Around here we used to have one place (Massey’s Pizza) that would do the cardboard disk and white-paper bag. I love their pizza and loved that it was not “in a box”. They have since changed to all boxes. They have also stopped using long ribbon slices of cheese and went to shredded cheese - it just isn’t the same.
I too recall Little Ceasar’s having paper. You got two pizza’s, side-by-side on a cardboard flat and it was all put into a long paper bag.
MeanJoe
Before the big franchises reached my crappy little corner of the world, in New Zealand, all pizzas made by local shops (and there weren’t even many of those in my tiny town) did the paper bag thing. Seeing pizza boxes on TV and movies was a strange and wondrous sight.
When we finally caught up with the rest of the world with our available junk food franchises, pizza boxes started to be the norm, though there are still some that will do it the old school way, probably because they’re stick-in-the-mud traditionalists instead of being considerate and practical.
When we got pizza from Little Caesar’s, it was always two at a time (their thing was that they sold two pizzas for about what everyone else charged for one), on one long piece of cardboard wrapped in paper. The whole thing was awkward to carry and get into the car.
Other than that, pizza places have always used boxes as far back as I can remember. They were usually white paperboard, and if you went into the pizzeria when it was slow, the counterman would be keeping busy pre-folding the boxes. They usually had a ready stack of prepared boxes on a high shelf.
Looking like a regional thing. Growing up in the SW Burbs of Chicago we often got the disk w/ a paper bag treatment. Not always, but it was pretty common. It’s becoming rarer, I think that boxes have the appearance of “upscale”, but I did get a pizza packaged in a paper bag just this past Friday here in the city.
It’s definitely a regional thing. Whenever I’ve eaten pizza in Indiana (specifically from a place called Pizza King), I’ve found that it is rectangular and wrapped in paper. Everywhere else, it comes in a box.
Interesting that you should say that. The only time I’ve seen a whole pizza in a paper bag, it was from a highfalutin’ place with a special coal-fired pizza oven, so I figured the paper bag was the more upscale presentation. This was on Long Island, by the way.
When I lived in Chicago, although I loved the type of pizza that came in the bags, I friggin’ hated the bag itself-- especially if I had it delivered. That little white plastic “table” never did anything to keep the cheese from sticking all over the damn bag.
I think I found a pizza bag: link. It is seriously fucking with my head.
Born and raised just outside Philly. If someone tried to give me a whole pizza in a paper bag, I think I’d be tempted to smack them. Slices go on a paper plate in a bag. Pies go in a cardboard box. Q.E.D.
(Now you’ve all got me seriously craving good pizza. All the non-chain pizza joints in this town offer you green chili on your pizza, which is a clear indication that they have absolutely no idea what they’re doing.)
One of the local places still does the bag thing, or at least they did a couple years ago, the last time we ordered. I think it might be the only one, though. The rest do boxes. I don’t remember if the bag place does something different for delivery, but the pizza was always in a bag when we picked it up ourselves.
There were a few places that did the paper bag thing in the northern ‘burbs of Chicago. But have been phased out for boxes, likely because they’re easier to stack and dont’ crush/slop the pizzas up.
Yes, that’s what they look like…I’ve even seen them with that graphic on them. But, as the OP said, typically they have a map of Italy on them, colored like the Italian flag.
The places that have the bag are typically small, Italian (often immigrant)-owned, no-frills places. Many of them are small storefronts with carry-out/delivery business only. The pizza is awesome…the best you can get in Chicago, IMO, no matter how much fanfare places like Uno’s get!
I’ve lived in 8 US states & I’ve never heard of pizza in a bag. I even had family in suburban Chicago & I’ve never heard of pizza in a bag.
One more vote for regional thing. I grew up in Springfield, Il. Before any chain pizza places made it there, all the local joints did the cardboard circle/paper bag. Then again, there was no such thing as delivery and I don’t remember anyone ordering more than two pizzas at a time. Pizza just wasn’t the common food it is today. Yes, I am old, why do you ask?
I was going to come in here and say that I’d never heard of pizza in a bag and in fact couldn’t even picture how that would work until I saw awldune’s post about Little Caesar’s. You’d think I’d remember that, after having worked there for almost a year :smack: Yeah, it was twenty years ago, but sheesh.
I grew up in Racine in SE Wisconsin and we definitely had the bags. I can’t remember if any of the local places used boxes for deep dish though. Boxes came in with the chains but I think the local places still use bags. I live in Milwaukee now and most places use boxes, there are still a few places you get bags though. I don’t remember there ever being the little plastic table things in the bags, only in boxes. See you don’t stack the bags so the tenting should keep it off the pizza. This of course meant when you were ordering multiple pizzas you went with the troops.
I remember this as well. I also remember the little ceasars slipcover method.
I can see where this would be ALOT cheaper/space efficent to store and print as well.
Now all we need is to open a “premium pizza” chain that only uses the paper wrapped disk…so different…more environmentally friendly than big ass boxes, twisted off on top to seal in all the hot delicious goodness.
Maybe I should be in marketing…
Oh yeah, and the Little Ceasers packaging was kind of a cross between the two. The pizza was round and you got two. The cardboard was rectangular to fit them both and the two long sides were folded up to make a tray like thing, there was a bit in the middle folded up to act like the little plastic table and the whole thing was slid into a bag.
Other than the paper-wrapped half box thing Li’l Caesers did, it’s boxes around here as far back as I can remember.
And I now want to front a band called Spunky Dunkers, yes I do! 
Me, too, on the former Rockford-livin’.
I had actually completely forgotten about bagged pizza. There were a couple places that did that, often with carry out. There was a place on the corner of 11th and Harrison… can’t remember it’s name.
If I may add a shout out, Giuseppe’s in Rockford has hands down the best food in the world. I hate Minnesota’s Italian food. It makes me sad.