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{{Short description|Prepared food purchased with the intent to eat elsewhere}}
{{Redirect|Carryout|the song|Carry Out}}
{{Redirect|Carryout|the song|Carry Out}}
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{{short description|Prepared meal or other food items, purchased at a restaurant or fast food outlet}}
{{redirect-multi|2|Take out|Take away}}
{{redirect-multi|2|Take out|Take away}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{multiple image|perrow = 2|total_width=300
| image1 = Fish and chips.jpg
| image2 = Döner Kebab.jpg
| image3 = Pizza chaude dans boite.jpg
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| footer = Clockwise from top: [[Fish and chips]]; [[Doner kebab|Döner kebab]]; [[Pizza delivery]].
}}


'''Take-out''' or '''takeout''' is a prepared meal or other food items, purchased at a restaurant or [[fast food]] outlet with the intent to eat elsewhere. A concept found in many ancient cultures, take-out food is common worldwide, with a number of different cuisines and dishes on offer.
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[[File:Take out collage.jpg|thumb|Clockwise from upper left: A Meat Feast [[Parmo]] from [[Stockton-on-Tees]], UK; [[Fish and chips]]; [[Doner kebab|Döner kebab]]; [[Pizza delivery]].]]


==Other names==
A '''take-out''' or '''takeout''' (U.S., Canada, and the Philippines); '''carry-out''' or '''to-go''' (Scotland and some dialects in the U.S. and Canada);<ref name="takeaway">{{cite web | title=takeaway noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | website=Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com | url=https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/takeaway | access-date=2021-06-18}}</ref> '''takeaway''' (England, Wales, Australia, Lebanon, South Africa, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and occasionally in North America);<ref name="takeaway"/> '''takeaways''' ([[Indian English|India]], New Zealand); '''grab-n-go'''; and '''parcel''' (Bangladesh, and [[Pakistani English|Pakistan]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/2007/09/09/sunday-levity-paradise-secured/|title= Sunday Levity: Paradise Secured|publisher=The Acorn|access-date=September 1, 2008|quote=But we're only here for a take-away (or '''parcel''', in local parlance).}}</ref> is a prepared meal or other food items, purchased at a restaurant or [[fast food]] outlet with the intent to eat elsewhere. A concept found in many ancient cultures, take-out food is common worldwide, with a number of different cuisines and dishes on offer.
Such a meal may also be called a '''carry-out''' (U.S., Canada and the Philippines); a '''to-go''' (Scotland and some dialects in the U.S. and Canada);<ref name="takeaway">{{cite web | title=takeaway noun - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | website=Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com | url=https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/takeaway | access-date=2021-06-18}}</ref> a '''takeaway''' (England, Wales, Australia, Lebanon, South Africa, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, and occasionally in North America);<ref name="takeaway"/> '''takeaways''' ([[Indian English|India]], New Zealand); '''grab 'n go''' (Canada); a '''pack''' ([[Nepal]]); or a '''parcel''' (Bangladesh, [[Pakistani English|Pakistan]])).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://acorn.nationalinterest.in/2007/09/09/sunday-levity-paradise-secured/|title= Sunday Levity: Paradise Secured|publisher=The Acorn|access-date=September 1, 2008|quote=But we're only here for a take-away (or '''parcel''', in local parlance).}}</ref>


==History==
==History==
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The concept of prepared meals to be eaten elsewhere dates back to antiquity. Market and roadside stalls selling food were common in [[Ancient Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome|Rome]].<ref name="Smith">{{cite book|title=The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink|editor-first=Andrew F.|editor-last=Smith|pages=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000unse_e9i9/page/580 580]|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford, UK|isbn=9780195307962|year=2007|url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000unse_e9i9/page/580}}</ref> In [[Pompeii]], archaeologists have found a number of ''[[thermopolium|thermopolia]]'', service counters opening onto the street which provided food to be taken away. There is a distinct lack of formal dining and kitchen area in Pompeian homes, which may suggest that eating, or at least cooking, at home was unusual. Over 200 ''thermopolia'' have been found in the ruins of Pompeii.<ref>{{cite book|title=Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl: An Encyclopedia|date=October 30, 2008|pages=252–253|editor-last=Weiss Adamson|editor2-last=Segan|editor-first=Melitta|editor2-first=Francine|isbn=9780313086892|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=CT, USA}}</ref>
The concept of prepared meals to be eaten elsewhere dates back to antiquity. Market and roadside stalls selling food were common in [[Ancient Greece]] and [[Ancient Rome|Rome]].<ref name="Smith">{{cite book|title=The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink|editor-first=Andrew F.|editor-last=Smith|pages=[https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000unse_e9i9/page/580 580]|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=Oxford, UK|isbn=9780195307962|year=2007|url=https://archive.org/details/oxfordcompaniont0000unse_e9i9/page/580}}</ref> In [[Pompeii]], archaeologists have found a number of ''[[thermopolium|thermopolia]]'', service counters opening onto the street which provided food to be taken away. There is a distinct lack of formal dining and kitchen area in Pompeian homes, which may suggest that eating, or at least cooking, at home was unusual. Over 200 ''thermopolia'' have been found in the ruins of Pompeii.<ref>{{cite book|title=Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl: An Encyclopedia|date=October 30, 2008|pages=252–253|editor-last=Weiss Adamson|editor2-last=Segan|editor-first=Melitta|editor2-first=Francine|isbn=9780313086892|publisher=Greenwood Press|location=CT, USA}}</ref>


