Choosing the right takeaway packaging sounds simple – until you're faced with different cup sizes, lid sizes, materials, pizza box dimensions and terms such as bagasse, compostable and double wall.
Whether you're opening a café, running a busy takeaway, launching a street-food business or reviewing your existing packaging, choosing the right products can help protect your food, control portion sizes, improve presentation and make service easier for your team.
To make things simpler, we've answered some of the most common takeaway packaging questions we hear at Love Tiki.
What Size Pizza Box Do I Need?
The easiest rule is simple:
Match the pizza box to the diameter of your pizza.
A 12-inch pizza should normally go into a 12-inch pizza box, a 14-inch pizza into a 14-inch box and so on.
Love Tiki stocks pizza boxes in sizes ranging from small 7-inch boxes through to huge 20-inch pizza boxes, so there's an option for everything from individual pizzas and garlic breads to large sharing pizzas.
As a rough guide:
|
Pizza Box Size |
Ideal For |
|
7" |
Mini pizzas, children's portions and small sides |
|
9" |
Personal pizzas, garlic bread and smaller dishes |
|
10" |
Individual pizzas and smaller menu options |
|
12" |
Standard/medium pizzas – a versatile everyday size |
|
14" |
Large pizzas |
|
15" |
Large takeaway pizzas |
|
20" |
Extra-large, sharing and party pizzas |
Don't automatically choose an oversized box. Too much empty space allows the pizza to move during delivery and unnecessarily increases the amount of packaging you're using.
The box also needs to do more than simply fit the pizza. A good takeaway pizza box should be strong enough for stacking and delivery while allowing heat and steam to escape appropriately so your carefully prepared crust doesn't arrive soggy.
Love Tiki's corrugated pizza boxes are designed for commercial takeaway use and are available in kraft and white options.
Love Tiki tip: If pizza is a major part of your business, consider keeping your core size plus one smaller and one larger box. This gives you more flexibility for sides, specials and different pizza sizes.
12oz vs 16oz Smoothie Cups: Which Is Best?
Both are popular – but they serve slightly different purposes.
Choose a 12oz Smoothie Cup For:
- Standard or smaller smoothie portions
- Fresh juices
- Iced coffees
- Children's drinks
- Protein shakes
- Smaller milkshakes
- Premium drinks where portion control matters
A 12oz smoothie cup is a useful everyday option if you want to control ingredient costs while still providing customers with a satisfying serving.
Choose a 16oz Smoothie Cup For:
- Larger smoothies
- Milkshakes
- Iced lattes
- Frappés
- Protein shakes
- Fresh juices
- Premium or upgraded drink sizes
The 16oz smoothie cup gives you around one-third more capacity than a 12oz cup, making it ideal if you offer regular and large drink options.
Love Tiki stocks clear PET smoothie cups in both 12oz and 16oz sizes, including convenient cup-and-lid combination packs.
Clear PET is particularly effective for smoothies, juices and milkshakes because the customer can actually see the drink they're buying.
That matters when you're serving colourful fruit smoothies, layered drinks or indulgent milkshakes.
Should I Stock Both 12oz and 16oz Cups?
For many cafés and juice bars, yes.
Offering two sizes gives customers a choice while allowing you to create a simple upsell:
Regular – 12oz
Large – 16oz
Just remember that lids aren't universal. Always check the rim diameter and product compatibility rather than assuming that every lid labelled 12oz or 16oz will fit every cup.
Single-Wall vs Double-Wall Coffee Cups: What's the Difference?
One of the most common questions when choosing takeaway coffee cups is whether you need single-wall or double-wall cups.
The difference is mainly insulation.
Single-Wall Coffee Cups
A single-wall cup uses one main layer of paperboard.
They're generally economical and lightweight, making them useful for:
- Offices
- Events
- Short-service drinks
- Lower-temperature beverages
- Businesses where a separate cup sleeve is used
For very hot drinks, you may want to pair a single-wall cup with an appropriate sleeve.
A double-wall coffee cup has an additional layer that provides extra insulation between the hot drink and the customer's hand.
They're ideal for:
- Coffee shops
- Takeaway cafés
- Coffee vans
- Bakeries
- Street-food businesses
- Restaurants
- Hot chocolate
- Tea
- Longer takeaway journeys
The additional insulation can remove the need for a separate cardboard sleeve, depending on the cup and drink.
Love Tiki also stocks ripple cups, where the textured outer layer provides insulation as well as additional grip.
Which Should You Choose?
If cost is your main priority and drinks won't be held for long, single-wall can be perfectly suitable.
If customer comfort, takeaway use and insulation are priorities, double-wall or ripple cups are usually worth considering.
For a busy coffee shop, we'd generally lean towards double-wall or ripple cups for your main takeaway range.
Bagasse vs Cardboard Takeaway Packaging
Both materials have an important role in modern food-to-go packaging, but they're not interchangeable.
