# Pizza in boxes or paper? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 5, 2007, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302 "2007-11-05T16:17:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/1 "2007-11-05T16:17:36Z")
In [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=441811&page=3) **TonyF** told us a story about ordering pizzas for a meeting and that they came wrapped in paper, versus boxes. This made me remember that when I was growing up (SW Suburbs of Chicago) we NEVER had pizza boxes - our pies always came on a cardboard circle and were then wrapped in a white paper bag (which always had a big map of Italy in green on it) and was stapled shut. (This was up until even the early 90’s when I moved out of the area). I haven’t been down there in awhile so I don’t know if it’s still the same. My husband, on the other hand, who grew up in the NW Suburbs of Chicago, has never seen such a thing - he’s ALWAYS had boxes. Just out of curiosity, which did/do you have? Do you prefer it? And can anyone explain why the two different methods? You’d think pizza packaging would be pretty standard, wouldn’t you? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/2 "2007-11-05T16:22:32Z")
That story confused me because I’ve never heard of such a thing. The only time I’ve seen bags in is NYC where a slice or two are paper-plated and put inside a brown or white bag. But a whole pizza or more than a slice or two? Boxes, please. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/3 "2007-11-05T16:23:36Z")
I’m from NYC and a slice or two go on white paper plates and into white paper bags. Thin white paper bags. More than a couple of slices go into a pizza box. Your way is just wrong. (smile) ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/4 "2007-11-05T16:23:49Z")
A slice goes into a bag…a whole pizza goes into a box. I’ve never seen it any other way. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/5 "2007-11-05T16:26:45Z")
I grew up in Buffalo, NY, and now live in NYC, and I’m with Mr. 2U, I’ve never even _heard_ of pizza in paper until this very moment. And I eat a lot of pizza. If they are in paper, and you are ordering several, how do they stack up without ruining the pizza? I was noticing recently that the boxes seem pretty wasteful in terms of materials – it’s a lot of cardboard, and there’s no possible way to reuse a pizza box for anything. In our local recycling guidelines, it says not to put them in the recycling because your average pizza box is too soiled. All that considered, I can’t think of a better solution to the pizza issue. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/6 "2007-11-05T16:27:22Z")
I agree with Kid\_A, although some places around here (western NY) have triangular cardboard boxes meant to hold a single slice. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/7 "2007-11-05T16:28:55Z")
My experience jibes with yours, Missy2U. Specifically, I grew up in a south suburb of Chicago, and most pizzas (from real restaurants, not Domino’s) came on a white cardboard disk with a paper cover, stapled shut. Now I live on the north side of Chicago itself, and I haven’t seen paper since I moved. All boxes, from all the places. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/8 "2007-11-05T16:56:30Z")
[QUOTE=Missy2U] In [this thread,](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=441811&page=3) **TonyF** told us a story about ordering pizzas for a meeting and that they came wrapped in paper, versus boxes. This made me remember that when I was growing up (SW Suburbs of Chicago) we NEVER had pizza boxes - our pies always came on a cardboard circle and were then wrapped in a white paper bag (which always had a big map of Italy in green on it) and was stapled shut. (This was up until even the early 90’s when I moved out of the area). I haven’t been down there in awhile so I don’t know if it’s still the same. My husband, on the other hand, who grew up in the NW Suburbs of Chicago, has never seen such a thing - he’s ALWAYS had boxes. Just out of curiosity, which did/do you have? Do you prefer it? And can anyone explain why the two different methods? You’d think pizza packaging would be pretty standard, wouldn’t you? [/QUOTE] I’m also from the NW suburbs (grew up in Palatine, which is pretty much your territory, isn’t it, **Missy**?) We always had the paper, unless there was more than one pizza. They would put one in a box, and the other one in the paper, so you could carry one on top of another. (I saw that the Jake’s on NW Hwy in Palatine is gone now, Missy. SO sad! ☹ Maybe your husband’s family went to the fancier places? I think places like Edwardo’s and Giordano’s (both known for deep-dish Chicago-style, vs. the cut-in-squares thin crust) always use boxes. I now live in the west suburbs, and the places we go still use the paper. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/9 "2007-11-05T17:01:24Z")
I’m from Tennessee and pizza in anything other than a cardboard box is alien to me. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/10 "2007-11-05T17:04:55Z")
