Takeout Bags and Paper Bags for Food Service

What are takeout bags, and which kind does your kitchen need?

Food bags do two different jobs. Carryout bags hold closed containers on the trip home. Sleeves and flat bags hold the food itself, often in the customer's hand.

Most restaurants need one of each. A burger place might use a wide handle bag for the order. Each burger inside then gets its own wrap sleeve.

Think about the trip as well as the counter. A bag that suits dine-in leftovers can fail on a 20-minute delivery ride. Containers slide and steam builds up.

For the outer bag, start with our takeout paper bags sized to your containers. They come with twisted handles, flat handles or none.

Eight food and takeout bag styles at a glance

Every food bag we make is in this table, with the menu item it suits and a typical size. Use it to shortlist two or three before you ask for a quote.

Food bags are often sized to a product rather than a standard number. Send us your container or portion size and we work from that.

What size takeout bag fits your containers?

Measure the containers, not the food. Stack your most common order the way staff pack it, then measure the footprint and the height of the stack.

A single meal in one clamshell often fits an 8 × 4.75 × 10.5 in bag. Two meals or a bowl and a side usually need about 10 × 5 × 13 in.

Family orders and pizza-box-free platters need a wide bag. A 13 × 7 × 13 in carryout bag keeps 9 in containers flat, so sauces stay put.

Delivery apps add another wrinkle. Drivers carry several bags at once. A flat, square bottom that keeps containers level matters more than a pretty handle.

Allow a little room around the containers and two to three inches above the top for the handle or fold. For more sizes, see our paper bag sizes chart with measurements.

Sandwich bags or wrap bags: what is the difference?

A paper sandwich bag is a flat pouch, open at one end. You slide in a cold sandwich, a croissant or a wrap and fold the top over.

Common sizes run from about 6 × 8 in to 7 × 10 in flat. Cafés and delis keep them by the display case because staff can fill them with tongs in seconds.

Light kraft and white paper are the usual choices. White looks clean next to pastries; kraft suits a rustic deli counter.

Some shops print a simple line on the bag, such as the shop name or a menu web address. Others keep them plain and add a sticker with the sandwich name.

If you serve cold or room-temperature items, our flat paper sandwich bags for delis are the simplest option.

Bags for burgers, subs and hot sandwiches

Hot sandwiches need a different shape. A wrap bag is a flat sleeve that hugs the sandwich. It holds the fillings together while someone takes a bite.

Customers peel the sleeve down as they eat, so the paper does the job of a napkin and a plate. That is why food trucks and burger counters order them in large numbers.

Size the sleeve to the sandwich. A 6 in sub, a burger and a foot-long each want a different width and length, so send us yours.

A common mistake is ordering one sleeve for every item on the menu. A burger sleeve that fits a sub leaves the burger loose, and loose burgers fall apart.

Light kraft paper keeps the sleeve flexible. Read more on our sandwich wrap bags for burgers and subs page.

Do pizza shops need their own slice bag?

Yes, if you sell by the slice. A box is too much for one slice, and a plate does not travel. A flat paper sleeve sits between the two.

Most slice bags hold one or two slices side by side. Flatbreads, calzones and garlic knots also fit, which makes the bag useful beyond pizza.

Shops near colleges, stadiums and nightlife spots go through them fastest. A one-color logo on the sleeve gets seen on every sidewalk nearby.

If you also sell whole pies, the slice bag does not replace the box. It covers the walk-up trade that a box would make slow and expensive.

See the sizes and print options for our pizza slice bags for counters.

How should fries and fried snacks be bagged?

Fries go in an open-top sleeve that stands in the hand. The customer can eat from it on the move, and it slips into a carryout bag beside the burger.

Portion control is the main reason to standardize on paper fry bags. Set a size for each menu portion and staff fill the same amount every time.

Light kraft or white paper is standard. See portion sizes on our French fry bags in three portion sizes page.

• Small: a side portion or a kids' meal.
• Medium: the standard side with a burger or sandwich.
• Large: sharing portions, loaded fries or churros.
• Keep each size in its own stack at the fryer so staff do not guess.
• Print the portion name on the sleeve if your menu has more than two sizes.

Popcorn bags for concessions and events

Popcorn bags have a square bottom so they stand on a counter or in a cup holder. They range from single serve for school events to sharing sizes for movie nights.

White paper with a bold print is the classic look, though kraft suits farmers markets and craft fairs. Stripes, a logo or an event name all print well on the flat faces.

Order early for one-off events such as a fundraiser or a company film night. With the proof, production and shipping, plan on about two weeks.

Snack vendors who sell fries, churros and popcorn from one stand often print all three bags with the same artwork. One proof can cover the set.

Matching popcorn bag sizes to your menu

Popcorn is light but bulky, so bag size is about volume rather than weight. A bag that looks large flat can hold less than you expect once its bottom squares out.

Concession stands often sell two popcorn sizes and one bag style for both. A small bag for kids and a larger one for sharing keeps the menu board simple.

Theaters and stadiums tend to print the venue name on every size. Schools and churches often prefer a fun pattern that works at any event all year.

Kettle corn and caramel corn sellers use the same bags, sometimes closed with a fold or a sticker. If you seal the top, ask us to leave extra height.

Browse sizes from single serve to family share on our popcorn bags for concessions page.

When should you choose wax paper or glassine bags?

Plain kraft is fine for most dry foods. Buttery cookies, cured meats and deli cheese are a different story, because oils can mark light paper.

Wax paper bags use waxed or wax-coated paper. Delis wrap sliced meats in them, bakeries bag cookies in them and sandwich shops use them as an inner layer.

No paper bag is leak-free, so very wet foods still need a container. Wax paper is about appearance and handling, not a sealed barrier.

Wax paper bags also look the part. That slight sheen tells customers the cookie or the pastrami came from a proper counter.

For deli and cookie counters, see our wax paper bags for deli items in small flat sizes.

Glassine for treats, favors and small parts

Glassine is a smooth, semi-translucent paper. Customers can see the shape and color of what is inside without opening the bag.

Candy shops and bakeries use it for single treats and macarons. Outside food, stamp dealers, jewelry makers and hobby shops use the same bags for small items.

Glassine bags are flat and small, often sealed with a fold, a sticker or a printed label. Keep artwork simple, because the paper shows through.

Find sizes and print notes on our semi-translucent glassine bags page.

How to order takeout and food bags

Three slips cause most food bag problems. Staff guess container sizes, one fry size covers every portion, or small text gets printed on light paper.

Restaurants also forget the sleeves until the carryout bags arrive. Order outer bags and inner sleeves on one quote so both show up in the same week.

Fix those first, and the order itself is quick. Bring your container sizes and portion list, then follow these steps.

1. List the bag styles you need, usually one carryout bag and one or two sleeves.
2. Measure containers, sandwiches or portions for each style.
3. Choose kraft, white or a coated paper, and plain or printed.
4. Send your logo, sizes and quantities with a quote request.
5. Approve the written quote, then the free design proof.
6. Food bags are made over 4–6 business days. They then travel to you free of charge, tracked, in 2–3 business days.