How Your Restaurant Can Safely Package Food
With new dining measures in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, takeout options and food deliveries have now become a vital lifeline for keeping restaurants open during the lockdown periods. While fast-food and coffee shops are already well-versed in packaging food and drink items, other dine-in restaurants, from family diners to fine-dining establishments, may find this sudden change difficult to navigate.
So, how does a restaurant prepare food for its customers that keeps it warm, safe to handle, and free from contamination? In today’s post, we look at what packaging products are best suited for preparing food and drink items for take-out and deliveries.
Take Extra Precaution with Hot Drinks
Though commonplace for many cafes and coffee shops, restaurants that now sell hot beverages to-go may not be as accustomed to packaging them up for customers.
To ensure your customer’s drinks are delivered warm and spill-free, make sure to stock the right type of cups. Standard paper and foam cups are highly affordable but can easily get too hot and are better suited for cold drinks that are consumed at the point of sale. Stronger alternatives include metal or plastic cups, which are much less likely to break or spill but are often very costly for restaurants to provide.
Paper Hot Cups, however, offer an affordable solution. Supported by a rolled rim and lined to stop leakage, these cups are sturdy enough to support hotter temperatures yet light enough to be carried by a delivery driver or customer.
More importantly, if you do choose to sell hot drinks in cups, remember to stock up on lids and hot cup sleeves. Without them, your delivery driver or your customer may accidentally spill the drink or burn themselves, reflecting poorly on your customer care standards.
Seal All Food to Preserve Flavor
It is well-known that food begins to deteriorate in quality much faster when left at room temperature. This is especially true if you are handling food that is prone to spoiling in the warm, open air, such as sushi, meat, and certain desserts. Though preventable with a speedy delivery services, there is also the possibility of a health hazard if the food is not securely packaged and sits in the open air for too long.
Due to switching towards new delivery options, it is true that diners will not get to experience food as fresh as it would be straight out of the kitchen. Although this might be a blow to many chefs who dedicate plenty of time and energy into their cooking, restaurants can still deliver quality food with the right food packaging solutions.
The solution to giving your customers restaurant-quality food at home lies in sealing freshly cooked food as quickly and securely as possible. Restaurant managers should make sure chefs or cooks have easy access to takeout containers in the kitchen so that freshly cooked food can be packed up quickly for collection or delivery.
If your restaurant also provides sauces, gravies, or condiments, these can either be added to takeout containers or placed separately in packaging products such as soup containers.
Prevent Moisture with Foil Bags
Moisture is expected in a busy kitchen, even if the dining room is now empty. But when dealing with drier foods such as a bread, tortillas and pastries, moisture can result in the food going soggy or limp before it arrives at your customer’s doorstep.
If you are looking to keep your food warm without it getting too moist, consider using foil bags as packaging. For food items such as spring rolls, burritos, hot dogs and naan breads, aluminium foil bags offer protection to sensitive foods from light and moisture, all while keeping them warm enough to eat.
Equip Your Kitchen with Food Packaging from The Packaging Company
Though COVID-19 has put a significant strain on restaurants and the food industry, a shift towards takeout and delivery services can help these businesses stay on the right track. If you are looking to prepare your restaurant for takeout and delivery services, consider stocking up on food packaging supplies from The Packaging Company.
Providing everything from paper bags, takeout containers and many specialty items, we can help your restaurant excel at offering a quality takeout service that reflects the passion you have for your food and diners, even if they are at home. Browse our food packaging catalog today!
