. Like you can keep the compartments the same and introduce a gable style for a nice top handle for people to hold. You can also add a straw holder to your cup holders if you sell takeout drinks. This can be a nice and very practical addition as people often look for places to put food they get for takeout.
It is the small attention to detail that makes your packaging look amazing, makes people appreciate the effort, and brings your restaurant a crowd that actually cares about what you do. All of these things cannot be targeted through marketing as good as it can be done through one-on-one personal experiences through packaging.
Fun Packaging
Let’s take it t a lighter note. Food packaging doesn’t always have to be super practical. Practicality is great but not to an extent where you take the fun out of it. Keeping it fun every now and again can be amazing. For example, introducing new or limited edition packaging for takeout for some time can peak the interest of your customers and give you better sales for some time. Just like that, keeping your packaging new and fresh helps maintain a through-line of excitement for people.
Another important thing when it comes to having fun with packaging is to keep it kid-friendly. This is super important as a lot of families have their young ones in the car with them. Having packaging that has puzzles or games on the back can be super exciting for kids and help in keeping them engaged. It’s also an amazing marketing tactic to help drive more traffic toward your restaurant.
Edible Wrapper
Yes, you heard it right! You can have edible packaging for your food. Not the box it comes in but the wrapper that is around the food. For example, if you are selling burgers and you hate that people have to get through the paper to get to the burger and often waste a lot of food in the process, you can make the wrapper edible. This means it can be consumed with the burger if it becomes hard to take off. You can advertise this on your packaging so people know they have nothing to worry about if they end up eating the wrapper.
This is a great way of not only solving a major problem but also showing your customers how much you care about them. That you want nothing to interrupt the experience they have with your food. There is, however, one issue with edible packaging. It is costlier than normal packaging which is why a lot of restaurants don’t do this. If you think it is a good investment for you, then definitely go for it. The reward could be big!
Eco-Friendly Packaging
The times we are living in nowadays when people have finally started to realize the damage global warming has done and continues to do to our planet. So, keeping your customers on your side when it comes to packaging is super important. Make your packaging eco-friendly. A great way of doing this is to have your packaging made from eco-friendly material like cardboard which can be recycled and repurposed for other things.
Secondly, you can advertise that your packaging is eco-friendly to everyone as it can help people come to you instead of other places that use plastic and other materials that are non-renewable. If you are an environmentalist who loves to keep the planet clean and green, edible and eco-friendly food packaging is definitely the best way to go.
Minimalistic Packaging
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. This is a phrase that rings true for packaging as well. If your packaging is forward with design and people love it, keep using it. However, you can also go with a style that is clean and elegant. Something that screams minimalism and still brings you all the beautiful flavors through the food you deliver. There are many examples in the food industry that uses this packaging and does a great job with it.
Minimalism is something everyone can appreciate. We don’t always want in-your-face type of things. Sometimes, simplicity is the way to go and minimalistic packaging can help you achieve that. As for design, when you look up on the internet you will find many styles that may tickle your fancy. If you don’t have any in mind or don’t like what you see online, just ask your packaging service provider for design ideas and they can quickly enlighten you.
So, as you can see, there are a lot of benefits to using unique food packaging ideas and these ideas will definitely help you keep things interesting and exciting for your customers. Packaging plays an important role in marketing as well as sales when it comes to food as that is the first thing people see. And like they say, the first impression is the last one so make sure you land a nice one to start with. If you made it to the end of this blog, we believe you are more than ready to start exploring to the world of unique food packaging.
For further information, please visit the FAQs section below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the things you need to consider in food packaging?
Here is a list of all the things you need to consider in food packaging:
- Material
1-Design
2-The type of food being packaged
3-Shelf-life
4-Environmental conditions
5-Ease of use
6-Disposal
7-Cost related to production and distribution
What are the limitations of food packaging?
Here are all the limitations of food packaging:
Higher weight translates to higher transport costs as compared to other types of packaging
Lower resistance than other materials under fractures, scratches, and thermal shocks but this is fine since you are getting it for takeout
More variable dimensions than metal or plastic containers
What is the main purpose of food packaging?
The main purpose of food packaging is to protect the food inside, keep it safe and fresh for consumption, and look good while doing it.
