A complete takeout packaging setup costs between about 5 cents and 53 cents per order at our public case pricing: 21 cents for a full burger combo pack, 20 cents for a wing order, 5 cents for a 24 oz cold drink with lid, and 53 cents for a half-pan catering drop. Almost nobody publishes real numbers on this, so operators end up costing packaging from guesses, or from a broadline invoice they cannot decompose into per-order units.
We sell these products at published case prices, so we can just show the math. Every figure in this guide is a case price divided by its case count, pulled from our live catalog. We quote no industry benchmark percentage anywhere below, because the ones floating around are unsourced. The math here, derived from our own public case pricing, is the benchmark, and you can rerun every line of it.
How these numbers were built
The method is deliberately boring. For each order type, we listed every physical piece that leaves the building with the food, looked up its case price and case count in our catalog, divided to get a per-unit cost, and summed the column. That sum is the packaging bill of materials for the order.
Two ground rules. First, no phantom pieces: napkins inside a cutlery kit are counted as part of the kit, not double-counted. Second, no aspirational SKU selection: each example uses the product an operator would actually pick for that job, not the cheapest thing in the category.
PET Clamshells: current case pricing
All 10 SKUs →| Product | Pack | Case | Per unit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 x 6 x 3 PET Clamshell — 1 Compartment — 250ct | 250ct | $35.31 | $0.141 | Volume quote → |
| 8 x 8 x 3 PET Clamshell — 1 Compartment — 200ct | 200ct | $37.38 | $0.187 | Volume quote → |
| 9 x 6 x 3 PET Taco Clamshell — 200ct | 200ct | $39.73 | $0.199 | Volume quote → |
| 6 x 6 x 3 PET Clamshell — 1 Compartment — 500ct | 500ct | $43.25 | $0.086 | Volume quote → |
Public case pricing, freight quoted separately. Volume and contract pricing on request.
Order 1: burger or sandwich combo pack, $0.2123
The standard single-entree takeout order: a hinged PET clamshell, a paper bag, a wrapped cutlery kit, and one sauce.
| Component | SKU | Case price | Case count | Per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 x 6 x 3 PET hinged clamshell, 1 compartment | USPET-9X6 | $35.31 | 250 | $0.1413 |
| 16# SOS paper bag, brown | SOS1600500K | $14.54 | 500 | $0.0291 |
| 4-in-1 medium PP cutlery kit (fork, knife, teaspoon, napkin) | 4PCPPWHTM-W | $7.50 | 250 | $0.0300 |
| 2 oz portion cup, clear | PC200CLR | $16.75 | 2,500 | $0.0067 |
| 2 oz portion cup lid | LDPC1525 | $13.06 | 2,500 | $0.0052 |
| Total | $0.2123 |
The clamshell is two thirds of the bill ($0.1413 of $0.2123). That is normal: the primary container always dominates, which is why container format decisions matter more than nickel-and-diming the accessories. If you are deciding between hinged and two-piece formats, the cost difference is small and the workflow difference is large; see hinged vs non-hinged containers.
Worth knowing: the same 9 x 6 clamshell in the embossed version (USPET-9X6-EMB) runs $45.00 per 250 count case, or $0.1800 each. The plain shell is $0.1413, so the branded look costs an extra $0.0387 per order, a 27 percent premium on the container ($0.0387 divided by $0.1413).
Order 2: wing order, $0.1950
Wings travel in a vented-friendly deli container, with sauces on the side and a taller bag to keep everything upright.
| Component | SKU | Case price | Case count | Per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 oz PP deli container with lid combo | CPPPI32SET | $30.63 | 240 | $0.1276 |
| 2 oz portion cup, clear (x 3) | PC200CLR | $16.75 | 2,500 | $0.0201 |
| 2 oz portion cup lid (x 3) | LDPC1525 | $13.06 | 2,500 | $0.0156 |
| 20# SOS tall paper bag, brown | SOS20TL500K | $15.83 | 500 | $0.0317 |
| Total | $0.1950 |
Three sauce cups with lids add $0.0357 per order (3 x $0.0067 plus 3 x $0.0052), which is 18 percent of the wing order’s packaging bill and more than the bag. Sauce count is a policy decision hiding inside your packaging cost, and we come back to it below. If the order needs a wider footprint (wings plus fries side by side), the 25# shorty bag (SOS25SH500K) is $16.64 per 500, or $0.0333, 1.6 tenths of a cent more than the tall bag.
Order 3: 24 oz cold drink, $0.0520
The simplest bill of materials in takeout, and the one where the lid share is most visible.
| Component | SKU | Case price | Case count | Per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 oz PET clear cold cup, 98mm rim | 622665 | $39.26 | 1,000 | $0.0393 |
| 98mm PET flat lid, X-slot | 622677 | $12.72 | 1,000 | $0.0127 |
| Total | $0.0520 |
The lid is 24 percent of the drink package ($0.0127 divided by $0.0520). Lid choice moves the number: within the 98mm family, our lids run from $0.0125 (flat, no hole, SKU 622739) to $0.0162 (sip lid, SKU 622679). Upgrading from the flat X-slot to a dome with no hole (SKU 622740, $15.02 per 1,000, or $0.0150) adds $0.0023 per drink; at 500 drinks a week that is $1.15 per week, about $60 a year (0.0023 x 500 x 52), for a presentation upgrade. Small money, but only if you chose it on purpose.