I lived in Rockford, Illinois until recently, and it varied. One of the local places we went to did the paper-cardboard-circle thing (this was the first time I’d seen it, and I grew up in Elgin). Another did boxes. The first one sometimes did a box if you were ordering more than one. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/11 "2007-11-05T17:18:08Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] I’m also from the NW suburbs (grew up in Palatine, which is pretty much your territory, isn’t it, **Missy**?) We always had the paper, unless there was more than one pizza. They would put one in a box, and the other one in the paper, so you could carry one on top of another. (I saw that the Jake’s on NW Hwy in Palatine is gone now, Missy. SO sad! ☹ Maybe your husband’s family went to the fancier places? I think places like Edwardo’s and Giordano’s (both known for deep-dish Chicago-style, vs. the cut-in-squares thin crust) always use boxes. I now live in the west suburbs, and the places we go still use the paper. [/QUOTE] Yep - I’m Palatine - husband grew up in Arlington Heights and come to think of it, they DID tend to order more deep dish he said but then again, it’s Arlington Heights and you KNOW how snooty THEY are so maybe that explains the difference 😃 I can’t even remember the Jake’s on NW Highway (never been there) but at least Palatine still has Chicago Pizza Authority and Mama Capri’s (the best, IMO - I miss it 'cause husband won’t order from there). ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/12 "2007-11-05T17:19:52Z")
I’m a Virginian and we’ve always had boxes. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/13 "2007-11-05T17:26:18Z")
[QUOTE=Missy2U] Yep - I’m Palatine - husband grew up in Arlington Heights and come to think of it, they DID tend to order more deep dish he said but then again, it’s Arlington Heights and you KNOW how snooty THEY are so maybe that explains the difference 😃 [/QUOTE] Well, of course! 🙂 > [@](#): > > I can’t even remember the Jake’s on NW Highway (never been there) but at least Palatine still has Chicago Pizza Authority and Mama Capri’s (the best, IMO - I miss it 'cause husband won’t order from there). I’ve never been to either of those. We used to get Jake’s for carryout (it was right at the bend of NW Hwy as you head towards Arlington Heights, just past the Spunky Dunkers (which was Mr. Donut in those days). And we went to Barnaby’s sometimes if we were going to dine-in. I remember Rosati’s and Marie’s were very popular for carry-out, too…both were chains that tended to be in strip malls and did mostly delivery and carry-out business. Dang, this is making me hungry. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/14 "2007-11-05T17:33:39Z")
I’ve never heard of such a thing. Pizzas come in boxes. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/15 "2007-11-05T17:53:52Z")
When I was a kid (early 70’s, california) take out pizza was on a cardboard square, covered in tin foil. Pizza places didn’t deliver then either. I think the cardboard box started here about when pizza places started delivering. (mid 80’s maybe?) ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/16 "2007-11-05T17:59:16Z")
Boxes, always, for an open pizza. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/17 "2007-11-05T18:34:11Z")
Native Marylander. Boxes, always. I wouldn’t object to the pizza thing for one pizza (as someone else said, less waste), but can’t imagine trying to stack them! ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/18 "2007-11-05T19:43:57Z")
Pizza slices can either come in a small box with thinner cardboard that’s about 10 inches square, or a paper plate. I’ve come across bagged slices exactly once around these parts, and it happened to be one of the worst slices I’ve ever had. Whole pizzas come in corrugated cardboard boxes. ---
**Author:** ![awldune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@awldune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/awldune)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/19 "2007-11-05T20:06:26Z")
I remember Little Caesar’s pizza coming in white paper. It was also a square pizza. Don’t know if all of their pizzas came that way or if it was only a certain specialty pizza. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2007, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302/20 "2007-11-05T20:22:11Z")
[QUOTE=awldune] I remember Little Caesar’s pizza coming in white paper. It was also a square pizza. Don’t know if all of their pizzas came that way or if it was only a certain specialty pizza. [/QUOTE] I have a sister who’s worked for Little Caesar’s ever since they came to Maryland. Here, it’s always been boxes (unless it was some kind of specialty pizza that I didn’t see). Maybe they conform to whatever the standard is around where they’re located. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pizza-in-boxes-or-paper/425302.md?page=2)