In the cities of medieval Europe a number of street vendors sold take-out food. In medieval London, street vendors sold hot meat [[pie]]s, [[goose|geese]], [[Lamb and mutton|sheep's feet]] and French [[wine]], while in Paris roasted [[meat]]s, [[Squab (food)|squab]], [[tart]]s and [[Flan (pie)|flan]]s, [[cheese]]s and eggs were available. A large strata of society would have purchased food from these vendors, but they were especially popular amongst the urban poor, who would have lacked kitchen facilities in which to prepare their own food.<ref name="Harris">{{cite book|title=Misconceptions about the Middle Ages|pages=166|editor-last=Harris|editor-first=Stephen|editor2-last=Grigsby|editor2-first=Bryon L.|publisher=Routledge|location=London, UK|isbn=9781135986674|year=2007}}</ref> However, these vendors often had a bad reputation, often being in trouble with [[city]] authorities reprimanding them for selling infected meat or reheated food. The cooks of [[Norwich]] often defended themselves in court against selling such things as "[[Smallpox|pokky]] pies" and "stynkyng mackerelles".<ref>{{cite book |title=Medieval East Anglia |pages=134 |editor-last=Harper-Bill |editor-first=Christopher |isbn=9781843831518 |date=2005 |publisher=The Boydell Press |location=Sussex, UK}}</ref> In 10th and 11th century [[China]], citizens of cities such as [[Kaifeng]] and [[Hangzhou]] were able to buy pastries such as ''[[yuebing]]'' and ''[[congyoubing]]'' to take away. By the early 13th century, the two most successful such shops in Kaifeng had "upwards of fifty ovens".<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Great Latke-Hamantash Debate|editor-last=Fredman Cernea|editor-first=Ruth|pages=[https://archive.org/details/greatlatkehamant0000unse/page/181 181]|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=London, UK|year=2005|isbn=9780226100234|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/greatlatkehamant0000unse/page/181}}</ref> A traveling Florentine reported in the late 14th century that in Cairo, people carried picnic cloths made of raw hide to spread on the streets and eat their meals of lamb kebabs, rice and fritters that they had purchased from street vendors.<ref name="Mary Snodgrass">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D7IhN7lempUC&q=%22street+food%22+&pg=PA966 |title=Encyclopedia of Kitchen History |author=Mary Snodgrass - |date=September 27, 2004 |isbn=9780203319178 |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref> In Renaissance Turkey, many crossroads saw vendors selling "fragrant bites of hot meat", including chicken and lamb that had been spit roasted.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D7IhN7lempUC&q=street+food+history&pg=PA966 |title=Encyclopedia of Kitchen History |author=Mary Snodgrass |date=September 27, 2004 |isbn=9780203319178 |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref>
In the cities of medieval Europe a number of street vendors sold take-out food. In medieval London, street vendors sold hot meat [[pie]]s, [[goose as food|geese]], [[Lamb and mutton|sheep's feet]] and French [[wine]], while in Paris roasted [[meat]]s, [[Squab (food)|squab]], [[tart]]s and [[Flan (pie)|flan]]s, [[cheese]]s and eggs were available. A large strata of society would have purchased food from these vendors, but they were especially popular amongst the urban poor, who would have lacked kitchen facilities in which to prepare their own food.<ref name="Harris">{{cite book|title=Misconceptions about the Middle Ages|pages=166|editor-last=Harris|editor-first=Stephen|editor2-last=Grigsby|editor2-first=Bryon L.|publisher=Routledge|location=London, UK|isbn=9781135986674|year=2007}}</ref> However, these vendors often had a bad reputation, often being in trouble with [[city]] authorities reprimanding them for selling infected meat or reheated food. The cooks of [[Norwich]] often defended themselves in court against selling such things as "[[Smallpox|pokky]] pies" and "stynkyng mackerelles".<ref>{{cite book |title=Medieval East Anglia |pages=134 |editor-last=Harper-Bill |editor-first=Christopher |isbn=9781843831518 |date=2005 |publisher=The Boydell Press |location=Sussex, UK}}</ref> In 10th and 11th century [[China]], citizens of cities such as [[Kaifeng]] and [[Hangzhou]] were able to buy pastries such as ''[[yuebing]]'' and ''[[congyoubing]]'' to take away. By the early 13th century, the two most successful such shops in Kaifeng had "upwards of fifty ovens".<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Great Latke-Hamantash Debate|editor-last=Fredman Cernea|editor-first=Ruth|pages=[https://archive.org/details/greatlatkehamant0000unse/page/181 181]|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=London, UK|year=2005|isbn=9780226100234|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/greatlatkehamant0000unse/page/181}}</ref> A traveling Florentine reported in the late 14th century that in [[Cairo]], people carried picnic cloths made of [[Rawhide (material)|rawhide]] to spread on the streets and eat their meals of [[Lamb and mutton|lamb]] [[kebab]]s, [[rice]] and [[fritter]]s that they had purchased from street vendors.<ref name="Mary Snodgrass">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D7IhN7lempUC&q=%22street+food%22+&pg=PA966 |title=Encyclopedia of Kitchen History |author=Mary Snodgrass - |date=September 27, 2004 |isbn=9780203319178 |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref> In Renaissance [[Turkey]], many crossroads saw vendors selling "fragrant bites of hot meat", including chicken and lamb that had been [[spit roast]]ed.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D7IhN7lempUC&q=street+food+history&pg=PA966 |title=Encyclopedia of Kitchen History |author=Mary Snodgrass |date=September 27, 2004 |isbn=9780203319178 |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref>


[[Aztec]] marketplaces had vendors that sold beverages such as ''[[atolli]]'' ("a [[gruel]] made from [[maize]] dough"), almost 50 types of [[tamales]] (with ingredients that ranged from the meat of [[turkey (meat)|turkey]], [[rabbit]], [[gopher]], [[frog]], and fish to fruits, eggs, and maize flowers),<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vY8Cb3Vc7LMC&q=aztec+%22street+food%22&pg=PA276 |title=Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia |author=Susan Evans |year=2001 |isbn=9780815308874 |access-date=August 17, 2012}}</ref> as well as insects and stews.<ref name="google4">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vyppownpnUQC&q=aztec+%22street+food%22&pg=PA124 |title=Food Culture In Mexico |author = Long Towell Long, Luis Alberto Vargas |year=2005 |isbn=9780313324314 |access-date=August 17, 2012}}</ref> After Spanish colonization of Peru and importation of European food stocks including [[wheat]], [[sugarcane]] and livestock, most commoners continued primarily to eat their traditional diets, but did add grilled beef hearts sold by street vendors.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GcwgxnOBXwMC&q=%22street+food%22+&pg=PA23 |title=Food In World History |author=J. Pilcher |date=December 20, 2005 |isbn=9780203970058 |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref> Some of Lima's 19th century street vendors such as "Erasmo, the 'negro' sango vendor" and Na Aguedita are still remembered today.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NTo6c_PJWRgC&q=%22street+food%22&pg=RA3-PA226 |title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia |author=Ken Albala |publisher=Boo |date=May 25, 2011 |isbn=9780313376269 |access-date=August 17, 2012}}</ref>
[[Aztec]] marketplaces had vendors that sold beverages such as ''[[atolli]]'' ("a [[gruel]] made from [[maize]] dough"), almost 50 types of [[tamales]] (with ingredients that ranged from the meat of [[turkey (meat)|turkey]], [[rabbit]], [[gopher]], [[frog]], and fish, fruit, eggs, and maize flowers),<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vY8Cb3Vc7LMC&q=aztec+%22street+food%22&pg=PA276 |title=Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America: An Encyclopedia |author=Susan Evans |year=2001 |isbn=9780815308874 |access-date=August 17, 2012}}</ref> as well as insects and stews.<ref name="google4">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vyppownpnUQC&q=aztec+%22street+food%22&pg=PA124 |title=Food Culture In Mexico |author = Long Towell Long, Luis Alberto Vargas |year=2005 |isbn=9780313324314 |access-date=August 17, 2012}}</ref> After Spanish colonization of Peru and importation of European food stocks including [[wheat]], [[sugarcane]] and livestock, most commoners continued primarily to eat their traditional diets, but did add grilled beef hearts sold by street vendors.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GcwgxnOBXwMC&q=%22street+food%22+&pg=PA23 |title=Food In World History |author=J. Pilcher |date=December 20, 2005 |isbn=9780203970058 |access-date=August 16, 2012}}</ref> Some of Lima's 19th century street vendors such as "Erasmo, the 'negro' sango vendor" and Na Aguedita are still remembered today.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NTo6c_PJWRgC&q=%22street+food%22&pg=RA3-PA226 |title=Food Cultures of the World Encyclopedia |author=Ken Albala |publisher=Boo |date=May 25, 2011 |isbn=9780313376269 |access-date=August 17, 2012}}</ref>


