Why Everyone's Using Brown Kraft Boxes These Days
Go to any decent burger place and you'll see these brown boxes everywhere. There's practical reasons this became standard.
Firstly, kraft material costs less than white paperboard. When you're running a restaurant and margins are already tight, saving 15 or 20 percent on packaging actually matters. That money goes back into better ingredients or keeping your prices competitive so customers actually show up.
The grease thing is huge. Bad boxes fall apart and leak everywhere. Nobody wants burger grease all over their car or couch. Quality brown boxes get treated with food-safe coatings that stop oil from soaking through. Your burger makes it from your kitchen to the customer without destroying the packaging halfway there.
The material recycles easily and a lot of it already has recycled content in it. Some cities even let you compost these boxes.
Be Careful About The Box Size, Here’s A Little Help For You
A slider doesn't need the same small burger box as one of those triple-patty monsters with everything on it.
Small boxes around 4 by 4 inches work perfect for sliders, kids meals, or basic single-patty burgers. These save you money and they're easier for kids to hold. Food trucks doing samples or happy hour specials go through tons of these. If your thing is small-format burgers, this is your size.
Most regular burgers fit fine in 5 by 5 inch boxes. Bigger burgers need 6 by 6 inches or larger. Those Instagram burgers stacked crazy high with multiple patties, bacon, onion rings, fried eggs, whatever. The extra room keeps everything from getting smashed flat during delivery. If you're known for huge burgers, don't cheap out with boxes that barely close.
Sometimes standard sizes just don't work. Custom dimensions cost a bit more upfront but everything fits better and looks more professional. We can make boxes in whatever size actually works for your specific food.
Make Sure Your Boxes Are Displaying Your Marketing Properly
Plain brown boxes do the job functionally. But every single box leaving your shop is basically a billboard you're either using or wasting.
Get your logo on there at minimum. People see your boxes at home, at work, in parks, wherever they're eating. It's advertising that costs almost nothing extra when you're buying packaging anyway.
Simple one-color printing keeps costs reasonable. Black ink on natural kraft looks clean and professional. Just your logo and maybe a phone number or website.
Full-color printing lets you do more interesting stuff. Photos of your actual food, bright graphics, detailed artwork. Colors actually pop in interesting ways against that brown background. Reds and oranges especially look really vibrant on kraft material compared to white boxes.
Here's something most places don't think about - print on the inside too. When customers open the box and see a thank you message or your Instagram handle encouraging them to post photos, that's a nice touch. Small details like that separate memorable brands from forgettable ones.
The Material That We Use To Make Your Boxes
Kraft paper comes in different thicknesses and treatments. This affects how well boxes work and what they cost you.
| Specs |
Works Best For |
What You Get |
Cost |
| Basic 12pt kraft |
Light burgers, sliders |
Decent grease protection, saves money |
Cheapest option |
| Standard 18pt kraft |
Regular burgers, everyday use |
Better structure, good grease barrier |
Middle pricing |
| Coated 18pt+ |
Messy burgers, long deliveries |
Max grease protection, stays solid |
Costs more |
| Recycled kraft |
Eco-focused restaurants |
Post-consumer content, recyclable |
Middle pricing |
Thickness measured in points tells you how sturdy the box is. Thinner stuff saves money but might fall apart with heavy or super greasy burgers. Thicker material feels better and handles delivery abuse without problems.
Grease-resistant coatings get added during manufacturing. Food-safe treatments that create a barrier so oil doesn't soak through. Without good coating, grease goes right through kraft paper fast. Your customers end up with a mess and your boxes fall apart. Quality coatings keep everything intact even with the juiciest burgers.
Recycled content varies a lot. Some kraft uses totally recycled material, others mix it with new fibers. Higher recycled percentage appeals to customers who care about that stuff. Modern recycled material performs just as well as virgin paper, so there's really no downside.
Design Features That Are Practically Nice As Well
Beyond material and printing, specific features affect whether boxes work well or frustrate everyone.
Ventilation lets steam escape so buns don't get soggy. Hot burgers create moisture that gets trapped in sealed containers. Small holes or cutouts allow airflow while keeping boxes structurally sound. Makes a real difference in food quality during transport.
The tabs that self close will let you close the boxes without any tape and your customers will not need stickers that won't peel off cleanly.
Clear windows let customers see what they ordered without opening anything. This will be used mostly in the branded burger boxes, or when you're delivering multiple orders and people need to quickly identify which is theirs.
Why Businesses Love To Work With Us
We've done food packaging for over a decade now. Thousands of customers from single-location burger spots to small regional chains. You learn a lot about what works and what doesn't after nearly ten years of this.
No minimums help small operations. Your 500-box order gets the same quality and attention as someone ordering 50,000. Testing designs with smaller quantities lets you adjust based on real feedback before committing to huge orders.
We only FDA approved material. Your packaging passes health department requirements without you worrying about compliance headaches.
We'll help measure and recommend what works. Our team helps to create and modify logos. You see digital proofs seeing exactly how printing looks before anything goes to production.
Whether you need brown or white burger boxes for everyday use, white boxes for premium branding, or small boxes for specialty items, we make custom burger boxes work without forcing heavy minimum orders. Contact Plus Printers and let's create boxes that protect your food and build your brand with every single order.
