Custom Food Boats
The paper boat is one of those formats that has stayed popular because it does the simplest job perfectly. Open on top, easy to hold, quick to serve into and cheap enough that nobody minds throwing it away. You see them at every festival, ballpark and street food stall for a reason. We produce a lot of food boats at ZEE Packaging and this format still beats a lidded box for anything eaten immediately.
Food boats work because there is nothing to fight with.
- No lid to open, so the customer eats straight away
- Staff serve into them in one motion, which speeds a queue
- Steam escapes naturally, so fried food stays crisp
- Stackable when empty, taking almost no storage room
- The contents are visible, which sells to the next person in line
- Cheap enough that nobody hesitates over the unit cost
Most operators choose food boats over a clamshell simply because service is faster.
Grease Is The One Real Problem
An open tray still needs proper treatment.
- Fried food releases oil that soaks straight through bare board
- Grease resistant coating rather than a poly lining
- The base is where oil pools, so that is where it fails
- Sauce and dressing accelerate the breakdown considerably
- Untreated board goes limp within minutes under hot food
- A rigid base matters, since these are held in one hand
- Standard open boat the everyday format for most food boats
- Deep sided boat for loaded fries and saucy dishes
- Long narrow boat hot dogs, corn dogs and sausages
- Compartment boat separates a main and a side
- Large sharing boat nachos and platters
- Printed boats full colour branding for events and stalls
Sizes We Print Regular
Every boat is built to your portions, though these run often:
- 5" x 3.5" x 1.5" for a small side
- 7" x 5" x 1.5" for a standard portion
- 9" x 6" x 2" for a loaded serving
- 8" x 2.5" x 1.5" for hot dogs and long items
- 10" x 7" x 2" for sharing and nachos
- 6" x 4" x 2" with a divider for a main and a dip
Board And Food Safety
- Food grade certified stock, always, without exception
- Kraft board, which suits street food and events particularly well
- White SBS where you want vivid brand print
- 18pt to 22pt, since these are held in one hand
- Grease resistant treatment as standard
- Coated base where sauce and oil collect
Printing works very well on this shape. The open format means the branded sides are visible while the customer eats, which is more exposure than a closed box gives you.
Kinder Material Choices
- Recycled kraft with no lamination
- FSC certified board, certificate available on request
- Soy based ink through the whole run
- Grease resistant coating instead of a poly liner
- Paper replacing plastic and foam trays entirely
- Right sized so portions match the boat
How An Order Runs With Us
- 100 unit minimum, so a single stall can order properly
- Free 3D mockup and flat proof before anything prints
- Free dieline drawn by our own designer
- Physical sample on request to test with a real portion
- Urgent turnaround at 5 to 8 business days
- Free shipping worldwide with nothing hidden
Frequently Asked Questions
Will grease soak through?
Not with the right coating. Untreated board goes limp fast under hot fried food, so treatment is not really optional here.
Do they arrive assembled?
They come pressed and ready to use, which is part of why they suit busy service. There is nothing to fold.
Can they hold saucy food?
A deep sided version can, with a coated base. For anything genuinely wet we would suggest the deeper format.
Is a compartment version available?
Yes, with a divider for a main and a dip. It saves you handing over two separate items.
Is the board food safe?
Always. We only run food grade certified stock for anything holding food directly.
Can you print full colour?
We do, and it works well. The sides stay visible while somebody eats, so branding gets more exposure than on a closed box.
What does it cost to buy a food boat?
Rough estimate is $0.04 to $0.14 per unit for a plain coated boat, $0.08 to $0.22 with one colour print and $0.12 to $0.30 for full colour at moderate quantity. Volume moves it a lot. Shipping is included in our price. This is estimate only, so ask our team for a exact quote.