[[File:Frankfurter stand LOC det.4a13502.jpg|thumb|Street food vendors in early 20th century New York City.]]
[[File:Frankfurter stand LOC det.4a13502.jpg|thumb|Street food vendors in early 20th century New York City.]]
During the [[American colonial period]], street vendors sold "pepper pot soup" (tripe) "oysters, roasted corn ears, fruit and sweets," with oysters being a low-priced commodity until the 1910s when overfishing caused prices to rise.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f01RpO0QsDQC&q=%22street+food%22+century&pg=PA214 |title=Good Food for Little Money: Food and Cooking Among Urban Working-class ... |author=Katherine Leonard Turner |year=2008 |isbn=9780549754237 |access-date=August 17, 2012}}</ref> In 1707, after previous restrictions that had limited their operating hours, street food vendors had been banned in New York City.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QQgwVl22fXkC&q=street+food+history&pg=PA25 |title=Street Foods |author=Artemis P. Simopoulos |year=2000 |isbn=9783805569279 |access-date=August 16, 2012|author-link=Artemis Simopoulos }}</ref> Many women of African descent made their living selling street foods in America in the 18th and 19th centuries; with products ranging from fruit, cakes and nuts in [[Savannah, Georgia]], to coffee, biscuits, pralines and other sweets in [[New Orleans]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gF8NCxGHyMMC&q=%22street+food%22+&pg=PA71 |title=African American Foodways: Explorations of History and Culture - |date= December 2008|isbn=9780252076305 |access-date=August 17, 2012|last1=Bower |first1=Anne L. }}</ref> In the 19th century, street food vendors in [[Transylvania]] sold gingerbread-nuts, cream mixed with corn, and bacon and other meat fried on tops of ceramic vessels with hot coals inside.<ref name="oxford">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FrWgDRkS90EC&q=%22street+food%22&pg=PA118 |title=Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery 1991: Public Eating : Proceedings |isbn=9780907325475 |access-date=August 17, 2012|last1=Walker |first1=Harlan |year=1992 }}</ref>
During the [[American colonial period]], street vendors sold "pepper pot soup" (tripe) "oysters, roasted corn ears, fruit and sweets," with oysters being a low-priced commodity until the 1910s when [[overfishing]] caused prices to rise.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=f01RpO0QsDQC&q=%22street+food%22+century&pg=PA214 |title=Good Food for Little Money: Food and Cooking Among Urban Working-class ... |author=Katherine Leonard Turner |year=2008 |isbn=9780549754237 |access-date=August 17, 2012}}</ref> In 1707, after previous restrictions that had limited their operating hours, [[Cuisine of New York City#Street food|street food vendors]] had been banned in New York City.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QQgwVl22fXkC&q=street+food+history&pg=PA25 |title=Street Foods |author=Artemis P. Simopoulos |year=2000 |isbn=9783805569279 |access-date=August 16, 2012|author-link=Artemis Simopoulos }}</ref> Many women of African descent made their living selling street foods in America in the 18th and 19th centuries; with products ranging from fruit, cakes and nuts in [[Savannah, Georgia]], to coffee, biscuits, pralines and other sweets in [[New Orleans]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gF8NCxGHyMMC&q=%22street+food%22+&pg=PA71 |title=African American Foodways: Explorations of History and Culture - |date= December 2008|isbn=9780252076305 |access-date=August 17, 2012|last1=Bower |first1=Anne L. }}</ref> In the 19th century, street food vendors in [[Transylvania]] sold gingerbread-nuts, cream mixed with corn, and bacon and other meat fried on tops of ceramic vessels with hot coals inside.<ref name="oxford">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FrWgDRkS90EC&q=%22street+food%22&pg=PA118 |title=Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery 1991: Public Eating : Proceedings |isbn=9780907325475 |access-date=August 17, 2012|last1=Walker |first1=Harlan |year=1992 }}</ref>


The [[Industrial Revolution]] saw an increase in the availability of take-out food. By the early 20th Century, [[fish and chips]] was considered an "established institution" in Britain. The [[hamburger]] was introduced to America around this time. The diets of industrial workers were often poor, and these meals provided an "important component" to their nutrition.<ref>{{cite book|title=Food for Health, Food for Wealth: Ethnic and Gender Identities in British Iranian Community|pages=72|last=Harbottle|first=Lynn|year=2004|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=9781571816344|location=New York, USA}}</ref> In India, local businesses and cooperatives, had begun to supply workers in the city of [[Bombay]] (now Mumbai) with [[tiffin]] boxes by the end of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite book|title=Feeding the City: Work and Food Culture of the Mumbai Dabbawalas|last=Roncaglia|first=Sara|pages=xvi|isbn=9781909254008|publisher=Open Book Publishers|year=2013|location=London, UK}}</ref>
The [[Industrial Revolution]] saw an increase in the availability of take-out food. By the early 20th Century, [[fish and chips]] was considered an "established institution" in Britain. The [[hamburger]] was introduced to America around this time. The diets of industrial workers were often poor, and these meals provided an "important component" to their nutrition.<ref>{{cite book|title=Food for Health, Food for Wealth: Ethnic and Gender Identities in British Iranian Community|pages=72|last=Harbottle|first=Lynn|year=2004|publisher=Berghahn Books|isbn=9781571816344|location=New York, USA}}</ref> In India, local businesses and cooperatives, had begun to supply workers in the city of [[Bombay]] (now Mumbai) with [[tiffin]] boxes by the end of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite book|title=Feeding the City: Work and Food Culture of the Mumbai Dabbawalas|last=Roncaglia|first=Sara|pages=xvi|isbn=9781909254008|publisher=Open Book Publishers|year=2013|location=London, UK}}</ref>
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==Business operation==
==Business operation==
[[File:Fish and chip shop, Cromer - geograph.org.uk - 2579721.jpg|thumb|Customers queueing for takeaway at a [[fish and chip shop]] in England]]

Take-out food can be purchased from restaurants that also provide sit-down [[Foodservice#Table service|table service]] or from establishments specialising in food to be taken away.<ref name="Mason">{{cite book|title=Food Culture in Great Britain|last=Mason|first=Laura|pages=170|year=2004|location=CT, USA|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn=9780313327988}}</ref> Providing a take-out service saves operators the cost of cutlery, crockery and pay for servers and hosts; it also allows many customers to be served quickly, without restricting sales by remaining to eat their food.<ref>{{cite book|title=FCS Hospitality Services L3|pages=203|last1=Gough|last2=Gough|first1=B|first2=J|isbn=9781770251373|year=2008|publisher=Pearson Education South Africa|location=Cape Town, South Africa}}</ref>
Take-out food can be purchased from restaurants that also provide sit-down [[Foodservice#Table service|table service]] or from establishments specialising in food to be taken away.<ref name="Mason">{{cite book|title=Food Culture in Great Britain|last=Mason|first=Laura|pages=170|year=2004|location=CT, USA|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn=9780313327988}}</ref> Providing a take-out service saves operators the cost of cutlery, crockery and pay for servers and hosts; it also allows many customers to be served quickly, without restricting sales by remaining to eat their food.<ref>{{cite book|title=FCS Hospitality Services L3|pages=203|last1=Gough|last2=Gough|first1=B|first2=J|isbn=9781770251373|year=2008|publisher=Pearson Education South Africa|location=Cape Town, South Africa}}</ref>


