Takeout containers were once an afterthought. Now theyâre essential â and expensive Chefs are poring over catalogs for paper goods the same way they obsess over ingredients. By Janelle Nanos Globe Staff,Updated February 2, 2021, 5:06 p.m. Email to a Friend To-go boxes were once just a minor line-item for restaurants. Now theyâre a lifeline. Shifting to takeout during the pandemic has forced food operators to reassess their menus and staffing. Itâs also made them do far more thinking about to-go packaging than many ever imagined. Today chefs pore over catalogs for paper goods the same way they obsess over ingredients. Because when you deconstruct the dining experience, itâs things like packaging that can leave consumers with a bad taste in their mouths (literally, some fear). And with that comes a whole host of hospitality dilemmas: Will the integrity of the dish stay true? Will the food stay hot? Will the sauce seep out? And what impact will all of this packaging have on the planet?