Have you ever wondered why are pizza boxes square? It turns out there is a reason for it! In this blog post, we will explore the history of the pizza box and discuss some of the benefits of using a square box.
We will also provide tips on how to fold a pizza box so that you can get the most out of it. So, whether you are a pizza lover or just curious about this everyday item, read on!
Why Are Pizza Boxes Square?
Now that you know the main reason behind using square pizza boxes, it’s time to find out why they are always made this way!
Capacity is easier to control
Pizzas come in various sizes and shapes, which means their capacity can vary too. By keeping these containers square, the manufacturer knows how much product each box will hold based on measurements. This makes sure that you don’t lose out on any profits or have to deal with customer complaints due to a lack of space for your cheesy treat.
Plus, if you own a restaurant, knowing how many slices fit into which-sized carton is essential so that staff members can prepare orders quickly without wasting time measuring the product. You may even be able to save money by reducing food and product waste.
They prevent overlap
As we mentioned before, square pizza boxes have four straight sides and a flat bottom, which allows them to easily stack on top of each other without room for toppings to overlap. For this reason, you can store these cartons in stacks or lines, depending on their size.
This is much more efficient than round containers that roll around, causing the lids to get stuck together, requiring two hands to separate them!
They provide stability when stacking.
Another aspect of these handy boxes is that they allow you to use less packaging material since they are more stable when stacked. You can always place another container on top to provide extra protection.
Additionally, the flat surface at the bottom of the carton will stop your pizza from sliding about when stacked, which can cause it to get damaged or squashed.
They are easier to store and transport.
Another factor contributing to why so many companies choose square pizza boxes is that they are ideal for storage purposes. This means you can keep them in their stacks with lids on top so that toppings remain fresh until used next time, helping save money on spoilage.
Alternatively, you can place any spare cartons down flat, which reduces the amount of space they take up in your kitchen cabinet or refrigerators.
Not only this, but they are easier for staff members to carry around, especially if they have bulky orders or have numerous in one hand! As well as this, they are also more convenient for stacking in delivery vans or taking to the office.
The History of The Pizza Box
The first recorded use of a pizza box can be traced back to the early 1950 when a pizza shop in New York City started delivering pizzas to customers and covered their paper bags with screen-printed wood or metal tops.
The idea behind using these boxes was that they would catch all the oil drips from the pizza and prevent the customer’s car from burning due to excess grease.
Soon after, other pizza shops (and even pastry shops) started using similar packaging because they realized its potential to deliver hot food directly to the customer’s hands! It also meant less time preparing orders for pick-up and less clean-up work in general since you wouldn’t have piles of paper bags lying around your restaurant.
In 1958, self-ventilated food containers were introduced in the pizza industry. These boxes allowed the hot air to escape while letting in little oxygen to keep your pizzas crispy.
Today, you can find all sorts of different shapes and sizes of pizza boxes on the market. However, they still have more or less the same function as their predecessors.
Benefits of Using Square Pizza Boxes
The reason behind using square pizza boxes is simple: they are made to hold a certain amount of product perfectly! Whether you are looking for small or big square shipping boxes, they will fit one pizza slice on each side so that none of them overlap, with room for some extra toppings.
This is why most pizza box manufacturers give dimensions of their pizza boxes in the number of slices they will hold.
Now that you know why square pizza boxes are used, let’s explore some benefits!
They allow for better protection than round containers.
Because the corners of a square box are slightly rounded, it means there are fewer corners available to damage your food. This makes it more difficult for your pizzas to get crushed or cracked during transportation and storage.
Plus, the raised edges on most cartons help prevent spillage. These features make it easier for you to transport and stack multiple cartons without worrying about your pizzas breaking.
They are more environmentally-friendly
Most companies today are trying to reduce their impact on the environment, so they need to be able to reuse products wherever possible! That is precisely what you can do with pizza boxes. You can fold them up, reuse them, or flatten them, then store them ready for use next time needed.
