You always wanted to start a cafe or the restaurant. You have the perfect recipe for the market and the money for the Kitchen. The only thing you didn't plan is the packaging and realize the sizeable investment required for the packaging branding. Now you're all confused. Should you invest so much money into packaging which could be used somewhere else.
Paper Bag - The only Branding you Need
Updated On: Dec. 6, 2019
The branded paper bags are here to save the day. What I meant is that you can go for branding paper bag only rather than customizing all the packaging products.
So what if you have the long menu with starters, main course and desserts. Pack the food item inside the standard everyday disposables and put these containers inside the bag for takeaways and deliveries.
The new businesses & startups should focus on getting the paper bags customized. The other packaging items can be standard, and its not necessary they should be branded. It will help to keep the investment low while maintaining the branding return of investment high for the packaging.
The branded carry bag is what your customer will see first. A good paper bag design can make the head turn and will bring your brand in the regular and the new customers perspective. And that's what we want. Right!
I'll list four main types of paper bags which are easily customized and how you can use them.
Kraft Paper Bag with NO Base
These Kraft bags are food grade but don't have any base. These bags might have side gazette. It means you'll have to slide the container inside the paper bag, fold the bag from the top, and tape it. The kraft paper bags are used to pack food items directly too since the bag is food grade.
The Kraft bag can be used as the replacement to the paper sleeves or the branded paper box. It makes more sense to get the branded Kraft paper bag as it can be used to pack various other food items and the size of the food item won't be the constraint.
The food grade Kraft bag is used to pack starters separately and then can be used to cover the meal tray with the branding on top. In both cases, the customer & his/her friends will see the branded paper bag first.
The minimum order quantity to customize the paper bag starts from 5,000 pieces.
Virgin/Recycled Paper Bag with Base
The bags come with the base, which means it can stand straight with the food container inside and provides better brand visibility. I'd suggest going with these paper bags since they are easy to use and looks cool too.
The container or the food item wrapped inside the butter paper is kept inside the brown paper bag, folded from the top and can be carried straight from the top. The branded paper bag with the base can be used to pack plain plastic containers or various other food items.
The paper bag with the base is more comfortable to hold, has better strength, provides more brand visibility if compared with the bag with no base.
The minimum order quantity to customize the bag starts from 5,000 pieces.
Paper Bag with Handle & Base
The paper bag with the paper handle generally has a base to hold the food containers easily. The paper bag with the handle provides the same brand visibility as the paper bag with the base and are much easier to hold, but prices are on the higher side.
The twisted paper handle is glued with the paper bag together. The paper rope handle on the bag makes it easier for the customer to carry the product back or move around.
The high quality printed paper bag with the handle gives the premium look to the customer. The paper carry bags can easily hold more weight generally 2-3 containers. The branded paper shopping bags are standard and are very popular in the food packaging industry because of the plastic ban and growing awareness.
The minimum order quantity for branding starts from 10,000 pieces.
D-Cut Paper Bag
As the names suggest, the D-Cut Paper bag has the D-Cut reinforced by some paper glued at the bag. The D-Cut bag can be with and without the base. The D-Cut in the bag makes it easier for the customer to move around as compared to the paper bag without the handle.
The D-Cut bags aren't as common as the paper bag with the handle so if you want to go with slightly different design the go for the D-Cut bags.
The minimum order quantity for branding starts from 5,000 pieces and generally takes 3-4 weeks for the bags to be manufactured.
Where to buy the branded Printed Paper Bags?
The paper bags manufacturing usually takes around 2-3 weeks if you provide the design in the required format on time. You can either buy them offline and online depending on how much time and resources in hand.
By offline I meant you could go to the manufacturer, look for the bags he's already manufacturing and then place the order. The offline approach is slightly tedious and takes a lot of effort. You might end up focusing only on the packaging bags instead of running the business you have.
I'd suggest hiring the procurement guy if you're a big company or taking the online approach. Its easier to buy the printed bags online. You can choose from the wide product range, compare pricing, and ask for the quote. You should try the online approach as it takes away a lot of tension and saves you quite some time.