Best Materials for Durable and Leak-Proof Pizza Boxes

In the highly competitive pizza industry, delivering a product that arrives hot, fresh, and intact is paramount to customer satisfaction and brand reputation. The final touchpoint before consumption–the pizza box–plays a critical, often underestimated, role in this process. Read on to learn about the best materials for durable and leak-proof pizza boxes.

Cardboard

Cardboard is one of the best and most commonly used materials for pizza boxes. Manufacturers commonly produce this material from paper pulp and place flutes between layers of paperboard that keep it rigid. This strength allows your employees to protect the pizza from damage as it makes its way from your eatery to the client’s hands. You can even add linings to the interior to prevent the cardboard from absorbing grease.

The product is also recyclable, allowing you to minimize your pizzeria’s environmental impact. By investing in a cardboard pizza box, you’ll purchase a strong container that will protect the food while making your operations more environmentally friendly.

Paperboard or Chipboard

Another example of one of the best materials for durable and leak-proof pizza boxes is paperboard, also known as chipboard. While this material is not as thick as cardboard, it consists of a thick layer of strong paper that will still provide you with durability as you carry your pizza to your client’s location.

Like cardboard, paperboard can absorb water, and you can incorporate coatings that will prevent leakage. In addition, paperboard pizza boxes can feature vents that allow steam to escape and stop that moisture from damaging the box or your pizza.

The thin nature of the material also provides restaurateurs with a distinct advantage over cardboard. Because it is not as thick, it will take up less room in your restaurant when you put these boxes away. So not only will you protect your customers and avoid messes when you use paperboard, but you will also gain a storage advantage. Plus, like cardboard, chipboard is recyclable.

Kraft Paper

One last durable option your restaurant has for its pizza boxes is kraft paper. The material—which takes its name from a German word that has translations that include “strength” and “power”—can provide you with a lightweight yet sturdy option. Manufacturers create them with multiple kraft paper layers that can ultimately support items such as pizzas.

In addition, companies can also make this material water resistant, so you can worry less about moisture escaping as you make your deliveries. Kraft paper is recyclable, and its natural brown color can give your box a professional appearance that will impress your customers as you protect their pizzas.

Mistakes That Your Pizzeria Should Avoid

Now that you have learned about the various materials you can choose from when ordering plain pizza boxes, there are other factors that you shouldn’t lose sight of that can affect the customer’s experience. Read about several of the mistakes that pizza restaurants make and why you should steer clear of them.

Skipping Branding Opportunities

One critical mistake you should avoid is related to your product’s packaging. If your pizzeria fulfills customers' orders in boxes that don’t feature your company’s logos or slogans, you cut yourself out of a valuable marketing opportunity.

After they eat and enjoy your delicious pizza, they may feel like ordering it again. But if they don’t have a box that features the name of your restaurant or even your phone number, they may not easily remember where they got it from. By adding these visuals and this information to the boxes, you’ll increase their familiarity with your business.

Losing Track of Trends

Evolution is constant in the restaurant business, making it critical to avoid falling out of step with the latest trends. Whether serving customer preferences with artisanal pizzas or catering to vegan customers, you must stay abreast of trends to stay relevant. Otherwise, you may be less of a capable competitor within your market and find yourself falling behind other pizzerias.

Assuming Any Box Size Will Work

Every day, your chefs put forth their best efforts to deliver appetizing pizzas that will have your customers craving more. But all that work can go out the window if you don’t stock your pizzeria with boxes that are the wrong size.

This can result in your chefs trying to cram their carefully made pizzas into these containers and doing damage to the client’s meal. No customers like it when they open a pizza box and find that the cheese has stuck to the top of the roof because it didn’t have the right height. Confirm your dimensions before ordering your pizza boxes and your kitchen crew and customers will be glad you did.

Providing Your Employees with Improper Training

Your pizza and its boxes are not the only things that make an impression on your customers. Your people do as well, through their service. However, without the proper training, they can make mistakes that will cause your customers to turn their backs on you.

For example, if you don’t provide your employees with the proper training for taking client orders, they may make mistakes such as getting the orders or addresses wrong. Not only will you have to deal with an angry client, but you’ll also have to redo the pizza entirely, resulting in wasted food that can be costly to your business.

Take the time to provide your workers with thorough training that conveys what you expect them to deliver in customer service. You’ll save yourself unnecessary headaches and better ensure you retain loyal clients who will help your pizzeria flourish.

After learning the best materials for durable and leak-proof pizza boxes—and some of the mistakes that can prevent your pizzeria from thriving—you’re in a much better position to please customers with your offerings. Consider the benefits of each material to determine whether cardboard, chipboard, or kraft paper will be the best pizza box material for your business. While they’ll enjoy the slices of your pizza box by box, you’ll be in the prime position to experience slices of success.