Singapore’s food delivery industry has been booming over the past few years due to the unprecedented times the country has experienced due to Covid-19. Many F&B businesses are thriving and the good times look set to continue going forward. Delicious food is at the very core of any successful restaurant or CloudKitchen® delivery kitchen, but using the right packaging when delivering it to your customers is often a crucial aspect that is overlooked.
As an owner, you might wonder why food delivery packaging is so important and how it can affect your business. This blog will address these points and provide a few key tips on ensuring your dishes do not fail to deliver when they reach your customers.
- Material
- Size
- Durability
- Branding
- Customers’ Needs
Pick your material
First and foremost, you need to decide what material you will use for your food packaging, as you need to make sure everything arrives safe and sound. You don’t want soup sloshing out, for example, or food getting cold by the time it reaches your patrons.
To ensure you select the right packaging, here are a few options you can choose from:
Plastic – Used universally and is the go-to option for a lot of dishes, including soups, pasta, Hainanese chicken rice and much more. Since it is recyclable, it’s an option utilised by many restaurants and CloudKitchen® delivery kitchens.
Paper and cardboard – Like plastic, this material is used widely and can be recycled. However, while it will hold most kinds of food, it has a few drawbacks, especially for liquids like sauces and soup.
Aluminium – Wrapping food like burritos and BBQ ribs in aluminium foil is a surefire way to keep them piping hot during delivery. However, keep in mind that it can be more expensive than some of the other options!
Foam – Known for its ability to retain heat, but not the best choice for restaurants or CloudKitchen® delivery kitchens that want to be environmentally friendly.
Biodegradable options – Bamboo and rice husk are two alternative materials that are starting to gain traction for food delivery packaging. Not only is it capable of being turned into containers to hold your delicious food, but it is fully biodegradable.
Size matters
The size of your packaging is another important aspect of food delivery as you want to ensure everything fits perfectly. You don’t want to use massive containers to hold a small amount of food and vice versa.
Obviously, getting packaging that allows your food items to fit snugly inside is vital. To give you a push in the right direction, here are a few things to consider:
The right fit – You may think that you only need one container size, but it is important to have varying styles as you don’t want the food to be squashed or for the packaging to go to waste.
The perfect divider – To avoid different foods mixing and potentially contaminating each other, you can get containers with dividers. Not only is this important from a hygienic point of view, but it will also save you money from having to buy numerous containers to separate various components of each dishes.
Disposable ramekins – Dipping sauces and other condiments might be necessary for certain dishes. As a result, you should use disposable ramekins to hold them when delivering food to your customers.
Durability is crucial
When sending food out to your hungry customers, your delivery packaging has to be able to hold up. The last thing you want is the container breaking or food spilling everywhere as it will not do your business’ reputation any favours.
Sturdy seals – From plastic lids to paper tabs, it is necessary to use a seal that will not break apart during delivery.
Weak points – The container you use to store the food has to be able to weather any storm and not fall apart easily.
Absorbency – If some of your dishes use a lot of sauce, you could consider moisture-resistant food delivery packaging. Not only will it work wonders, but it will also ensure orders placed arrive safe and sound.
Great branding opportunity
Every successful restaurant that uses food delivery packaging has its brand emblazoned across it, whether it be globally renowned brands like McDonald’s or Singapore’s very own Eighteen Chefs.
Here’s a quick rundown of how you can use your packaging to raise your brand awareness:
Let your name stand out – Your restaurant or CloudKitchen® delivery kitchen’s name should stand out and be eye-catching. Be sure to include your business’ logo and contact information too.
Consistency is key – When it comes to raising awareness of your brand, it is essential to use the same style of font, colours and logos. If you don’t nail this right from the get-go, it will do nothing but confuse your customers.
Seek professional help – Sometimes, it’s best to leave these things to a professional. If you have the funds necessary, there is no reason why you shouldn’t seek help and get it done properly.
Think of your customer’s needs
While food delivery packaging is vital for restaurants and CloudKitchen® delivery kitchens, you should also keep your customers’ wants in mind.
Essentially, these are some things that should be on your list:
Clearly defined labels – Give your customers a clear indication of which dishes are in which containers. While some F&B businesses use abbreviations, it is usually better to provide the full name to prevent any mix-ups. In addition to this, clearly state if certain dishes are very hot and which ones contain certain ingredients like meat, nuts, gluten, etc.
Proper instructions – This might seem a little tedious, but to prevent your patrons from complaining about an unpleasant dining experience, use a simple arrow to point out where they should open the packaging from.
Cutlery and condiments – When orders are placed for certain dishes, ensure that you include the appropriate cutlery and condiments, along with napkins. Sometimes, these little things go a long way!
Let’s wrap this up
Now that you have gained an insight into how important food delivery packaging is, it’s time to implement it into your business and take your restaurant or CloudKitchen® delivery kitchen to the next level!
Intrigued by the prospect of opening a CloudKitchen® delivery kitchen in Singapore? Fill up the form below to get in contact today!