When Should You Order Packaging Before Opening Your Food Business?
How far ahead to order custom printed packaging before opening a takeaway, cafe or restaurant, with a week-by-week timeline you can plan around.
By TradePack3 min read
"When should I order my packaging?" is one of the most common questions we hear from people opening a food business. The honest answer is: earlier than you think. Custom printed packaging isn't something you can pick up the week before you open, and running out in your first month is a stressful way to start.
Here's how the process works and how to fit it around your opening date.
The short answer
Start the conversation around eight weeks before you open. That leaves time to agree what you need, approve your design and test a sample, plus the 30 to 35 days that production and delivery typically take once you approve.
If your opening date is closer than that, get in touch anyway. Tell us the date and we'll tell you honestly what's achievable.
Your timeline, step by step
Around 8 weeks before opening: tell us what you're opening
Share your business type, your menu and your rough opening date. We'll build your packaging list with you and point out anything that's easy to forget, like lids, seal stickers or bags for larger delivery orders.
If you don't have a logo or artwork yet, this is the time to start. We can design your packaging with you at no extra cost.
Next: quote and sample
You'll receive a tailored quote based on your products, quantities and printing. Once you're happy with it, we prepare a sample of the packaging you've been quoted for.
Test it with your own food. The ideal moment is while you're still finalising your menu, so you can check the fit, strength and look with the dishes you'll actually serve.
Approval: production and delivery
As soon as you approve the sample and the artwork, production begins. Production and delivery typically take 30 to 35 days from approval.
Opening week: stock in place
Your packaging is delivered, or kept in our UK storage if you'd rather not fill your new premises with boxes. We then plan your first reorder around how quickly you're selling.
Plan backwards from your opening date: 30 to 35 days for production and delivery, plus time for your quote, design and sample.
What slows things down
Most delays happen before production, not during it:
- Artwork that isn't ready. Logos, colours and final names often change in the weeks before opening. Lock your branding in early.
- Changing the menu late. If a signature dish changes size, the box might need to change too.
- Testing samples too late. If the sample doesn't suit your food, a change now is easy. A change after production isn't.
What if you're opening sooner?
If time is tight, prioritise. Get your most visible packaging, usually your main box and your bags, printed for opening, and use plain packaging with printed stickers for everything else until your full range arrives.
Planning your reorders
Opening is the start, not the end. Because a new production run takes around 30 to 35 days, reorder well before you run low, or keep stock in UK storage so your next batch is always ready. As we learn how quickly you get through each item, reorders become simple.
Summary
- Start around eight weeks before opening.
- Production and delivery typically take 30 to 35 days after you approve your sample and artwork.
- Lock your branding and menu early, and test samples with your real dishes.
- If time is short, print your most visible packaging first.
Use our packaging checklists for new food businesses to see what you'll need, or tell us your opening date and we'll plan it with you.