What Is Bagasse?
Bagasse packaging is made using the fibrous material left after juice is extracted from sugar cane.
Rather than treating that fibre simply as waste, it can be processed into strong moulded food packaging.
You'll commonly find bagasse used for:
- Burger boxes
- Clamshells
- Plates
- Bowls
- Chip trays
- Food containers
- Compartment containers
- Some cup lids
Love Tiki's current bagasse range includes clamshells, burger boxes, chip trays, bowls and other food-to-go containers.
What Is Cardboard Packaging Best For?
Paperboard and corrugated cardboard are particularly useful for:
- Pizza boxes
- Kraft food boxes
- Sandwich packaging
- Bakery products
- Deli foods
- Dry or moderately greasy foods
Bagasse vs Cardboard: Which Should I Choose?
It depends on the food.
Choose bagasse when you need a moulded container for meals, burgers, chips and many hot-food applications.
Choose cardboard or kraft packaging for pizzas, sandwiches, bakery products, deli items and dishes where the shape and presentation of a folded paperboard container work better.
Rather than deciding that one material is universally "better", choose the packaging that best matches the food you're serving.
What Does Compostable Packaging Actually Mean?
This is an area where businesses need to be careful.
Compostable does not simply mean that packaging will quickly disappear if it's thrown outside.
A compostable product is designed to break down under specified composting conditions.
There is also an important distinction between home compostable and commercially/industrially compostable packaging.
Commercially compostable products may require controlled conditions found at suitable industrial composting facilities – including specific temperatures, moisture and processing conditions.
That means you should always check the certification and disposal instructions associated with the individual product.
It is also why businesses shouldn't automatically use words such as biodegradable, compostable, recyclable and plastic-free interchangeably.
They mean different things.
When choosing eco-conscious takeaway packaging, consider not only what the product is made from, but how your customers are realistically going to dispose of it after use.
Which Lids Fit Which Cups?
This is probably one of the easiest packaging mistakes to make.
A 12oz lid does not necessarily fit every 12oz cup.
That's because lid compatibility depends primarily on the rim diameter and cup series, not simply the liquid capacity.
For example, Love Tiki currently stocks separate hot cup lids for 8oz cups and 12–16oz cups, while some branded or compostable cup ranges have their own specific lid series.
Our smoothie range also includes lids specifically designed for compatible 12oz and 16oz PET smoothie cups.
So before ordering lids, check:
1. Cup capacity – for example 8oz, 12oz or 16oz.
2. Rim diameter – this is crucial.
3. Cup series/manufacturer – some ranges are designed as matched systems.
4. Lid material – such as conventional plastic, CPLA or bagasse.
5. Product compatibility – if the listing says "fits", use that information rather than assuming based on size.
The Safest Option
Buy cups and compatible lids together wherever possible.
Love Tiki also offers selected cup-and-lid bundles and combipacks, which takes the guesswork out of matching them.
There's nothing worse than receiving 1,000 cups and 1,000 lids only to discover they don't fit.
What Is the Best Packaging for a Street-Food Business?
Street food packaging has to work hard.
Customers may be standing, walking or eating outdoors, so packaging needs to be practical, easy to hold and quick for your team to fill during a rush.
The right combination depends entirely on your menu.
Burgers
Consider bagasse burger boxes or clamshell containers. They're quick to fill and easy for customers to carry.
Loaded Fries
Use an open chip tray or suitable food box that provides enough room for toppings without making the food difficult to eat.
Rice, Noodles & Street-Food Bowls
A sturdy bowl with a compatible secure lid is particularly useful if customers are taking the food away rather than eating immediately.
Pizza
Use a corrugated pizza box sized closely to the pizza itself.
Coffee
Double-wall or ripple cups can provide useful insulation for customers walking around an event or market.
Smoothies & Cold Drinks
Clear PET cups are a great choice because customers can see the drink, while domed lids provide extra room for foam, whipped toppings or thick milkshakes where appropriate.
The Golden Rule for Street Food Packaging
Make it easy to hold and easy to eat from.
A beautiful container isn't much use if customers need three hands to eat their lunch.
How Much Packaging Should a New Café Order?
It's tempting to order enormous quantities to get the lowest unit price.
For a brand-new café, we'd be more cautious.
You don't yet know exactly which cup sizes, food containers and menu items customers will choose most often.
Start by estimating your expected daily sales.
For example, if you expect to sell:
- 60 takeaway coffees per day
- 20 cold drinks per day
- 30 takeaway food items per day
Over a six-day trading week that's approximately:
360 hot cups
120 cold cups
180 food containers
Then add a sensible safety margin for busy periods, wastage, damaged packaging and unexpected demand.
For most new businesses, holding around 2–4 weeks of core packaging stock can be a useful starting point, provided you have the storage space and reliable replenishment.
But don't treat that as a rigid rule.
