Printed takeout bags for Linda Vista restaurants.

Small on the map, busy at the counter

The City of San Diego says Linda Vista covers about 2,400 acres. It is mostly homes, split into neighborhoods that each feel a little different.

Two things shape it. The University of San Diego sits on the mesa, and Tecolote Canyon runs along the side. So you get students on one end and long time families on the other.

Both crowds eat takeout a lot. Students order late and split it with roommates. Families order big and carry it home. A plain bag wastes both chances.

Thursday afternoons by the plaza

The City lists a farmers market every Thursday from 2 to 7 p.m. at Linda Vista Plaza on Linda Vista Road. That puts a crowd on the sidewalk right in the middle of the afternoon.

People who walk the market often grab dinner on the way home. When they leave your counter with a printed bag, every person still browsing the stalls sees your name go by.

It is the cheapest kind of ad there is. You were going to hand them a bag anyway.

Bowls, broth and a bag that stays level

Linda Vista loves noodle soup, rice plates and big bowls. Those are the orders that spill if the bag tips.

• Broth on the bottom: soup containers go flat on the floor of the bag, lids pressed down.
• Noodles and herbs on top: keep them dry so nothing turns soggy before it gets home.
• Sauces in the corners: small cups wedge into the gusset so they cannot roll.
• Seal it: a food tamper-evident sticker across the top keeps it shut on the walk up the hill.

The bag is 12″ × 7″ × 14″ with a 3.5″ gusset on each side, so containers sit flat and steady. The bag size page shows every inch.

What it costs to get started

Setup for your logo is $0. Many printers charge $150+ before a single bag comes off the line. A Subscribe and Save box is $85 for 150 bags, about 56.7¢ each.

Down the hill, Clairemont restaurants play the same neighborhood game. Every kitchen in the city gets the same deal on logo printed takeout bags in San Diego.