Take-out

Take-out, often called takeaway in the United Kingdom and Ireland, is the practice of purchasing prepared meals to consume in a different location.

This system allows customers to obtain ready-to-eat food from restaurants or fast-food outlets without staying to dine on-site. For businesses, offering these services can reduce operational costs. Operators save money on items like cutlery and crockery. They also reduce the need for hosts and servers to manage table service. This model allows establishments to serve a higher volume of customers quickly. It removes the restriction of limited seating space within a dining room.

The concept of prepared meals for off-site consumption dates back to antiquity. In the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, archaeologists discovered over 200 thermopolia. These were service counters that opened directly onto the street to provide food to passersby. The lack of formal kitchens in many Pompeian homes suggests that cooking at home was uncommon. Similarly, medieval European cities featured various street vendors. In London, vendors sold hot meat pies, geese, and French wine. In Paris, people could purchase roasted meats, tarts, flans, and cheeses. These vendors were especially vital for the urban poor who lacked private kitchen facilities.

Different cultures developed unique take-out traditions throughout history. In 10th and 11th century China, citizens in cities like Kaifeng bought pastries called yuebing and congyoubing. By the early 13th century, successful shops in Kaifeng operated upwards of fifty ovens. In the Aztec marketplaces, vendors sold nearly 50 types of tamales. These tamales featured ingredients ranging from turkey and rabbit to fish and maize flowers. In Renaissance Turkey, vendors sold spit-roasted chicken and lamb at crossroads. Even in 19th-century India, local cooperatives supplied workers in Mumbai with tiffin boxes. These historical examples show that prepared food has always been a global necessity.

Modern take-out has evolved into several distinct delivery mechanisms. Drive-through outlets allow customers to order and receive food without leaving their vehicles. This method was pioneered in 1931 at Pig Stand Number 21 in California. By 1988, drive-throughs generated 51% of McDonald's total turnover. In the United States, these outlets accounted for 31% of all take-out turnover by 1990.

Another method is food delivery, where meals are brought to a customer's location. This often involves ordering via telephone or online platforms. Since the late 2000s, the rise of smartphones and dedicated applications has caused this field to grow rapidly.

Technological integration has fundamentally changed how delivery services operate. Since 2008, satellite navigation, or GPS, has allowed customers to monitor delivery vehicles in real time over the internet. Specialized software helps companies determine efficient routes and manage orders through Point of Sale (PoS) systems. Some companies even offer delivery guarantees. For instance, Domino's Pizza ran a campaign in the 1980s promising delivery within 30 minutes or it would be free. However, the United States discontinued this specific policy in 1993 due to lawsuits following accidents caused by hurried drivers.

Packaging is a critical component of the take-out experience, as it must protect the food's temperature and integrity.

Common materials include paper, plastic, foam, and aluminum. The oyster pail, a folded paperboard container with a coating, is a famous example often used for Chinese take-out. In Britain, fish and chips were traditionally wrapped in old newspapers. Although this was banned for health reasons in the 1980s, some shops now use food-safe paper printed to look like newsprint. Other materials like expanded polystyrene and corrugated fiberboard provide insulation to keep food hot or cold during transport.

While convenient, the massive amount of packaging used in take-out creates significant environmental challenges. Large quantities of disposable containers end up in landfills, as litter, or as recycling. In response, many regions have implemented strict regulations. In 2013, Taiwan banned disposable tableware in its 968 schools, hospitals, and government agencies. This was expected to eliminate 2,600 metric tons of waste every year. Similarly, Munich, Germany, has banned disposable containers at large-scale events since 1991. This regulation helped reduce waste at the Oktoberfest festival from 11,000 metric tons in 1990 to just 550 tons in 1999. In China, the scale of the issue is immense. Packaging waste from food delivery grew from 20,000 metric tons in 2015 to 1.5 million metric tons in 2017.