Printed bags for the California burrito. Built for the 2 AM order.

San Diego's own burrito

Ask anyone who grew up here what to eat and the answer is a California burrito: carne asada, french fries and cheese, sometimes guac or sour cream, wrapped in a flour tortilla about the size of a forearm. It belongs to the 24 hour taco shops with names that end in "bertos", the drive-thru windows on every busy road from San Ysidro to Oceanside.

It is also one of the heaviest single items any kitchen in the county hands over the counter. A couple of them in a bag feel like a brick. Add a carne asada fries plate, a rolled taco order and a large horchata, and a normal family run gets heavy fast.

Heavy orders need a heavy bag

Thin bags fail in one of two places: the handles rip out at the top, or the bottom gives way when a hot foil pack gets set on it. Our bag is 110 GSM kraft paper with flat paper handles taped inside, rated to carry 22 lb. The bottom is square and flat, 12″ by 7″, so a row of burritos lies side by side instead of piling into a point.

That means one bag for an order that used to need two, and no double bagging. Fewer bags used per order is money you keep.

The late night problem

A 24 hour shop sees its rush at odd times: after the bars close in Pacific Beach and North Park, after a late shift, after a Padres game lets out. Those customers are tired, hungry and often a little loud. They grab the bag, walk to the car, and eat half of it in the parking lot.

That is exactly why the bag should carry your name. At 2 AM nobody remembers which of three similar shop names they pulled into. They remember the logo on the bag sitting on the passenger seat the next morning. Your logo is printed free on the front, up to 12 × 14 in.

Keeping fries from going limp inside the foil

A California burrito has fries inside, and fries hate steam. Once the burrito is wrapped there is not much you can do, but how you bag it still matters. Do not stack hot burritos on top of each other: lay them flat in one layer so heat can leave the foil. Keep the bag top folded but not pressed tight for short drives, and sealed with a sticker for delivery.

For carne asada fries, vent the lid a little or use a box with steam holes. A soggy plate of fries is the most common complaint about late night takeout, and the easiest one to fix at the pass.

What a burrito shop logo should look like on kraft

Big, bold letters. Red, black and deep orange all look strong on brown kraft, the same colors many San Diego taco shops already paint on their signs. If your sign uses yellow or light green, choose the bright white bag so it does not wash out.

Keep it simple: your name and one picture, like a burrito, a pepper or a sun. If you sell fish tacos too, read our fish taco shop bag guide. For the bag numbers, see kraft bag size and specs, or start at the printed kraft bags in San Diego home page.