This reduces the need for wasteful single-use cartons that pile up in our landfills. More importantly, this also means that you’re helping save the planet since less energy will have to go into making new cartons.
You can color-coordinate your branding.
If you want customers to associate your brand with high-quality products, then the way you present your product is essential! Square pizza boxes are especially good at holding their original shape while stacked.
This allows for more space to print on the exterior panels of the box, which can be used for branding purposes (e.g., your logo, tagline, and social media page).
They can help build customer loyalty.
Square pizza boxes are functional; they also make an attractive marketing tool that generates brand awareness. With this in mind, many companies design special packaging to suit their target audience so that they stand out from the competition.
A fun custom box does not just catch people’s eyes; it can also generate interest and encourage them to give your brand a try.
Why Is A Pizza Round?
The main reason that pizza is traditionally round is that all the toppings and cheese would slide off if they were square. The base of a regular pizza does not contain anything, hence why it can be any shape without influencing how it tastes!
A pizza is round for the following reasons:
- The dough is then formed into a perfect ball before rising.
- Chefs use their dominant hand to spread the dough with a rolling pin or toss it in the air. For this reason, they would turn the tray 180 degrees before placing it into an oven, making them circular!
- To ensure even baking, bakers use round trays to put the dough.
- Most pizza baking pans are round in shape.
- When cutting a pizza into equal portions, it is easier to do so when the dough and toppings are round.
- The iconic and popular form has been around for a long time.
- The Neapolitan pizza style is known for its circular shape and thick diameter.
Why Is A Round Pizza Easier To Make?
Round pizzas are easier to make than square pizzas for the following reasons:
The dough is much thinner compared to a regular pizza. This makes it easier to spread out and roll.
There are no corner pieces; hence less dough has to be used to fill them in. This means that more toppings can fit on each slice!
Folding the corners takes practice and skill, which you might not have if you’re starting your career as a chef. Most restaurants would not want customers to eat folded-over slices, so they don’t offer this option!
Top the dough with sauce and cheese, then add your toppings. Next, place the rolled or folded pizza into an oven till done cooking before slicing it into equal portions using a pizza cutter.
A Square Pizza Does Exist
Every customer does not always prefer round pizzas to address the previous point! Some would rather have their pizza cut into square slices because they can hold them better. Plus, different toppings might slide off if it was circular.
Some restaurants make square-crust pizzas with thick dough to accommodate all the toppings. The result is similar to a regular pizza but without any folded-over pieces. The only downside is that your final product may come out looking messy, which can be challenging to present as a whole piece of pizza!
Why Is Pizza Round But The Box Is Square?
Aside from the shape of the pizza, it is also essential to consider your box! Square boxes are usually made out of double corrugated cardboard. They can hold their form because of how they are designed on each side. You can identify them by looking for four points or triangles which connect the two pieces.
The main advantage of square pizza boxes is that you can easily fit several pizzas without wasting too much space inside an insulated delivery vehicle.
If your car were round, you would have only one or two spots available for pizza storage due to its circular design! This will force you to buy more vehicles to serve more customers with fresh hot pizzas at once!
If you’re wondering why most delivery vehicles are not round, it is for safety reasons. The driver should ideally be sitting directly in front of the rear wheel, which should give you reasonable control over your vehicle at all times. This is not possible if the steering system was circular!
It’s clear why most pizzerias prefer square boxes. They can store more pizza with less wasted space, are safer to drive in, and are easier to stack with other boxes! This is why you see them used mainly everywhere aside from at home or restaurants that serve takeout pizza.
Why Is A Pizza Cut Into Triangles?
When you think about pizza, the first thing that comes to mind is the triangular slices. You cut through it with ease and can chow down on it without worrying about spilling too much of your sauce and toppings!
Aside from being easy to eat, we also enjoy seeing triangles because we subconsciously relate them to pyramids representing strength and power! The triangle is also a sign of stability and unity since its three points can be easily defined using Roman numerals: I, III, and VI.