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===Drive-through===
===Drive-through===
Many restaurants and take-out establishments offer [[drive-through]] or ''drive-thru''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/drive-through?showCookiePolicy=true|title=Drive-through or drive-thru|publisher=Collins Dictionary|date=n.d.|access-date=September 30, 2014}}</ref> outlets that allow customers to order, pay for, and receive food without leaving their cars. The idea was pioneered in 1931 in a California [[fast food]] restaurant, ''Pig Stand Number 21''. By 1988, 51% of [[McDonald's]] turnover was being generated by drive-throughs, with 31% of all US take-out turnover being generated by them by 1990.<ref>{{cite book|title=Fast Food: Roadside Restaurants in the Automobile Age|last1=Sculle|last2=Jakle|first1=Keith|first2=John|pages=61|isbn=9780801869204|year=2002|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Maryland, USA}}</ref>
In the United States, many restaurants and take-out establishments offer [[drive-through]] or ''drive-thru''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/drive-through?showCookiePolicy=true|title=Drive-through or drive-thru|publisher=Collins Dictionary|date=n.d.|access-date=September 30, 2014}}</ref> outlets that allow customers to order, pay for, and receive food without leaving their cars. The idea was pioneered in 1931 in a California [[fast food]] restaurant, ''Pig Stand Number 21''. By 1988, 51% of [[McDonald's]] turnover was being generated by [[drive-through]]s, with 31% of all US take-out turnover being generated by them by 1990.<ref>{{cite book|title=Fast Food: Roadside Restaurants in the Automobile Age|last1=Sculle|last2=Jakle|first1=Keith|first2=John|pages=61|isbn=9780801869204|year=2002|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Maryland, USA}}</ref>


===Food delivery===
===Food delivery===
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[[File:Pizza delivery moped HongKong.jpg|thumb|A branded [[Scooter (motorcycle)|scooter]] used for [[Pizza Hut]] pizza delivery in [[Hong Kong]].]]
[[File:Pizza delivery moped HongKong.jpg|thumb|A branded [[Scooter (motorcycle)|scooter]] used for [[Pizza Hut]] pizza delivery in [[Hong Kong]].]]
A restaurant can either maintain its own delivery personnel or use third parties who contract with restaurants to not only deliver food orders but also assist in marketing and providing order-taking technology. The field has seen rapid growth since the late 2000s with the spread of the smart phones and apps enabling customers to order from their mobile devices.<ref name="Haddon & Jargon, WSJ 3/9/2019">{{cite news |last1=Haddon |first1=Heather |last2=Jargon |first2=Julie |title=The Delivery Wars: Your Food Is Almost Here --- Grocery stores and restaurants are racing into the delivery business. The problem: figuring out how to make any money. |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/consumers-love-food-delivery-restaurants-and-grocers-hate-it-11552107610 |access-date=1 June 2019 |publisher=Dow Jones Company |date=March 9, 2019 |pages=B1}}</ref> According to a study cited the New York Times,<ref>{{cite web |title=DoorDash Surpasses GrubHub in National Market Share of Total Consumer Spend with 28% to 27%, with Uber Eats taking 25% |url=https://trends.edison.tech/research/doordash-vs-grubhub-vs-ubereats-march-2019.html |website=trends.edison.tech |access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref><ref name="NYT, Yaffe-Bellamy, 6/11/2019">{{cite news |last1=Yaffe-Bellany |first1=David |title=Amazon to End Its Restaurant Delivery Service |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/business/amazon-restaurant-delivery-service-ending.html |access-date=12 June 2019 |publisher=The New York Times Company |date=June 11, 2019}}</ref> as of 2019, three companies account for nearly 80 percent of the US restaurant food delivery market: [[GrubHub]], [[Uber Eats]] and [[DoorDash]]. Competition for market share has been fierce,<ref name="FT, Opinion Lex, 9/25/2017">{{cite news |last1=Financial Times |first1=Opinion Lex Team |title=Deliveroo: not so dishy -- Competition is going to force standards up and prices down in hotly contested sector |url=https://www.ft.com/content/1b0ab78e-a1f5-11e7-9e4f-7f5e6a7c98a2 |access-date=17 June 2019 |publisher=Financial Times Company |date=September 25, 2017}}</ref> with smaller competitors either being bought out or closing down. [[Amazon Restaurants]] announced in June 2019 that it was closing its restaurant food delivery service to concentrate on grocery delivery.<ref name="NYT, Yaffe-Bellamy, 6/11/2019" />
A restaurant can either maintain its own delivery personnel or use third parties who contract with restaurants to not only deliver food orders but also assist in marketing and providing order-taking technology. The field has seen rapid growth since the late 2000s with the spread of the smart phones and apps enabling customers to order from their mobile devices.<ref name="Haddon & Jargon, WSJ 3/9/2019">{{cite news |last1=Haddon |first1=Heather |last2=Jargon |first2=Julie |title=The Delivery Wars: Your Food Is Almost Here --- Grocery stores and restaurants are racing into the delivery business. The problem: figuring out how to make any money. |journal=WSJ|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/consumers-love-food-delivery-restaurants-and-grocers-hate-it-11552107610 |access-date=1 June 2019 |publisher=[[Dow Jones & Company]] |date=March 9, 2019 |pages=B1}}</ref> According to a study cited the ''New York Times'',<ref>{{cite web |title=DoorDash Surpasses GrubHub in National Market Share of Total Consumer Spend with 28% to 27%, with Uber Eats taking 25% |url=https://trends.edison.tech/research/doordash-vs-grubhub-vs-ubereats-march-2019.html |website=trends.edison.tech |access-date=21 May 2021}}</ref><ref name="NYT, Yaffe-Bellamy, 6/11/2019">{{cite news |last1=Yaffe-Bellany |first1=David |title=Amazon to End Its Restaurant Delivery Service |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/11/business/amazon-restaurant-delivery-service-ending.html |access-date=12 June 2019 |publisher=The New York Times Company |date=June 11, 2019}}</ref> as of 2019, three companies account for nearly 80 percent of the US restaurant food delivery market: [[GrubHub]], [[Uber Eats]] and [[DoorDash]]. Competition for market share has been fierce,<ref name="FT, Opinion Lex, 9/25/2017">{{cite news |last1=Financial Times |first1=Opinion Lex Team |title=Deliveroo: not so dishy -- Competition is going to force standards up and prices down in hotly contested sector |url=https://www.ft.com/content/1b0ab78e-a1f5-11e7-9e4f-7f5e6a7c98a2 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/1b0ab78e-a1f5-11e7-9e4f-7f5e6a7c98a2 |archive-date=December 10, 2022 |url-access=subscription |access-date=17 June 2019 |publisher=Financial Times Company |date=September 25, 2017}}</ref> with smaller competitors either being bought out or closing down. [[Amazon Restaurants]] announced in June 2019 that it was closing its restaurant food delivery service to concentrate on grocery delivery.<ref name="NYT, Yaffe-Bellamy, 6/11/2019" />


