The whole pandemic situation has affected the economy adversely. And it will continue to do so even post-pandemic. India had registered a negative growth rate of 23.9% for the first quarter of the financial year.
The restaurant industry in India has an annual turnover of approximately Rs 4 lakh crore according to the National Restaurant Association of India’s (NRAI). All of which came crashing down due to the lockdown.
With the number of cases that were still going up, India as a country was suffering from an economic failure. Which had to be tackled by opening up the factories and business with all safety precautions.
This is what led to restaurants taking a step and working with low capacity and opt for home delivery. Food deliveries like Zomato delivered 7 crore food orders since the lockdown started on 25 March. There have been zero reported cases of COVID transmission due to food delivery, people seem to have gotten used to the culture of ordering food from outside.
When packaging is done right, it helps you set the standard of quality you want your restaurant or cafe to be known for and adds value to the overall experience of customers.
The packaging of food is essential as it captures the attention of customers and creates a favorable brand image. Not to forget the primary purpose of packaging is to protect the food from contamination, maintain the right food temperatures, and prevent it from spilling.
Here is a quick guide for you to choose the right food packaging for takeaways and delivery for your food business.
Avoid plastic in your packaging.
Research has found that corona virus can survive on different surfaces including plastic for 3-7 days. This can be harmful for customers and will be skeptical to order food from your restaurant knowing that you provide plastic packaging.
Another reason why you should avoid plastic in your packaging is because every year a lot of plastic waste is produced and packaging also contributes to that. Packaging, despite the convenience it provides to the consumer, is subject to many debates concerning environmental issues.
The push for eco-friendly packaging solutions has driven some of the largest restaurant brands to eliminate the utilization of single-use plastics and switch to biodegradable, recyclable, or reusable packaging. Choose paper bags, wooden one-time-use cutlery and environment-friendly containers for food packaging.
Consider a convenient packaging design
With fast lifestyle people demand a not-so-complicated packaging. Modern packaging is design in a way that not only protects the food content but also for portability, re-sealability, multifunctional usability, etc.
When customers come to pick-up takeaway orders they don’t want to see their food content to spill over the packaging as soon as they reach home to enjoy their meal. Make sure you packaging design is convenient and spill free.
Use the power of branding
Packaging is a major part of branding that pursuades other people to order food from your restaurant or cafe. Food packaging especially is where you can get creative and use various aspects of branding like colour psychology and tempting food visual that enhances the experience for your customers.
With food packaging boxes you have a lot of room for customization.
We understand that the pandemic has affected the restaurant business financially and your business might be unable to sustain. But with Print Mario you can get food packing for delivery and takeaway at affordable prices.
If you can’t go all out then the least you can do is get your logo printed or use logo stickers instead on packaging boxes.
Gone are the days when food outlets simply handout food is alluminum foils and plastic bags. The right packing for food products can do a lot for your business especially during the pandemic. The aim of food packaging is not only protection but also maintaining food temperature, spill free, flexibility and convenience to store and perhaps reuse it.
Apart from the above make sure that you don’t compromise on the food quality you serve. Afterall that is the first thing that will attract your customers and bring brand loyalty.
We hope that this article was helpful to you in choosing the right food packaging. For more details on packaging, printing, branding and customisation contact us today!