Don't Forget the Accessories
If you order 1,000 takeaway cups, think about the other items those drinks require:
- Lids
- Cup carriers
- Stirrers
- Napkins
- Straws where appropriate
- Sleeves if using single-wall cups
Likewise, food packaging may require matching lids, cutlery, napkins, bags or portion pots.
Packaging works as a system.
How to Choose Takeaway Packaging for Hot Food
Hot food presents several packaging challenges at once.
You need to think about heat, steam, grease, moisture, transport time and how the customer will eat the food.
1. Consider Moisture
Freshly cooked food releases steam.
If that steam can't escape appropriately, condensation can collect inside the packaging and turn crispy food soggy.
Pizza is a classic example.
Choose packaging designed for the food rather than simply picking the most tightly sealed container available.
2. Consider Grease
Burgers, fried food, pizza and saucy dishes can quickly expose weaknesses in unsuitable packaging.
Choose containers designed to cope with the food you're serving.
3. Consider the Journey
Food eaten immediately outside your premises has very different packaging requirements from an order travelling 20 minutes in a delivery driver's bag.
For delivery, consider:
- Container strength
- Stackability
- Lid security
- Heat retention
- Ventilation
- Leak resistance
- Portion stability
4. Match the Container to the Portion
Oversized packaging can allow food to move around and may make portions look smaller.
Packaging that's too small can crush food, damage presentation and cause lids to pop open.
Choose the smallest practical container that comfortably accommodates the portion.
5. Test It With Your Actual Food
This is one of the most important pieces of advice we can give.
Don't choose packaging based purely on dimensions.
Put your actual food in it.
Prepare the dish exactly as you would for a customer, package it, leave it for the expected delivery time and then open it.
Ask yourself:
Is it still hot?
Is crispy food still crisp?
Has sauce leaked?
Has condensation formed?
Has the packaging softened?
Does the food still look appealing?
Can the customer eat from the container easily?
That simple test can prevent a lot of expensive mistakes.
Build a Smarter Takeaway Packaging Range
The best takeaway packaging range isn't necessarily the biggest.
It's the one where every product has a purpose.
A café might need three coffee cup sizes, two cold-cup sizes, several food boxes and a small number of specialist containers.
A pizzeria may need several pizza box sizes but relatively few other packaging formats.
A street-food trader might be able to run almost their entire menu using just two or three carefully chosen containers.
Standardising your packaging wherever possible can simplify stock management, reduce storage requirements and make ordering easier.
And wherever possible, look for cups and containers that share compatible lids. Fewer lid sizes means fewer opportunities for staff to grab the wrong one during a busy service.
Shop Takeaway Packaging at Love Tiki
At Love Tiki, we supply takeaway packaging for cafés, restaurants, pizzerias, street-food businesses, coffee shops, bars, caterers and hospitality businesses across the UK.
Our range includes pizza boxes, smoothie cups, takeaway coffee cups, hot cup lids, bagasse packaging, kraft food boxes, takeaway containers, cup carriers and more.
Whether you're opening your first café or reviewing packaging across an established multi-site operation, choosing the right packaging can improve service, protect your food and create a better experience for your customers.
Explore the Love Tiki takeaway packaging range and find the right fit for your food, drinks and business.
Takeaway Packaging FAQs
What size pizza box should I buy?
Match the box closely to your pizza diameter. A 12-inch pizza will generally require a 12-inch pizza box. Love Tiki offers sizes ranging from 7 inches to 20 inches.
Is a 12oz or 16oz smoothie cup better?
12oz is useful for regular or smaller portions, while 16oz works well for larger smoothies, milkshakes and iced drinks. Offering both allows you to create regular and large menu options.
Are double-wall coffee cups better than single-wall?
Double-wall cups provide additional insulation and can be more comfortable to hold with hot drinks. Single-wall cups are economical and can be combined with a suitable sleeve when additional insulation is needed.
Is bagasse better than cardboard?
Neither is universally better. Bagasse works particularly well for moulded food containers and clamshells, while cardboard is excellent for products such as pizza boxes, bakery packaging and kraft food boxes.
Does compostable packaging go in normal recycling?
Not automatically. Compostable and recyclable are different waste streams. Check the individual product's disposal instructions and the waste collection facilities available in your area.
Do all 12oz cups use the same lid?
No. Lid compatibility depends on the rim diameter and cup series as well as capacity. Always check the specified compatible lid before ordering.
What takeaway packaging is best for street food?
Choose packaging based on your menu. Bagasse clamshells can work well for burgers and hot meals, trays for loaded fries, bowls for rice and noodle dishes, pizza boxes for pizza, and suitable cups for hot and cold drinks.
How much takeaway packaging should a new café buy?
Estimate expected daily sales and build stock around your projected usage. Holding roughly 2–4 weeks of core packaging can be a useful starting point for a new business, but storage space, supplier lead times and sales volumes should determine your final stock level.