These numbers play an essential role in our understanding of time like months, weeks, and days within those months; hours, minutes, and seconds all rely on them! It is hard to see how such a simple shape like the triangle holds such power over us, but it is true!
But what does this have to do with your pizza? Well, you can’t deny that triangles are the best way to showcase the toppings on top of your pie.
Why Is A Pizza Cut Into Slices Instead Of Squares Or Triangles?
If you’re still wondering why pizzas are cut into slices, then let me break it down for you! You always want to present the eating experience similarly to if someone was eating at one of our restaurants. This means giving them an actual slice so they can immediately feel like they are dining in your establishment!
It is not so much about the shape of your slices as it is about being able to hold onto them without any problems. Square pieces are not appealing because they struggle with maintaining their balance due to poor planning on the design of your pizza!
You should also opt for circular slices if you want to emphasize more on presentation more than taste. All pizzerias consider that people love seeing a spread-out portion where the toppings hang over the side. This makes everything look even better and can be a great conversation starter between two people eating together!
Why Do They Cut A Pizza in Squares In Some Places?
I know you’ve probably heard that some pizzerias choose to cut their pies into squares instead of triangles. The reason why this is done is that the owner had a bad experience with triangular slices!
If your pizza tends to fall apart easily, then it makes sense for you to try something different. Squares are typically more stable than triangles, although it’s true that they don’t look as good when presented on silver trays.
If your restaurant serves takeout orders, then you can keep up with tradition and help them in triangular slices, so they always hold their shape during the drive home.
I wouldn’t recommend trying out a square or circular crust if most people around your area usually order pizza by the slice! Customers want to see what they are biting into so try not to complicate things when necessary.
Why Does A Round Pizza Come In A Square Box?
1. Ease of manufacturing.
The main reason why pizzerias opt for square boxes is that there is no other way to keep your pizza inside while protecting it from sliding around. It doesn’t matter how good your crust tastes if the cheese slides off after one slice! You want to avoid that problem at all costs!
2. Ease of transporting and storage
You don’t want your pizza toppings sliding around inside the box, either! It is nice to offer delivery services because they can carry more pizzas in their car by stacking them on top of each other.
Round boxes are not preferred because dough tends to expand during baking, leaving gaps between the slices. Most importantly, it does not hold its shape for users who eat while walking or driving back home. This means that sauce and cheese will fall off very quickly, so there’s no point in even using one.
Square boxes also allow for more space for branding your restaurant since most pizzerias have a logo on top with their names written out below. It is a great way to grab people’s attention passing by and can be very eye-catching when put against a bright backdrop.
3. Need for special machinery
You don’t need any special tools for round boxes, so it is cheaper. All you have to do is buy a square cutter and cut out pieces of dough that are shaped like rectangles! They can be sliced in half afterward for triangular slices or kept as squares if that’s what your restaurant prefers.
Square boxes require more planning because they require modifications during baking, which means making sure each crust comes out perfectly. However, this process does not cost extra money since the machinery already exists within pizza bakeries all over America.
4. Ease of devouring!
Square and circular slices are much easier to hold when you eat pizza with your hands. There’s no need for a fork and knife unless you want to be extra fancy! You will not get sauce all over yourself like when you’re eating triangles since the walls prevent it from dripping downward.
5. Stability
Square slices are significantly more stable. This is because they have a higher ratio of crust to cheese and toppings, which means you can bite into them without fear of dropping your slice everywhere. I used to hate eating pizza as a kid because half the time, it would end up on my clothes instead of in my mouth!
6. Attempts to pack pizza in a round container
Think about the shape of a whole pizza, and you will realize that it is impossible to fit them into round boxes. This results in wasted space and ultimately more money spent on unnecessary materials.
Square boxes, however, can hold various shapes such as circles or rectangles, which saves your business from wasting precious time and money!
But Why Not A Square Pizza For A Square Box Then?
There is a small amount of space between each slice in a square pizza, making it easier to burn if you do not oversee it when cooking. It also requires extra ingredients such as cheese or sauce, which will add up costs.