Some businesses offer a guarantee to deliver within a predetermined period of time, with late deliveries not charged for.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.pizzapizza.ca/guarantee.htm|title= Pizza Pizza's Guarantee|format= Commercial website|publisher= pizzapizza.ca|access-date= December 7, 2007|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071224054617/http://www.pizzapizza.ca/guarantee.htm|archive-date= December 24, 2007|df= mdy-all}}</ref> For example, [[Domino's Pizza]] had a commercial campaign in the 1980s and early 1990s for its [[pizza delivery]] service which promised "30 minutes or it's free". This was discontinued in the United States in 1993 due to the number of lawsuits arising from accidents caused by hurried delivery drivers.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gtla.org/public/news/dominos.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20030113195338/http://www.gtla.org/public/news/dominos.html|url-status= dead|archive-date= January 13, 2003|title= Jury award spurs Domino's to drop deadly policy|publisher= Georgia Trial Lawyers Association|access-date= September 18, 2007|df= mdy-all}}</ref>
Some businesses offer a guarantee to deliver within a predetermined period of time, with late deliveries not charged for.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.pizzapizza.ca/guarantee.htm|title= Pizza Pizza's Guarantee|format= Commercial website|publisher= pizzapizza.ca|access-date= December 7, 2007|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071224054617/http://www.pizzapizza.ca/guarantee.htm|archive-date= December 24, 2007|df= mdy-all}}</ref> For example, [[Domino's Pizza]] had a commercial campaign in the 1980s and early 1990s for its [[pizza delivery]] service which promised "30 minutes or it's free". This was discontinued in the United States in 1993 due to the number of lawsuits arising from accidents caused by hurried delivery drivers.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.gtla.org/public/news/dominos.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20030113195338/http://www.gtla.org/public/news/dominos.html|url-status= dead|archive-date= January 13, 2003|title= Jury award spurs Domino's to drop deadly policy|publisher= Georgia Trial Lawyers Association|access-date= September 18, 2007|df= mdy-all}}</ref>
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{{see also|Disposable food packaging| Foam food container|Oyster pail}}
{{see also|Disposable food packaging| Foam food container|Oyster pail}}


Take-out food is packaged in paper, [[paperboard]], [[corrugated fiberboard]], plastic, or [[foam food container]]s. One common container is the [[oyster pail]], a folded, waxed or plastic coated, paperboard container. The oyster pail was quickly adopted, especially in [[Western world|the West]], for "Chinese takeout".<ref name=FCC>{{cite web|url=http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2008/03/17/harvard-advocate-poster-with-chinese-take-out-carton/ |title=Harvard Advocate poster with Chinese Take-out Carton |publisher=The Fortune Cookie Chronicles |date=March 17, 2008 |access-date=December 12, 2012}}</ref>
Take-out food is packaged in paper, [[paperboard]], [[corrugated fiberboard]], plastic, or [[foam food container]]s. One common container is the [[oyster pail]], a folded, waxed or plastic coated, paperboard container. The oyster pail was quickly adopted, especially in [[Western world|the West]], for "Chinese takeout".<ref name=FCC>{{cite web|url=http://www.fortunecookiechronicles.com/blog/2008/03/17/harvard-advocate-poster-with-chinese-take-out-carton/ |title=Harvard Advocate poster with Chinese Take-out Carton |publisher=[[The Fortune Cookie Chronicles]] website |date=March 17, 2008 |access-date=December 12, 2012}}</ref>


In Britain old newspapers were traditionally used for wrapping fish and chips until this was banned for health reasons in the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8419026.stm |title=The unlikely origin of fish and chips|website=BBC News Magazine|author=James Alexander|date=18 December 2009}}</ref> Many people are nostalgic for this traditional wrapping; some modern fish and chip shops wrap their food in faux-newspaper, food-safe paper printed to look like a newspaper.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/poppies |title=Review of a fish and chip restaurant |website=Time Out|date=24 September 2013|access-date= 26 August 2017}}</ref>
In Britain old newspapers were traditionally used for wrapping fish and chips until this was banned for health reasons in the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8419026.stm |title=The unlikely origin of fish and chips|website=BBC News Magazine|author=James Alexander|date=18 December 2009}}</ref> Many people are nostalgic for this traditional wrapping; some modern fish and chip shops wrap their food in faux-newspaper, food-safe paper printed to look like a newspaper.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/poppies |title=Review of a fish and chip restaurant |website=Time Out|date=24 September 2013|access-date= 26 August 2017}}</ref>
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All types of container can be produced with supplier information and design to create a [[brand identity]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Packaging User's Handbook|last=Paine|first=Frank |pages=287|publisher=Blackie Academic & Professional|location=Glasgow, UK|isbn=9780751401516|year=1995}}</ref>
All types of container can be produced with supplier information and design to create a [[brand identity]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The Packaging User's Handbook|last=Paine|first=Frank |pages=287|publisher=Blackie Academic & Professional|location=Glasgow, UK|isbn=9780751401516|year=1995}}</ref>


<gallery>
<gallery mode=packed>
Pizza Toscana in box.JPG|Pizza served in a cardboard box.
File:Dominos Pizza NL.jpg|Pizza served in a cardboard box.
File:Oysterpail.jpg |Boiled rice served in an [[oyster pail]].
File:Oysterpail.jpg |Boiled rice served in an [[oyster pail]].
File:Take-out nasi kuning.JPG|Leaf-wrapped rice dish ([[nasi kuning]])
File:Take-out nasi kuning.JPG|Leaf-wrapped rice dish ([[nasi kuning]])
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}}</ref> Foam containers for fast-food were the target of environmentalists in the U.S. and were largely replaced with paper wrappers among large restaurant chains.<ref>[http://www.plasticstoday.com/blogs/Some-fast-food-brands-look-beyond-polystyrene-others-embrace-it-08120201301 Some fast-food brands look beyond polystyrene, others embrace it], Plastics Today, Heather Caliendo, August 12, 2013</ref>
}}</ref> Foam containers for fast-food were the target of environmentalists in the U.S. and were largely replaced with paper wrappers among large restaurant chains.<ref>[http://www.plasticstoday.com/blogs/Some-fast-food-brands-look-beyond-polystyrene-others-embrace-it-08120201301 Some fast-food brands look beyond polystyrene, others embrace it], Plastics Today, Heather Caliendo, August 12, 2013</ref>


In 2002, [[Taiwan]] began taking action to reduce the use of [[disposable tableware]] at institutions and businesses, and to reduce the use of plastic bags. Yearly, the nation of 17.7 million people was producing 59,000 tons of disposable tableware waste and 105,000 tons of waste plastic bags, and increasing measures have been taken in the years since then to reduce the amount of waste.<ref>Env. Research Foundation (undated). [http://www.rachel.org/?q=en/node/149 Taiwan's Plastics Ban].</ref> In 2013, Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) banned outright the use of disposable tableware in the nation's 968 schools, government agencies, and hospitals. The ban is expected to eliminate 2,600 metric tons of waste yearly.<ref>China Post. June 5, 2013. [http://www.chinapost.com.tw/print/111477.htm EPA to ban disposable cups from June 1].</ref>
In 2002, [[Taiwan]] began taking action to reduce the use of [[disposable tableware]] at institutions and businesses, and to reduce the use of plastic bags. Yearly, the nation of 17.7 million people was producing 59,000 tons of disposable tableware waste and 105,000 tons of waste plastic bags, and increasing measures have been taken in the years since then to reduce the amount of waste.<ref>Env. Research Foundation (undated). [http://www.rachel.org/?q=en/node/149 Taiwan's Plastics Ban.] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20110611051123/http://www.rachel.org/?q=en/node/149 Archived]).</ref> In 2013, Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) banned outright the use of disposable tableware in the nation's 968 schools, government agencies, and hospitals. The ban was expected to eliminate 2,600 metric tons of waste yearly.<ref>China Post. June 5, 2013. [http://www.chinapost.com.tw/print/111477.htm EPA to ban disposable cups from June 1].</ref>