Order 4: half-pan catering drop, $0.5282 per pan
Family meals and office drops move in steam-table pans. This is per pan, not per guest.
| Component | SKU | Case price | Case count | Per unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half-size deep aluminum steam pan | PNAFRECS-HALF-D | $34.85 | 100 | $0.3485 |
| Half-size aluminum steam pan lid | LDAFRECS-HALF | $17.97 | 100 | $0.1797 |
| Total | $0.5282 |
Two notes on scope. The board lids in our line fit the 7 inch and 9 inch round pans, not the half steam pan, so this example uses the aluminum steam lid we actually stock. And serving utensils are omitted because we do not stock dedicated serving utensils; if the drop includes disposable place settings, bulk heavy 5.2g PP forks (FRKPPWHTH-B, $10.63 per 1,000) add $0.0106 per guest.
For a smaller drop, the 9 inch round pan with board lid combo (PNAFRNDS-9-BC) is $30.24 per 200 count case, a complete pan-plus-lid unit at $0.1512.
The per-order bill of materials, summarized
| Order | Physical pieces | Packaging total |
|---|---|---|
| Burger combo pack | 5 | $0.2123 |
| Wing order | 9 | $0.1950 |
| 24 oz cold drink | 2 | $0.0520 |
| Burger combo + 24 oz drink | 7 | $0.2643 |
| Half-pan catering (per pan) | 2 | $0.5282 |
Packaging as a percent of ticket
Here is each order against three realistic ticket sizes. Every cell is the packaging total divided by the ticket.
| Order | $12 ticket | $18 ticket | $45 ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burger combo pack ($0.2123) | 1.77% | 1.18% | 0.47% |
| Wing order ($0.1950) | 1.63% | 1.08% | 0.43% |
| 24 oz cold drink ($0.0520) | 0.43% | 0.29% | 0.12% |
| Burger combo + drink ($0.2643) | 2.20% | 1.47% | 0.59% |
| Half-pan catering ($0.5282/pan) | n/a | n/a | 1.17% |
Two things fall out of this table. Packaging is a low-single-digit percent of ticket at our case pricing, roughly 2 percent on a value-priced combo and well under 1 percent at premium tickets. And the percentage is a function of ticket size far more than of packaging choices: the same physical combo pack is 2.2 percent of a $12 order and 0.6 percent of a $45 order. If packaging feels expensive, the first question is what your average ticket is, not what your clamshell costs.
Where the cost hides
The container is the visible cost. The overruns live in four quieter places, and each one is arithmetic, not opinion.
Lids. Lids are separate SKUs with real prices, and most operators cost the cup but not the cap. The 2 oz portion lid is $0.0052 against a $0.0067 cup, so the lid is 44 percent of the sauce set. The 24 oz drink lid is 24 percent of the drink package. When you compare container quotes, compare the container-plus-lid set, never the base alone. The full size-and-lid pairing logic is in our portion cup sizing guide.
Double-bagging. A second 16# bag adds $0.0291 per order. At 200 orders a day that is $5.82 a day, about $2,095 over a 360-day year (0.0291 x 200 x 360). Most double-bagging happens because the first bag is undersized for the order, which is a bag-spec problem, not a strength problem. Sizing up to the 20# tall costs $0.0026 more per order ($0.0317 minus $0.0291) and eliminates the second bag entirely. Bag sizing is covered in the paper bag guide.
Over-portioned sauce cups. Every extra 2 oz set costs $0.0119 (cup plus lid). If half of 300 daily orders get one unrequested extra sauce, that is 150 x $0.0119, or $1.79 a day. And when an order genuinely needs 4 oz of one sauce, two 2 oz sets cost $0.0238 while one 4 oz cup with the universal lid costs $0.0190 ($0.0114 for PC400CLR plus $0.0076 for LDPC32555), a $0.0048 saving per order from consolidating.
Auto-added cutlery. The 4-in-1 kit is $0.0300 every time it drops in the bag. Orders headed home to a kitchen drawer do not need it. An ask-first policy that removes kits from even 100 orders a day saves $3.00 a day, and the kits vs loose cutlery decision covers when a kit earns its cost and when bulk pieces at $0.0050 each do the job.
Portion Cups: current case pricing
All 5 SKUs →| Product | Pack | Case | Per unit | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 oz Portion Cup — Black — 2500ct | 25/100pk | $16.75 | $0.007 | Volume quote → |
| 2 oz Portion Cup — Clear — 2500ct | 25/100pk | $16.75 | $0.007 | Volume quote → |
| 3.25 oz Portion Cup — Clear — 2500ct | 25/100pk | $23.88 | $0.010 | Volume quote → |
| 4 oz Portion Cup — Clear — 2500ct | 25/100pk | $28.50 | $0.011 | Volume quote → |
Public case pricing, freight quoted separately. Volume and contract pricing on request.
How to use these numbers
Build your own version of the summary table with your actual menu mix, using your delivered case prices. The structure transfers even if your SKUs differ: primary container, closure, bag, cutlery, sauce, in that order of cost. Then check the multipliers (bags per order, sauces per order, kits per order), because that is where the real variance between two operators with identical menus comes from.