Greenwood, Indiana’s Oaken Barrel Brewing Company, a full-service restaurant and production brewery, found themselves at a crossroads when the pandemic hit. Owner Kwang Casey, affectionately known as the “unofficial Mayor of Greenwood” could either close the restaurant – leaving his staff of 20+ years without jobs – or innovate and subsequently drive new revenue.
As Oaken Barrel began to deliver hundreds of lunches in brown paper bags throughout the community, Casey realized the need for a solution to prevent the risk of spilling while preserving the integrity of his product. Historically, Oaken Barrel had avoided carry-out orders due to the limited packaging options. Products like plastic bags presented many challenges and paper bag handles would often break.
“Every time I would take 100 lunches over (to the hospital) in 25 brown bags, I would think about how nice it would be to have a box to carry,” explained Casey.
Enter Jason Coonce, Indiana Sales Manager for Shorr Packaging. With a beverage background in the restaurant industry, Coonce was uniquely positioned to partner with Oaken Barrel and develop a container that matched Casey’s needs and help Oaken Barrel adapt as the restaurant industry quickly evolved.
In partnership with Oaken Barrel, Shorr’s idea was to create a takeout container that is sturdy and easy to carry, with the versatility to fit a variety of food and beverage products inside. Fueled by Shorr’s passion for sustainable packaging products, the Oaken Barrel boxes were also developed from recycled material and are 100% recyclable. GET IN TOUCH
“When Jason showed up with a packaging idea, it meant a lot to me because he was thinking about my business,” Casey explained. “When I saw the box, I said ‘That’s it!’”
The box comes flat and can be easily constructed by folding flaps together to erect its shape and the durable cardboard material is thick enough to insulate food and beverage products, an important component to include for Casey and the Oaken Barrel team. The handle also has an option to be sealed with tamper-proof tape to comply with popular delivery service regulations.
Takeout food and beverage services will be very important to the restaurant industry moving forward. Giving restaurants the ability to provide the same quality to their customers at home as they do in their businesses will be crucial. Deploying this new product into the market will help the entire restaurant industry.
“Our partnership with Shorr has been great,” said Casey. “Shorr’s box idea is in front of the industry.”
Shorr Packaging is a premium, full-service packaging partner. We have an unmatched ability to optimize holistic supply chain processes, differentiate brands from their competition and accelerate customer growth.