In [[Germany]], [[Austria]], and [[Switzerland]], laws banning the use of disposable food and drink containers at large-scale events have been enacted. Such a ban has been in place in [[Munich, Germany]] since 1991, applying to all city facilities and events. This includes events of all sizes, including very large ones (Christmas market, Auer-Dult Faire, Oktoberfest and Munich City Marathon). For small events of a few hundred people, the city has arranged for a corporation to offer rental of crockery and dishwasher equipment. In part through this regulation, Munich reduced the waste generated by [[Oktoberfest]], which attracts millions of people,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-000283.php|title=Realbeer.com: Beer News: Oktoberfest visitors set records |publisher=realbeer.com}}</ref> from 11,000 metric tons in 1990 to 550 tons in 1999.<ref>Pre-Waste EU. (undated). [http://www.prewaste.eu/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=255&Itemid=94 Ban on disposable food and drink containers at events in Munich, Germany (Pre-waste factsheet 99)]</ref>
In [[Germany]], [[Austria]], and [[Switzerland]], laws banning the use of disposable food and drink containers at large-scale events have been enacted. Such a ban has been in place in [[Munich, Germany]] since 1991, applying to all city facilities and events. This includes events of all sizes, including very large ones (Christmas market, Auer-Dult Faire, Oktoberfest and Munich City Marathon). For small events of a few hundred people, the city has arranged for a corporation to offer rental of crockery and dishwasher equipment. In part through this regulation, Munich reduced the waste generated by [[Oktoberfest]], which attracts millions of people,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.realbeer.com/news/articles/news-000283.php|title=Realbeer.com: Beer News: Oktoberfest visitors set records |publisher=realbeer.com}}</ref> from 11,000 metric tons in 1990 to 550 tons in 1999.<ref>Pre-Waste EU. (undated). [http://www.prewaste.eu/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=255&Itemid=94 Ban on disposable food and drink containers at events in Munich, Germany (Pre-waste factsheet 99)]</ref>


China, by virtue of the size of its population and the surging popularity of food delivery apps, such as Meituan and Ele.me, faces significant challenges disposing of or recycling takeout food [[packaging waste]].<ref name="Zhong and Zhang, NYT 5/28/2019">{{cite news |last1=Zhong |first1=Raymond |last2=Zhang |first2=Carolyn |title=Food Delivery Apps Are Drowning China in Plastic |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/technology/china-food-delivery-trash.html?searchResultPosition=3 |access-date=4 June 2019 |publisher=The New York Times Company |date=May 28, 2019 |quote=The astronomical growth of food delivery apps in China is flooding the country}}</ref> According to a 2018 study published in ''Resources, Conservation and Recycling'', for the first half of 2017, Chinese consumers ordered 4.6 billion takeout meals, generating "significant environmental concerns". The study's authors estimated that packaging waste from food delivery grew from 20,000 metric tons in 2015 to 1.5 million metric tons in 2017.<ref name="Song et al, 2017">{{cite journal |last1=Song |first1=Guanghan |last2=Zhang |first2=Hui |last3=Duan |first3=Huabo |last4=Xu |first4=Ming |title=Packaging Waste from Food Delivery in China's Megacities |journal=Resources, Conservation and Recycling |date=March 2018 |volume=130 |pages=227–228 |doi=10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.12.007 |url=https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/elsevier/packaging-waste-from-food-delivery-in-china-s-mega-cities-FWSKD1p1mK? |access-date=4 June 2019}}</ref> In 2018, [[Meituan]] reported making over 6.4 billion food deliveries, up from 4 billion a year earlier.<ref>[http://meituan.todayir.com/attachment/2019041121050100033461369_en.pdf 2018 company report]from [[Meituan]] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604223553/http://meituan.todayir.com/attachment/2019041121050100033461369_en.pdf |date=June 4, 2019 }}</ref>
China, by virtue of the size of its population and the surging popularity of food delivery apps, such as Meituan and Ele.me, faces significant challenges disposing of or recycling takeout food [[packaging waste]].<ref name="Zhong and Zhang, NYT 5/28/2019">{{cite news |last1=Zhong |first1=Raymond |last2=Zhang |first2=Carolyn |title=Food Delivery Apps Are Drowning China in Plastic |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/technology/china-food-delivery-trash.html |access-date=4 June 2019 |publisher=The New York Times Company |date=May 28, 2019 |quote=The astronomical growth of food delivery apps in China is flooding the country}}</ref> According to a 2018 study published in ''Resources, Conservation and Recycling'', for the first half of 2017, Chinese consumers ordered 4.6 billion takeout meals, generating "significant environmental concerns". The study's authors estimated that packaging waste from food delivery grew from 20,000 metric tons in 2015 to 1.5 million metric tons in 2017.<ref name="Song et al, 2017">{{cite journal |last1=Song |first1=Guanghan |last2=Zhang |first2=Hui |last3=Duan |first3=Huabo |last4=Xu |first4=Ming |title=Packaging Waste from Food Delivery in China's Megacities |journal=Resources, Conservation and Recycling |date=March 2018 |volume=130 |pages=227–228 |doi=10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.12.007 |url=https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/elsevier/packaging-waste-from-food-delivery-in-china-s-mega-cities-FWSKD1p1mK? |access-date=4 June 2019}}</ref> In 2018, [[Meituan]] reported making over 6.4 billion food deliveries, up from 4 billion a year earlier.<ref>[http://meituan.todayir.com/attachment/2019041121050100033461369_en.pdf 2018 company report] from [[Meituan]] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604223553/http://meituan.todayir.com/attachment/2019041121050100033461369_en.pdf |date=June 4, 2019 }}</ref>


