Wrapping Up Food To Go

[Simul Parikh]

What's the deal with packaging food for taking home? When I was a kid, it would never be expected that the guest does it - it would come wrapped up. Now, it's about 50/50 - I have to wrap up my own food. It's not okay, but what can we do? Should I say, "no, you need to package this?"

[Josh Radigan]

What's the deal with packaging food for taking home? When I was a kid, it would never be expected that the guest does it - it would come wrapped up. Now, it's about 50/50 - I have to wrap up my own food. It's not okay, but what can we do? Should I say, "no, you need to package this?"

I just think that it should be the restaurants job to wrap it up. Its hard to say something in response but even worse when the employee asks "Do you want the rest wrapped up?" and then hands you the box in order to do it. Just seems like in some ways the industry that is supposed to incorporate hospitality along with the finer points of culinary and beverage should wrap the food up for you.

[weezy]

The food wrapping thing goes both ways -- Peking Gourmet Inn was notorious for wrapping up food and then, when getting home, the diner finding half the amount of food in the take-out boxes as had gone to the kitchen from the table.  Also I've heard of a couple of instances where a woman at a higher-end steak house getting so filled up on her apps & salad that she wasn't able to eat the steak she ordered, asked for it to be boxed up (along with the sides ordered) and got home to sides and no steak at all.  And I've got a germaphobe friend who won't let the staff wrap her food b/c she doesn't want any other hands on it.