Imagine ordering food from a restaurant on a Netflix & Chill night or a Friend’s Sleepover night and receiving it in a messy condition, with the food cold, soggy and spilled on the sides. Wouldn’t it spoil your whole experience? Chances are that you will never order from that restaurant again even if the food was acceptable or good. Over the past couple of years, with an increase in online ordering, consumer’s expectations from packaging has changed drastically. Consumers now want eco-friendly, durable, and attractive packaging that not only keeps the food warm and fresh but also makes the whole experience of opening the packaging positive for the customer. Right packaging can also help create brand recognition and customer loyalty. Packaging has now evolved from being just a container to store and transport food to a powerful tool for marketing your brand. Having a packaging thats unique and branded makes consumers post about it on social media and create awareness around the product and the brand – this gives your brand an edge above the competitors.

Here are some pointers to keep in mind while selecting the right packaging:

1. The quality or material of the packaging should be really good. This also helps the brand justify a high cost for the product.
2. The Size of the packaging should be apt as per the portion or quantity of food to be served.
3. The packaging should be sturdy and should also be able to keep the product safe from spoilage or spillage.
4. The colour of the packaging should also be according to the brand image as colours evoke many emotions in consumers. It helps create a perception about the product and brand.
5. The design of the packaging should be informative about the food, as this helps build trust for the brand. Consumers nowadays, want to make informed choices and know the source and production quality of what they are eating.
6. You can also display labels and certifications on the boxes as it shows transparency, ethical sourcing and eco-friendliness. These factors influence consumer’s decisions and helps build loyalty towards the brand.

What Material should be used for the right packaging?

Nowadays packaging is available in a variety of materials. The brands can choose the right material based on their brand image and the product to be served. However whatever the material be it should be as per the target customer’s expectations and also for their comfort. Here are some pointers:

1. Paper/Cardboard – this type of packaging is inexpensive and bio-degradable. It’s also recyclable and makes the environmentally-conscious customers happy. It is perfect to serve sandwiches, baked goods, pizza etc. If these dishes were to be served in packed boxes then they would reach the customer soggy. However paper packaging is flimsy and can wear and tear easily. It is also absorbent and hence not good to serve gravies or curries.
2. Plastic – this type of packaging is good for pasta, broths, sauces and other gravy or curry based dishes. It is durable and prevents spoilage or leakage. It is microwaveable and hence makes it easy for the customer to re-heat the dishes if needed. These are also easily customisable with appropriate branding and hence makes it a popular choice among restaurateurs. However plastic is absorbent and hence makes the food soggy if used to serve baked goods etc.
3. Foam – this type of packaging is apt for rice based dishes, steamed buns or momos etc. It is heat resistant and hence doesn’t make the food soggy or lose its temperature. However it is non-recyclable and non-biodegradable and hence not a good option for the conscious customers. Also it can bend or break easily and hence cause the food to leak out or spoil, hampering the experience for the customers.
4. Aluminium – this type of packaging is sturdy and less flexible hence it is good to transport food especially for long distances. However it is a little expensive to use on a regular basis and not preferred much by the restaurants.
5. Alternative Materials – a lot of alternative materials like hemp, sugarcane, rice-husk etc are also being used to make eco-friendly packaging.

The best way to choose the material is to feel and touch and decide for yourself which material is most suited to your product.

How important is durability of packaging?

The packaging that you are used to deliver your food to the consumer should be such that it does its foremost job well – transport food safely and in the exact condition in which it left the kitchen. This is necessary so that the experience of eating the food for the consumer should not be hampered and should be positive. For this purpose durability of the packaging is very important. Here are some pointers:

1. The packaging should be such that it can handle pick-up, delivery and the long travel distances in between. Even though packaging can be purchased online, the best way to determine durability is to purchase packaging after holding it in your hands.
2. You should ensure that a strong seal is in place whether it is plastic lid, paper tags or aluminium foil as food can get shaken, flipped around, or jostled. If the seal is not good it will cause leakage.
3. The packaging should be able to handle the stress of delivery. If you can poke through it easily then it is definitely not the right one for you. Any type of flimsy packaging will fall apart in delivery.
4. The packaging should also be moisture-resistant so that the food doesn’t turn soggy and reaches the customer in right shape.

How important is the size of the packaging?

The size of the packaging is also as important as its durability. Imagine sending a small food item in a large container. Not only will the quantity seem less to the customer, causing dissatisfaction, but also food will slide around in delivery becoming messy and the packaging is also wasteful increasing a restaurant’s cost. Now imagine sending a big item in a closely packed or small container. This will result in spillage, overflow and mangled meals. Both the situations is not ideal for a restaurant. Hence a restaurant should offer multiple container options like small, medium and large so that each dish has an appropriate size of packaging. One size of packaging may reduce costs for a brand but it is wasteful and may cause frustration in the customers. You can also use packaging dividers to help segregate different items in a single container. For example you have a Burrito Bowl in your menu which is a complete meal containing some Herbed rice, Gravy, Salad, Some Nachos, Some Sauteed Corn, Salsa and Sour Cream. So many components if sent separately will take up too many containers, hence with the help of dividers it can be sent in a single box otherwise all the items will get mixed together and spoil customer experience.

Knowing what your diner wants is also important.

The single most goal of any restaurant is to ensure a good experience for their consumers so that they come back to them again and again. To achieve this the brand should know very well what their consumer wants as it is all about ensuring their comfort. Every packaging should have proper labelling with the names of the dishes, vegetarian or non-vegetarian etc mentioned. The dip-pairings should also be appropriately labelled. If any dish needs re-heating or is hot, then that should be specified too. Even indicate from where to open the packaging as if the customers open from the wrong end it can be messy. Post Covid-19 using tamper-proof containers have also become important so that the food is not cross-contaminated in delivery.

How to effectively brand your packaging?

Branding your packaging is of utmost importance in today’s time. Branded packaging acts as a very important marketing tool to establish a brand image and ensure customer recognition and loyalty. Some tips for effective branding on your packaging are:

1. Keep your brand name, logo and contact information in the front and centre of your packaging where it should be clearly visible and legible.
2. The design and colour scheme of your packaging should be consistent with your brand image. It should be same throughout like also on your uniform or social media.
3. You can always add a small note, thank you card, discount coupon or a fun message to your delivery packet to create a personal connection with the customers. This also increases the brand retention and makes the unpacking experience very positive for the customer.
4. Your packaging should also have a call-to-action for the customers like mentioning the Instagram QR code and motivating them to follow your brand or asking them to leave a positive review on Google or Zomato if they liked the food, or giving a contact number in case they had any suggestions or constructive feedback.

Your consumer eats with their eyes first and the first thing their eyes will feast upon, is the packaging. Brands are built on many things, but packaging is definitely in the top 3. It is as much a part of your product, i.e. the food, as it is a part of the brand and hence it holds a dual importance.

At DinerGuru we help you select the right packaging at the right cost, for every food and beverage item that is on the menu, and help you take your brand and your business to the next level.