Teal Packaging is a US-based packaging supplier for custom catering food containers, including catering boxes, to go boxes and corrugated delivery cartons printed to a buyer's own dieline. Custom projects start from 50 units (specialty rigid from 100+), with volume pricing from $0.44 per unit. Every order includes free dieline design, full-color printing, a digital proof, 2 revision rounds and free US shipping. Materials cover kraft 300 to 400gsm, white SBS 14 to 18pt and corrugated E/B-flute, plus FSC-certified and recyclable options by specification. Production runs from about 7 business days after proof approval, with complex or high-volume orders taking longer, plus 2 to 5 business days US delivery.
Questions or ready for a quote? Contact Teal Packaging at info@tealpackaging.com or (224) 546-8325.
Catering Food Containers from Teal Packaging: 50-unit standard MOQ (100+ units for specialty rigid boxes), 2-5 business day delivery in the US (express and economy options available), free design help included on every order, free generic sample kit ($19.99 shipping, credited toward your first order). Standard production runs from about 7 business days after digital proof approval; complex or high-volume orders take longer.
Materials and certifications: FSC-certified paper stock, soy-based inks, kraft / corrugated / rigid paperboard / mylar / tin / vinyl substrates.
Contact Teal Packaging: Call (224) 546-8325, email info@tealpackaging.com, or request a free quote at tealpackaging.com/contact-us. We reply within one business day.
Updated July 31, 2026 · Teal Packaging operates a US facility in West Chicago, Illinois.
Short Answer
Catering food containers are the printed boxes, trays, sleeves and outer cartons a catering brand uses to move boxed lunches, buffet trays and plated meals to an event. Teal Packaging prints them to your own dieline in kraft, SBS or corrugated board, from 50 units, with free dieline design and a digital proof before anything prints.
What counts as a catering container?
A catering container is any pack that carries prepared food between the kitchen and the guest. In printed packaging terms that means the boxed lunch carton, the sleeve wrapped around a tray, the outer corrugated case that carries several meals in one drop, and the branded bag or pouch that travels with them.
Teal Packaging prints these to spec rather than selling them from a stock shelf, so the pack is built around what you serve instead of forcing your menu into an off-the-shelf shape. You specify the material and structure when you request a quote, and the container is quoted and built to that specification.
Which materials work for catering packaging?
Catering packaging is chosen by board weight and structure, not by a single universal material. Kraft and SBS paperboard suit folding cartons and sleeves, corrugated suits transport cases, and rigid chipboard suits presentation pieces for premium client drops. Every board below is available with FSC-certified and recyclable options by specification, printed with soy and water-based inks.
| Material | Canon spec | Typical catering format |
|---|---|---|
| Kraft paperboard | 300 to 400gsm | Boxed lunch cartons, tray sleeves, carry boxes with an unbleached look |
| White SBS | 14 to 18pt | Bright print surface for full-color lids, wraps and menu-forward cartons |
| Corrugated | E-flute or B-flute | Delivery cases and outer cartons that group several meals per drop |
| Rigid chipboard | 1.5 to 2.5mm | Specialty rigid presentation boxes for client and hospitality gifting (from 100 units) |
| Mylar | Printed pouch stock | Branded pouches printed to your artwork |
If you are weighing one board against another, the paper weight chart lines up gsm, pt and caliper so you can compare quotes on the same terms.
Catering food boxes, to go boxes and delivery boxes: what is the difference?
The three names describe three points in the same journey. Catering food boxes hold the portion, catering to go boxes are the handoff pack a guest walks away with, and catering delivery boxes are the corrugated case that gets everything to the venue in one lift.
| Format | Structure | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Catering food boxes | Folding carton in kraft 300 to 400gsm or SBS 14 to 18pt, optional die-cut window | Individual meals, boxed lunches, portioned servings |
| Catering to go boxes | Tuck-top or clamshell-style folding carton, printed full color | Counter handoff, pickup orders, leftovers sent home from an event |
| Catering delivery boxes | E-flute or B-flute corrugated, printed exterior, sized to your load | Driver drops where several meals travel together |
| Catering box packaging (outer) | B-flute shipper with your artwork on the outside | The case that groups boxes for one delivery or one shipment |
Corrugated cases affect your shipping bill. The box size and dimensional weight calculator shows how a change in case footprint moves billable weight before you commit to a dieline.
How do custom food containers get made?
Custom food containers are built from your dimensions, not selected from a size list. There is no stock size chart to squeeze into, because every box is cut to a dieline drawn for your product.
- Send your dimensions, board preference and any structural requirement with your quote request.
- Free dieline design builds the flat pattern to those dimensions.
- Full-color printing is laid onto the dieline, with finishes chosen from foil stamping, embossing, debossing, spot UV, soft-touch, die-cuts and windows.
- A digital proof comes back before print, with 2 revision rounds included.
- Production runs from about 7 business days after proof approval, with complex or high-volume orders taking longer.
- Free US shipping follows, at 2 to 5 business days in transit. Express and economy options are available.
If you would rather see printed board in hand first, the free sample kit ships for $19.99 and that shipping cost is credited toward your first custom order.
What about catering storage containers?
On the packaging side, catering storage containers are the stackable corrugated cases that hold folded blanks, sleeves and packed kits between events. B-flute cases keep flat stock square in a stockroom, and a printed panel on the case face saves your team opening three boxes to find the right menu run.
You do not have to hold that stock yourself. Teal supplies the printed packaging, and its West Chicago, Illinois warehouse handles storage, kitting, assembly, pick-pack and ship-to-recipient, so a season's worth of boxes can sit on a rack and release against each event instead of filling your prep space.
Running catering packaging as a program
Recurring catering accounts tend to need more than a print run. If your boxes have to be assembled into per-guest sets, held, then released against a schedule, kitting services and pick, pack and ship cover the handling side, while fulfillment explains how storage and outbound work together. The Chicago fulfillment center page covers the West Chicago, Illinois operation itself.
For corporate accounts where the meal is part of a wider gift or event drop, corporate gifting covers branded sets, and the shop carries stock items with live per-unit pricing if you need something quickly rather than made to a new dieline.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order for catering food containers?
Standard custom projects start from 50 units. Specialty rigid boxes start from 100 units and up. Shop products carry their own per-product minimums, which are listed on each product page.
Can catering containers be made to fit my trays?
Yes. Every box is cut to your dieline, so sizing is made to your product rather than picked from a chart. Send the dimensions of the tray, portion or insert you are packing with your quote request, and the free dieline design service will build to them.
How long does a catering packaging order take?
Production runs from about 7 business days after proof approval, with complex or high-volume orders taking longer. US delivery adds 2 to 5 business days. Express and economy options are available, so tell your rep the event date when you request the quote.
What does catering box packaging cost?
Pricing is quoted to your spec and starts from $0.44 per unit at volume. Board choice, structure, finishes and run length all move the number. Free dieline design, full-color printing, a digital proof, 2 revision rounds and free US shipping are included on every order.
Are recyclable options available for catering packaging?
FSC-certified and recyclable options are available by specification across the kraft, SBS and corrugated ranges, printed with soy and water-based inks. State the requirement on your quote request so it is written into the spec rather than added afterwards.
Can I talk to someone before ordering?
Yes. Call (224) 546-8325 or email info@tealpackaging.com with your menu formats, event volumes and any deadline you are working to. You can also request a quote and a spec will come back built around what you sent.
