Paper bag guide
Takeout Bag Sizes for Restaurants: What Fits One, Two and Four Meals
Match takeout bag sizes to your containers, from a single clamshell to a four-meal family order
Why does the container decide the bag size?
Restaurants rarely bag food loose. Everything goes into a clamshell, a round cup, a bowl with a lid or a tray, and those containers have fixed sizes. The bag only has to fit the containers.
That makes takeout bags easier to size than retail bags. Count how many containers go in a typical order, note how staff stack them, and measure the stack. The bag follows from that.
The mistake is to pick a bag by name and order a medium. Then your 9 × 9 in clamshell sits at an angle inside it. Sauce leaks, lids pop and the driver gets the blame.
So start at the pass, not in a catalog. Pull your three most common orders and pack them on the counter before you read the table below.
Which bag size fits which container?
Takeout containers come in a handful of footprints. The table lists the common ones with a bag size that takes them flat. Each leaves a little room at the sides and space above for the handle or fold.
All sizes are width × gusset × height in inches. The gusset is the number to watch, because it has to match the depth of the container, not its width.
| Container | Footprint | Bag that fits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| One 8 × 8 in clamshell | 8 × 8 × 3 in | 9 × 8.5 × 11 in | Deep gusset keeps the lid level |
| One 9 × 6 in rectangular box | 9 × 6 × 2.5 in | 10 × 6.5 × 12 in | Room for a drink or a side |
| Two 9 × 6 in boxes stacked | 9 × 6 × 5 in | 10 × 6.5 × 12 in | Same bag, two meals |
| One 32 oz round deli cup | 4.6 in across, 5.6 in tall | 8 × 4.75 × 10.5 in | Napkins and cutlery go on top |
| Two 32 oz rounds plus sides | 9.5 × 4.6 × 6 in | 10 × 5 × 13 in | The everyday two-meal bag |
| Four 9 × 6 in boxes, two stacks of two | 18 × 6 × 5 in | 13 × 7 × 13 in with boxes turned | Stack in two columns, sides on top |
| Family tray or 12 in platter | 12 × 12 × 3 in | 14 × 12.5 × 8 in, flat handles | Custom width; carried like a tray |
What size takeout bag fits one meal?
One meal is one container plus the extras: a drink, a side, cutlery and napkins. A small shopper with a 4.75 in gusset takes a round cup, or a 9 × 6 in box on its edge.
If your single meal is a wide clamshell, do not force it into a small bag. A 9 × 8.5 × 11 in bag with the deep gusset keeps the lid flat and stops rice sliding to one end.
Single orders are the ones most often handed across a counter, so this is the bag where a printed logo gets the most views. Options for this size are on our takeout paper bags page.
Add a fry sleeve or a sandwich bag inside and nothing changes. Those are light and sit on top of the main container.
What size takeout bag fits two meals?
Two meals are the most common delivery order for most kitchens, and 10 × 5 × 13 in is the bag that handles them. Two 9 × 6 in boxes stack inside, with the 5 in gusset taking two 2.5 in boxes.
Two round cups sit side by side in the same bag, because 4.6 in plus 4.6 in leaves room in a 10 in width. Sides and bread go on top.
Kitchens that use the taller 32 oz rounds should think about height. Two of them side by side take 5.6 in, so the 13 in height leaves plenty for a fold.
A 10 × 6.5 × 12 in bag is the alternative for boxes that are deeper than 2.5 in. The extra gusset is worth it for lidded bowls.
What size takeout bag fits a family order of four?
Four meals do not go in one tall stack. Four 9 × 6 in boxes stacked is 10 in high and tips over in the car. Pack them as two stacks of two instead.
Two stacks of two boxes side by side form an 18 × 6 in footprint, too wide for most bags. Turn the stacks so the 6 in sides face front and the footprint becomes 12 × 9 in.
That fits a 13 × 7 × 13 in wide carryout bag with the boxes slightly staggered. A custom 13 × 9.5 × 12 in bag takes them square, and it is the better answer if four-meal orders are daily.
Flat handles suit this bag. They spread the load across a wider band and sit flat when the driver stacks three bags in a hot box. Our flat handle paper bags come in these wide sizes.
How many bags does one order use?
A single takeout order often uses more than one bag, and each needs its own count on the reorder. Here is how a typical two-meal order breaks down.
- One outer carryout bag that holds everything and carries the logo.
- One sandwich or wrap bag per hand-held item, so the paper absorbs steam instead of the box.
- One fry sleeve or scoop per side of fries, kept out of the main container so they stay crisp.
- One small SOS sack for sauces, cutlery and napkins when the order is for delivery.
- A second outer bag when drinks are included, because cups travel best in their own bag or a carrier.
Flat handles, twisted handles or no handles for delivery?
For food, the handle has a different job than in retail. It needs to hold the bag level and leave the top open for a receipt or a fold.
Flat paper handles are the usual choice. They lie flat in a delivery bag, do not catch on the zip and spread the weight of a full order. Twisted handles look smarter at the counter but stand proud and can tangle.
No handle at all suits big SOS sacks and pizza-style orders that are carried from underneath. The top folds over twice, which also seals the order.
Pick the handle by how the bag leaves the building. Counter pickup can take twisted handles. Delivery drivers with insulated bags are better served by flat handles or a folded top. The guide to paper bag handles compares all of them.
Receipts, tamper folds and sealing the order
Delivery customers want to see that nobody opened the bag on the way. A folded top with a staple or a printed sticker across the fold does that job without extra packaging.
Leave room for it. A fold takes about 2 in of height. A receipt stapled to the fold needs the paper to be flat, not bunched around a handle.
Printed stickers are a good place for a logo, the order number and a thank-you line. They cost less than a second print color on the bag and can change with the season.
- Fold the top twice before stapling, so the staple goes through four layers and does not tear out.
- Place the receipt on the outside of the fold where the driver can read it without opening the bag.
- Use one sticker across the fold line, so any opening breaks it.
- Keep hot and cold items in separate bags and label each with a sticker.
- Put sauces in a small sack inside, so a leak stays contained.
How much paper weight does a takeout bag need?
Takeout bags carry heavier loads than retail bags of the same size, and they are carried by the handles while warm. Most restaurants use kraft around 90–115 gsm for the outer bag.
Lighter paper is fine for the inner bags. Sandwich bags, slice bags and fry sleeves sit at 50–60 gsm because they only have to hold one item for a short time.
These are guidance figures, not load ratings. A bag with a wet bottom fails at any weight, so keep sauces lidded and let steam escape before the fold goes down. Inner bags are listed on our paper sandwich bags page.
Pick your sizes in four steps
Most restaurants finish with two outer sizes and one or two inner bags. Here is the quick way to get there.
First, pull last week's orders and note the three most common container combinations. Second, pack each one on the counter and measure the stack.
Third, match each stack to the table above. For a custom size, add an inch to the width, half an inch to the gusset and 3 in to the height. Fourth, count the inner bags per order so the reorder covers every style.
Send the sizes and quantities together and the quote prices each line. Printed takeout bags need 4–6 business days on the press once the proof is approved, and the trip to you takes 2–3 business days.
