Pho takeout bags for San Jose, printed with your logo. Hot broth, fresh herbs, one strong bag.

San Jose runs on pho

San Jose is home to one of the biggest Vietnamese communities in the country, and you can taste it. Pho shops line Story Road, Tully Road and the plazas of East San Jose, and many have been run by the same families for a generation. Lunch rush, late night, rainy Sunday: pho is always on.

A lot of that pho goes out the door. Families pick up four or five bowls for dinner. Tech workers in North San Jose and Santa Clara order to their desks. That makes the takeout bag part of the meal.

If you're looking at logo printed kraft takeout bags across the Bay Area, here's how they work for a pho kitchen.

Never put noodles in the broth

Every pho cook knows this, but it's worth saying for new staff. Rice noodles sitting in hot broth for 20 minutes turn mushy and swell up, and the broth goes cloudy and starchy. The whole point of pho is the clear broth and the bite of the noodle.

So the bowl travels in pieces. Broth goes in a sealed soup container, filled hot. Rice noodles and sliced meat go in a separate bowl or box. Rare beef can go raw on top of the noodles so the hot broth cooks it at home, just like it does in the shop.

Hot broth in one container, noodles and meat in another. Your customer pours, and the beef cooks right at their table.

The herb plate rides on top

Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, jalapeños and culantro are half the fun of pho. They also wilt fast near heat. Pack them in a small bag or tray and keep them at the very top of the order, away from the broth containers.

Hoisin, sriracha and chili oil go in small cups that stand in the side pockets. The bag's 3.5″ gussets open up a corner on each side, just right for sauce cups that need to stay upright.

Packing a family pho order

• Broth containers first, flat on the bottom. Lids pressed down and the outsides wiped dry. The bag's square base keeps them level.
• Noodle and meat boxes on top of the broth. These are lighter and stack well.
• Sides next. Egg rolls and spring rolls go here, with vented lids so they stay crisp.
• Herbs and limes on top. Cool, fresh and the first thing out.
• Sauce cups into the side pockets. Hoisin on one side, sriracha on the other.

Broth is heavy. The bag can take it.

A big order of pho for the whole family is mostly broth, and broth is heavy. Our bag is 12″ × 7″ × 14″, made from 110 GSM kraft, and carries 22 lb by flat paper handles taped inside. That covers a family order going from the counter, across a busy strip mall lot and into the trunk.

Want to check every number before you order? See the bag size and specs. If you also sell ramen or other noodle soups, our ramen packing guide has more tips.

Your name on every bag

Pho shop names are often short and bold, sometimes with a bowl, a star anise or chopsticks. Red, green and black all look great on brown kraft. Vietnamese text with its accent marks prints exactly as you upload it, so keep the lines bold enough to read.

We print your logo free on the front, up to 12 × 14 in, and the setup fee is $0. Each box comes with 100 food tamper-evident stickers to seal delivery orders, and shipping to San Jose is free in 3 to 4 days.