Paper Lunch Box.

The lid uses a tab lock or a fold-over closure, and we test it with food inside rather than empty. A delivery bag gets carried at an angle, so a closure that holds on the bench can still let go in transit. A flat top and a rigid lid mean the boxes stack level in a tote without the lower one crushing.

We would go with the tab lock for anything heavier than a sandwich.

Yes, a hot meal in an unvented box steams itself soft before it arrives. We size the venting to the delivery time, because a bag traps humidity and a longer run needs more escape than a five-minute walk. Cold meals do not need vents at all, and leaving them out keeps the box cleaner in a chilled cabinet.

We do not supply unvented boxes for hot mains for exactly this reason.

Compartment inserts stop moisture migrating between components, but they cannot hold two temperatures. Board conducts heat, so a hot main will warm a cold side within minutes in the same box. Where the menu really needs both, the honest fix is two containers.

If everything on the menu is served hot, or everything is served cold, the problem disappears and a single compartmented box works well.

Kraft board with simple flexo print is the food-to-go standard, and full CMYK suits chains that want colour artwork. A printed sleeve is the route we recommend for allergen and ingredient information, since it carries the mandatory marks without covering the box. Inside print is under-used and lands at the moment of opening.

A window panel shows the meal, which helps chilled grab-and-go sell from a cabinet.

The two common sizes are 7 by 5 by 3 inches and 9 by 6 by 3.5 inches, measured as internal length, width and height. The smaller one takes a sandwich and a side, and the larger one holds a whole plated meal. Depth matters more than footprint when the meal is stacked rather than spread out.

Send us the menu items and we will suggest the footprint before cutting a dieline.

500 boxes is the starting quantity. Per-box cost falls as the order grows, and the top of our range is 100,000 per order for multi-site catering. Structural design and the dieline are free of charge.

A plain kraft box with one-colour print keeps the first order affordable while you settle the format.

A standard run takes 7 to 10 business days from artwork sign-off. Rush production is 5 to 7 business days, and samples take 5 to 7 business days so you can test the closure with a real meal inside. The sample cost is deducted from the production invoice.

We ship anywhere in the USA.

They are when built on PLA-lined board, which gives a compostable grease barrier for operators with a composting route. Clay-coated board is the more common choice where composting is not available, and a greaseproof liner handles oily mains on either stock. Kraft board suits health and artisan positioning.

Ask us to mark the disposal instruction on the lid where the stock is certified.