Because takeout and delivery meals in China include [[disposable product|single-use]] chopsticks, which are made from wood or bamboo, the growth in food delivery also has an impact on China's forests.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Luo |first1=Chris |title=China's 80 billion disposable chopsticks a 'burden' on forests |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1188299/chinas-80-billion-disposable-chopsticks-burden-forests |access-date=4 June 2019 |agency=South China Morning Post |publisher=SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST PUBLISHERS LTD. |date=March 11, 2013}}</ref> China produces about 80 billion pairs of single-use [[chopsticks]] yearly, the equivalent of 20 million 20-year-old trees.<ref name="Gates, 3/11/2019">{{cite web |last1=Gates |first1=Sara |title=Disposable Chopstick Demand Is Killing China's Forests As Annual Production Reaches 80 Billion |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chopstick-china-forests_n_2853033 |website=HuffPost.com |access-date=4 June 2019 |date=March 11, 2013}}</ref> About 45 percent are made from trees &ndash; mainly cottonwood, birch, and spruce, the remainder being made from bamboo. [[Japan]] uses about 24 billion pairs of these disposables per year, and globally about 80 billion pairs are thrown away by an estimated 1.4 billion people. In 2013 in Japan, one pair of disposable chopsticks cost 0.02 United States dollars. One pair of reusable chopsticks cost 1.17 USD, and each pair could be used 130 times. 1.17 USD per pair / 130 uses = 0.009 USD per use, over two times less than disposable. Campaigns in several countries to reduce this waste are beginning to have some effect.<ref>[http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/disposable-chopsticks-strip-asian-forests/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 Disposable Chopsticks Strip Asian Forests]. By Rachel Nuwer. ''The New York Times''. October 24, 2011.</ref><ref>Ecopedia. 2013. [http://www.ecopedia.com/environment/how-wooden-chopsticks-are-killing-nature/ How Wooden Chopsticks Are Killing Nature]. By Alastair Shaw.</ref>{{needs update}}
Because takeout and delivery meals in China include [[disposable product|single-use]] chopsticks, which are made from wood or bamboo, the growth in food delivery also has an impact on China's forests.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Luo |first1=Chris |title=China's 80 billion disposable chopsticks a 'burden' on forests |url=https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/1188299/chinas-80-billion-disposable-chopsticks-burden-forests |access-date=4 June 2019 |agency=South China Morning Post |publisher=SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST PUBLISHERS LTD. |date=March 11, 2013}}</ref> China produces about 80 billion pairs of single-use [[chopsticks]] yearly, the equivalent of 20 million 20-year-old trees.<ref name="Gates, 3/11/2019">{{cite web |last1=Gates |first1=Sara |title=Disposable Chopstick Demand Is Killing China's Forests As Annual Production Reaches 80 Billion |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/chopstick-china-forests_n_2853033 |website=HuffPost.com |access-date=4 June 2019 |date=March 11, 2013}}</ref> About 45 percent are made from trees &ndash; mainly cottonwood, birch, and spruce, the remainder being made from bamboo. [[Japan]] uses about 24 billion pairs of these disposables per year, and globally about 80 billion pairs are thrown away by an estimated 1.4 billion people. In 2013 in Japan, one pair of disposable chopsticks cost US$0.02. One pair of reusable chopsticks cost $1.17, and each pair could be used 130 times. A cost of $1.17 per pair divided by 130 uses comes to $0.009 (0.9¢) per use, less than half the cost of disposable. Campaigns in several countries to reduce this waste are beginning to have some effect.<ref>[http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/disposable-chopsticks-strip-asian-forests/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 Disposable Chopsticks Strip Asian Forests]. By [[Rachel Nuwer]]. ''The New York Times''. October 24, 2011.</ref><ref>Ecopedia. 2013. [http://www.ecopedia.com/environment/how-wooden-chopsticks-are-killing-nature/ How Wooden Chopsticks Are Killing Nature]. By Alastair Shaw.</ref>{{update inline|date=August 2022}}


==See also==
==See also==

Latest revision as of 13:22, 1 May 2024

"Carryout" redirects here. For the song, see Carry Out.
"Take out" and "Take away" redirect here. For other uses, see Take out (disambiguation) and Take away (disambiguation).

Clockwise from top: Fish and chips; Döner kebab; Pizza delivery.

Take-out or takeout is a prepared meal or other food items, purchased at a restaurant or fast food outlet with the intent to eat elsewhere. A concept found in many ancient cultures, take-out food is common worldwide, with a number of different cuisines and dishes on offer.

Other names[edit]

Such a meal may also be called a carry-out (U.S., Canada and the Philippines); a to-go (Scotland and some dialects in the U.S. and Canada);[1] a takeaway (England, Wales, Australia, Lebanon, South Africa, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, and occasionally in North America);[1] takeaways (India, New Zealand); grab 'n go (Canada); a pack (Nepal); or a parcel (Bangladesh, Pakistan)).[2]

History[edit]

Thermopolium in Herculaneum

The concept of prepared meals to be eaten elsewhere dates back to antiquity. Market and roadside stalls selling food were common in Ancient Greece and Rome.[3] In Pompeii, archaeologists have found a number of thermopolia, service counters opening onto the street which provided food to be taken away. There is a distinct lack of formal dining and kitchen area in Pompeian homes, which may suggest that eating, or at least cooking, at home was unusual. Over 200 thermopolia have been found in the ruins of Pompeii.[4]

In the cities of medieval Europe a number of street vendors sold take-out food. In medieval London, street vendors sold hot meat pies, geese, sheep's feet and French wine, while in Paris roasted meats, squab, tarts and flans, cheeses and eggs were available. A large strata of society would have purchased food from these vendors, but they were especially popular amongst the urban poor, who would have lacked kitchen facilities in which to prepare their own food.[5] However, these vendors often had a bad reputation, often being in trouble with city authorities reprimanding them for selling infected meat or reheated food. The cooks of Norwich often defended themselves in court against selling such things as "pokky pies" and "stynkyng mackerelles".[6] In 10th and 11th century China, citizens of cities such as Kaifeng and Hangzhou were able to buy pastries such as yuebing and congyoubing to take away. By the early 13th century, the two most successful such shops in Kaifeng had "upwards of fifty ovens".[7] A traveling Florentine reported in the late 14th century that in Cairo, people carried picnic cloths made of rawhide to spread on the streets and eat their meals of lamb kebabs, rice and fritters that they had purchased from street vendors.[8] In Renaissance Turkey, many crossroads saw vendors selling "fragrant bites of hot meat", including chicken and lamb that had been spit roasted.[9]

Aztec marketplaces had vendors that sold beverages such as atolli ("a gruel made from maize dough"), almost 50 types of tamales (with ingredients that ranged from the meat of turkey, rabbit, gopher, frog, and fish, fruit, eggs, and maize flowers),[10] as well as insects and stews.[11] After Spanish colonization of Peru and importation of European food stocks including wheat, sugarcane and livestock, most commoners continued primarily to eat their traditional diets, but did add grilled beef hearts sold by street vendors.[12] Some of Lima's 19th century street vendors such as "Erasmo, the 'negro' sango vendor" and Na Aguedita are still remembered today.[13]

Street food vendors in early 20th century New York City.

During the American colonial period, street vendors sold "pepper pot soup" (tripe) "oysters, roasted corn ears, fruit and sweets," with oysters being a low-priced commodity until the 1910s when overfishing caused prices to rise.[14] In 1707, after previous restrictions that had limited their operating hours, street food vendors had been banned in New York City.[15] Many women of African descent made their living selling street foods in America in the 18th and 19th centuries; with products ranging from fruit, cakes and nuts in Savannah, Georgia, to coffee, biscuits, pralines and other sweets in New Orleans.[16] In the 19th century, street food vendors in Transylvania sold gingerbread-nuts, cream mixed with corn, and bacon and other meat fried on tops of ceramic vessels with hot coals inside.[17]

The Industrial Revolution saw an increase in the availability of take-out food. By the early 20th Century, fish and chips was considered an "established institution" in Britain. The hamburger was introduced to America around this time. The diets of industrial workers were often poor, and these meals provided an "important component" to their nutrition.[18] In India, local businesses and cooperatives, had begun to supply workers in the city of Bombay (now Mumbai) with tiffin boxes by the end of the 19th century.[19]

The COVID-19 pandemic led to many restaurants closing their indoor dining spaces and only offering take-out.[20][21]

Business operation[edit]

Customers queueing for takeaway at a fish and chip shop in England

Take-out food can be purchased from restaurants that also provide sit-down table service or from establishments specialising in food to be taken away.[22] Providing a take-out service saves operators the cost of cutlery, crockery and pay for servers and hosts; it also allows many customers to be served quickly, without restricting sales by remaining to eat their food.[23]

Street food[edit]

