Custom pizza boxes......?

Looking to get custom pizza boxes made with my logo, phone #, etc…

  1. Where can I get them?
  2. Who does the artwork?
  3. How expensive are they on average (compared to plain white or generic boxes)?
  4. Effectiveness in marketing (does the box make a difference, or is it all in the topper)?
  5. Convey a more “chain” image vs. “mom and pop”?

Your food distributor should help you shop these. On the east coast, Star Box, Stone Smurrfit, and a company from Long Island(sorry dont’t remember the name, but a search of archives will pull it up) are the three they will bid it out with. Cost is sometimes similar to generics, for our company, cheaper. The problem is you need to go through a volume of them to get decent priceing. Your purveyor will charge you for sitting on these for 8 months at a time.

As far as image, I don’t think they convey “chain or mom and pop”,but they portray you as a professionally run company. Not that generic boxes scream hookie, but the custom answer any questions. Think about driving down the road and seeing Wiseguys Pizza boxes sticking out of everyones garbage cans on pickup day. It’s great advertising. I’ve seen yard sale signs made from our boxes, that one side advertises our logo on the busiest roads in town. I still use a boxtopper, but thats for increasing customer loyalty and frequency.

Weyerhaeuser makes a pizza box that I get from Smart and Final, a retail type food distribtor in the west

it is a good box and I would like to find where I can get it in 8" and 20"…Smat and Final only carries 10, 14, and 16,

Otis

I worked with www.starpizzabox.com to develop my design. I made up a basic design and sent to them; their art department spruced it up for me this year, and made the plates. Plate charges will run $125 to $175 or so (mine was $150 per plate). each color will require a separate plate . . . each size will require a separate plate. I do all mine in black ink on white boxes.

We pay about 25% over generic price for these boxes. One advantage, though, is that I am getting a sturdier box that I was with the junk mass produced, generic print boxes. Our boxes have really changed the perception of the marketplace. People see us as a ‘legitimate’ business and understand we are not a bottom-feeding junk seller. It is part of our overall brand ind identity.

I recommend it highly to any and everyone.

Bummer they don’t serve my part of the country. I have heard nothing but good things about them.

Have you spoken with them recently? I read somewhere that they were opening a plant in the midwest, and that they already have a few plants around rthe country.

A few months ago. Supposed to be up sometime this year.

logoed pizza boxes are classy way to deliver or carryout your pizza
plate charges are typically 125.00 -150.00 per plate - maybe more…
plates charges are attributed to the amount of colors-
you can use the same plate for a 14 and 16 inch pizza
you would want to use a separate plate for a 12 inch box - the size of the logo would be that much smaller on the box
smurfit and star pizza box is a good start - you need to buy a pile of them at a time though to order direct from the mfg.

I know ROMA foods has a printing company at their facility in Rice mn - ROMA delivers to all 50 states - I would check with them
you need to submit camera ready artwork - have it approved, pay for plates and off you go
price difference from plain to printed is at or about 10 -15 cents per box

We order our printed boxes from roma. The “art work” was just a pdf I created from a word document with our logo address, phone and website. It was simple. The plate charges were $300 - $150 per plate (we use two colors).

They are very nice boxes and I agree it heightened the perception of our independent to franchise status (along with our store presentation) to our customers.

Vinny

That’s what I am talking about. The area that I am in have never had anything except mom and pop places. That is why I want to convey more of a chain store image. They would view that as something special.

ui’m with you except for the implication that mom and pop places are somehow less than chains and franchises. I am proud of my mom/pop status . . . and put up a very classy visual brand that includes custom box designs. No one in the county will confuse us for corporate or franchise . . . but they are often heard to describe us as professional and updscale.

I can see where it sounded like I was taking away from the MOM and POP places. The area that I am in, all they have ever had was MOM and POP places. Mike’s Pizza, Paula’s Pizza, etc…They would love to have a Papa John’s pizza or a Pizza Hut pizza. These MOM and POP places have the stigma that sometimes its good, sometimes it sucks. You know with a chain restaurant like Papa John’s or Pizza Hut (at least this has been my experience) you know what your getting everytime. I want to try and convey that image to them. But I am with you Nick…a better way to describe it would be a more Professional image versus non-professional. Didn’t mean to offend because MOM and POP is what I am also. But I want to be the best, most upscale and professional MOM and POP that they have ever seen.

wiseguy, I have no issue at all with your statements, and should have said so. I have a feel for who you are and how you go about your business. Proud to be a M&P with you :slight_smile: (even jealous of your stuff here and there)

I just wanted to make the statement out there for those who are casual readers or new to the group. I don’t want to leave the impression with anyone out there that somehow we don’t embrace the small private ventures . . . since we actually celebrate that very thing every day.

Well, most days. And bodehgany (sp?) more than the rest of us as he sells his independent stuff for a huge payoff. Well deserved.

Back to boxes, they give a look of being a legitimate place and not a bad movie plot or “duleing banjoes”-playing nightmare of a grease joint. I’d certainly agree with wiseguy that it lifts your store over the other guys who may have a sketchy reputation or impression out there. I get thin skinned for the anonymous other guy sometimes.

Hey wiseguy,before making your final decision on whom will make them for you find a local business near you that will advertise on the side of your boxes this will therefore pay for a big portion of your boxes,you can even get 2 advertisers or more.Just a tip of toque.

                                                             Niccademo

Great idea. I can let the pharmacy absorb some of the cost and advertise it on the side!

Yea…I would hate to be confused with a multi-billion dollar corporation franchise… :roll:

I am for mom and pops all the way…but ultimately I would love for Vinny’s Pizza to blow up chain style and make gobs of money. I have no acrimony for franchises or “corporate pizza”…they were all small once too…

Vinny

Trying to get started with a 24" pizza box

Sorry to all and thanks for the pointers i was trying to target the small pizza place that cant make the 10,000 box perches to get the box for under a buck so i will go back to the drawing board and see what i can do. and i will use this PMQ to get advice and not to advertise

pssst.

You just resurrected a nearly 3-year old thread to put an ad on the forum. We appreciate knowing about businesses and products, really. We are sort of prickly and overly sensitive about businesses mining us as a free marketplace unless those businesses are active part of our little forum. I am not blowing up or whining . . . just sayin’.

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Has your facility been inspected by the FDA to be approved for food packaging products?..