If your pizzeria specializes in Sicilian style, this isn’t the best option for boxes, so I wouldn’t recommend trying out something different if that’s what you already offer!
Storing leftover pies at home is also more difficult because they cannot be stacked on top of each other without squishing everything inside.
With all of that being said, round boxes are straightforward to deal with and have their unique advantages depending on what type of restaurant you run. It is all personal preference!
How To Reuse Old Pizza Boxes?
Pizza boxes are a type of cardboard that is very easy to recycle and can be used for multiple purposes. For example, you can use them as a different form of packaging by wrapping whatever it is in clear plastic wrap before slipping it inside your new box. They’re also great for painting or cutting out shapes with children!
Make sure it isn’t too old since the dough becomes stale after about three days. If you end up throwing out new boxes every time they aren’t perfect, then that’s taking away from the environment that no one wants.
Pizza Boxes Are Not Recyclable Paper Products
Pizza boxes are indeed recyclable, which means you can put them in your blue recycling bin or dumpster when you are done with them. However, this does not mean they will be recycled into something else!
Their flimsy material makes recycling impossible because the water would leak out after being compressed. Paper products also go through a bleaching process which removes all nutrients that would have otherwise been recycled into paper again.
Be sure to keep these types of things out of the recycling bin if you are trying to impact our environment!
Some Ideas For Reusing Pizza Boxes
There are many creative ways to reuse old pizza boxes that will benefit the environment in one way or another. For example, you can use them as a mold for your compost bin when there is no more dough inside!
You can also set up a sprucing station in your bathroom by putting an open box at the bottom of the garbage can and placing tissues over it. It makes cleaning up messes easier since you won’t have to touch whatever sticky stuff is on the floor with your hands.
Old boxes work great for starting fires when camping too! Just place some kindling materials inside before setting fire to it, then use that fire to create another one elsewhere. You can put anything flammable inside, such as wood chips, tissue, or even paper money. You can even use pizza boxes as kindling if you don’t have anything else on hand!
Some people also enjoy making things with children, such as card houses, origami animals, board games, etc. Depending on your imagination, they are somewhat blank canvases that you can create just about anything.
Can You Cut the Pizza Into Square Slices?
Square slices are not the only way to cut up a pizza, and I would recommend trying out different types of sizes and shapes whenever possible. You can slice it first into squares or even strips if you want!
Cutting your pizzas into triangles might also encourage more eating, especially when paired with triangular boxes! There’s something very satisfying about biting into those sharp corners that makes the food taste even more delicious than usual, which is why so many fast food joints have adapted this method over time.
How to Fold A Pizza Box?
You can fold pizza boxes in any way you like depending on the type of pie you are serving. It’s all up to preference! For example, if you want to make them flat, put two flaps on top of each other before folding them outwards again.
If you prefer your boxes taller, then start with a single flap on its opening end and fold it back on itself several times until it gets to the desired height.
There are also unique ways that some pizzerias design their boxes, consisting of more than just two flaps. Just try out different things and see what works best for your business while keeping the environment in mind!
Why Do Pizza Boxes Have Holes?
The holes in pizza boxes serve multiple purposes, such as allowing heat to escape while the pie is cooking, giving toppings a place to be placed without slipping off the crust, and giving customers something fascinating to look at while they wait for their food.
It’s also easier for customers to grab things out of the box than to close them. This means you won’t have to worry about customers spilling everything when they try too hard to take their food with them!
Final Words
As you can see, there are many interesting facts about why pizza comes in square boxes. If you want to learn more about the history of these boxes, then I would recommend looking at different websites online that talk about their origins and what they used to look like before mass production became widespread throughout the world.
I hope this article has answered all of your questions regarding why pizzerias use square pizza boxes instead of round ones!
Have any other ideas for reusing them? Feel free to share them with us by leaving a comment below. We appreciate your input!
Read more: How To Stretch Pizza Dough?