A market stall in Thailand selling take-out food

Although once popular in Europe and America,[5] street food declined in popularity in the 20th century. In part, this can be attributed to a combination of the proliferation of specialized takeaway restaurants and legislation relating to health and safety.[5] Vendors selling street food are still common in parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East,[24] with the annual turnover of street food vendors in Bangladesh and Thailand being described as particularly important to the local economy.[25]

Drive-through[edit]

In the United States, many restaurants and take-out establishments offer drive-through or drive-thru[26] outlets that allow customers to order, pay for, and receive food without leaving their cars. The idea was pioneered in 1931 in a California fast food restaurant, Pig Stand Number 21. By 1988, 51% of McDonald's turnover was being generated by drive-throughs, with 31% of all US take-out turnover being generated by them by 1990.[27]

Food delivery[edit]

Some take-out businesses offer prepared food for delivery, which usually involves contacting a local restaurant by telephone or online. In countries including Australia, Canada, India, Brazil, Japan, much of the European Union and the United States, food can be ordered online from a menu, then picked up by the customer or delivered by the restaurant or a third party delivery service.[28] The industry has kept pace with technological developments since the 1980s, beginning with the rise of the personal computer and continuing with the rise of mobile devices and online delivery applications. Specialized computer software for food delivery helps determine the most efficient routes for carriers, track order and delivery times, manage calls and orders with PoS software, and other functions. Since 2008 satellite navigation tracking technology has been used for real-time monitoring of delivery vehicles by customers over the Internet.[29]

A branded scooter used for Pizza Hut pizza delivery in Hong Kong.

A restaurant can either maintain its own delivery personnel or use third parties who contract with restaurants to not only deliver food orders but also assist in marketing and providing order-taking technology. The field has seen rapid growth since the late 2000s with the spread of the smart phones and apps enabling customers to order from their mobile devices.[30] According to a study cited the New York Times,[31][32] as of 2019, three companies account for nearly 80 percent of the US restaurant food delivery market: GrubHub, Uber Eats and DoorDash. Competition for market share has been fierce,[33] with smaller competitors either being bought out or closing down. Amazon Restaurants announced in June 2019 that it was closing its restaurant food delivery service to concentrate on grocery delivery.[32]

Some businesses offer a guarantee to deliver within a predetermined period of time, with late deliveries not charged for.[34] For example, Domino's Pizza had a commercial campaign in the 1980s and early 1990s for its pizza delivery service which promised "30 minutes or it's free". This was discontinued in the United States in 1993 due to the number of lawsuits arising from accidents caused by hurried delivery drivers.[35]

Packaging[edit]

See also: Disposable food packaging, Foam food container, and Oyster pail

Take-out food is packaged in paper, paperboard, corrugated fiberboard, plastic, or foam food containers. One common container is the oyster pail, a folded, waxed or plastic coated, paperboard container. The oyster pail was quickly adopted, especially in the West, for "Chinese takeout".[36]

In Britain old newspapers were traditionally used for wrapping fish and chips until this was banned for health reasons in the 1980s.[37] Many people are nostalgic for this traditional wrapping; some modern fish and chip shops wrap their food in faux-newspaper, food-safe paper printed to look like a newspaper.[38]

Corrugated fiberboard and foam containers are to some extent self-insulating, and can be used for other foods. Thermal bags and other insulated shipping containers keep food hot (or cold) more effectively for longer.

Aluminium containers are also popular for take-out packaging due to their low cost. Expanded polystyrene is often used for hot drinks containers and food trays because it is lightweight and heat-insulating.[39]

All types of container can be produced with supplier information and design to create a brand identity.[40]

  • Pizza served in a cardboard box.
    Pizza served in a cardboard box.
  • Boiled rice served in an oyster pail.
    Boiled rice served in an oyster pail.
  • Leaf-wrapped rice dish (nasi kuning)
    Leaf-wrapped rice dish (nasi kuning)
  • Paper-wrapped food carrying McDonald's food; including Chicken McNuggets, fries, burger, and drink
    Paper-wrapped food carrying McDonald's food; including Chicken McNuggets, fries, burger, and drink
  • Take-out food in Thailand is often packaged in plastic bags
    Take-out food in Thailand is often packaged in plastic bags
  • Orizume bento
    Orizume bento
  • Tiffin carrier or dabba
    Tiffin carrier or dabba
  • Chinese restaurant counter in a Northside Chicago neighborhood
    Chinese restaurant counter in a Northside Chicago neighborhood

Disposable serviceware waste[edit]

Disposable chopsticks in a university cafeteria trash bin in Japan.
Main article: Disposable food packaging

Packaging of fast food and take-out food is necessary for the customer but involves a significant amount of material that ends up in landfills, recycling, composting, or litter.[41] Foam containers for fast-food were the target of environmentalists in the U.S. and were largely replaced with paper wrappers among large restaurant chains.[42]

In 2002, Taiwan began taking action to reduce the use of disposable tableware at institutions and businesses, and to reduce the use of plastic bags. Yearly, the nation of 17.7 million people was producing 59,000 tons of disposable tableware waste and 105,000 tons of waste plastic bags, and increasing measures have been taken in the years since then to reduce the amount of waste.[43] In 2013, Taiwan's Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) banned outright the use of disposable tableware in the nation's 968 schools, government agencies, and hospitals. The ban was expected to eliminate 2,600 metric tons of waste yearly.[44]

In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, laws banning the use of disposable food and drink containers at large-scale events have been enacted. Such a ban has been in place in Munich, Germany since 1991, applying to all city facilities and events. This includes events of all sizes, including very large ones (Christmas market, Auer-Dult Faire, Oktoberfest and Munich City Marathon). For small events of a few hundred people, the city has arranged for a corporation to offer rental of crockery and dishwasher equipment. In part through this regulation, Munich reduced the waste generated by Oktoberfest, which attracts millions of people,[45] from 11,000 metric tons in 1990 to 550 tons in 1999.[46]

China, by virtue of the size of its population and the surging popularity of food delivery apps, such as Meituan and Ele.me, faces significant challenges disposing of or recycling takeout food packaging waste.[47] According to a 2018 study published in Resources, Conservation and Recycling, for the first half of 2017, Chinese consumers ordered 4.6 billion takeout meals, generating "significant environmental concerns". The study's authors estimated that packaging waste from food delivery grew from 20,000 metric tons in 2015 to 1.5 million metric tons in 2017.[48] In 2018, Meituan reported making over 6.4 billion food deliveries, up from 4 billion a year earlier.[49]

Because takeout and delivery meals in China include single-use chopsticks, which are made from wood or bamboo, the growth in food delivery also has an impact on China's forests.[50] China produces about 80 billion pairs of single-use chopsticks yearly, the equivalent of 20 million 20-year-old trees.[51] About 45 percent are made from trees – mainly cottonwood, birch, and spruce, the remainder being made from bamboo. Japan uses about 24 billion pairs of these disposables per year, and globally about 80 billion pairs are thrown away by an estimated 1.4 billion people. In 2013 in Japan, one pair of disposable chopsticks cost US$0.02. One pair of reusable chopsticks cost $1.17, and each pair could be used 130 times. A cost of $1.17 per pair divided by 130 uses comes to $0.009 (0.9¢) per use, less than half the cost of disposable. Campaigns in several countries to reduce this waste are beginning to have some effect.[52][53][needs update]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

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External links[edit]

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