As operators face inflation and supply chain issues, these concerns top headlines and awareness. Packaging provides a useful tool to address these concerns, and by helping to control food costs and deliver a better dining experience, grow revenue and profits.
Especially in the age of off-premise dining, food packaging isn’t just a vehicle for bringing food from point A to point B, but rather is a part of the dining experience itself—so much so that many consumers are willing to pay slightly more to cover the cost of upgraded packaging if it better protected the temperature and quality of the meal, according to NRA’s 2022 State of the Industry Report. And, given that the No. 1 purchase driver consumers cite for off-premise dining is that the food tastes as good as when dining in, according to Technomic’s recent Delivery & Takeout Consumer Trend Report, it’s likely diners will be more inclined to place large orders or return to the restaurant if they trust the packaging will maintain freshness, temperature and taste.
In short, by protecting food integrity, aiding in portion control and improving customer satisfaction overall, the right packaging can be a solution for many of the most challenging issues facing operators today. For these reasons and more, finding the right packaging with a dependable supplier is crucial.
Getting packaging right
Issues with packaging can directly affect customer satisfaction—especially for off-premise diners. According to Technomic’s 2022 The New Restaurant Operator Financials report, operators are currently citing an increased need for food packaging due to their volume of takeout, drive-thru and delivery orders.
In addition to packaging for off-premise playing a role in more diners’ experiences, customer standards for packaging quality are as high as ever. According to a 2021 survey by the Foodservice Packaging Institute, 64% of consumers say preventing leaks and spills is the most important packaging attribute, and 60% say stopping oil and grease stains is very important, too.
Technomic’s Delivery and Takeout report also found consumers prioritizing food integrity, with 65% of consumers saying it’s important that packaging maintains the food or beverage’s temperature, 47% saying it's important that packaging is tamper-proof and 39% saying it’s important that packaging is eco-friendly.
Solutions serving consumers and operators alike
Evidently, diners’ expectations for restaurant food packaging are as varied as the obstacles operators might face in meeting them. Finding quality packaging products from a dependable supplier, such as Anchor Packaging, is an investment in both present and future success.
Anchor Packaging offers hundreds of SKUs and solutions for unique packaging challenges, such as the Crisp Food Technologies® container line, which offers advanced ventilation to protect temperature, texture and taste for 30 minutes on the go; microwave-safe containers for Hot Foods; Cold Foods containers for salads and sides; Tamper Evident containers to ensure safety and diner confidence; and a wide selection of film wraps tailored to restaurants’ needs.
Anchor Packaging designs containers to maximize performance and protection with materials that remain recyclable after use. And beyond the quality of the packaging itself, Anchor is a domestic supplier and has significantly expanded production capacity, offering vital security of supply amid fluctuating market conditions.
Whatever a restaurant’s specific goals or challenges are, Anchor Packaging has a solution to help operators exceed diners’ expectations. Restaurateurs can request free samples to test for themselves at www.anchorpackaging.com.
This post is sponsored by Anchor Packaging