Printed New Year's Eve bags for Los Angeles, for the trays before midnight and the burritos after.

New Year's Eve is a takeout night in LA

Plenty of Angelenos would rather host than fight traffic. That means house parties, and house parties need food. Wing trays, taco trays, dumplings by the hundred, birria with all the cups of consommé. Kitchens get the big orders in the afternoon, then a second wave late at night when the snacks run out.

Then comes January 1. Half the city wakes up hungry and a little rough. Breakfast burritos, menudo, chilaquiles and big bowls of pho go out the door all morning. If you run a taco counter, read our page on custom printed bags for taco shops. If your crowd wants soup, the noodle shop bag page covers broth and lids.

Two busy days, back to back, and every order leaves in a bag that ends up on a kitchen counter next to the party guests. That's free attention, if your name is on it.

Designing a midnight look for a brown bag

A New Year's design usually means a deep night blue, a shiny gold and some sparkle. On a screen that's easy. On kraft, think again. The real order showed us that very dark navy and pale gold both soften on brown paper. Shiny gold isn't possible either: our gold is ink, so it reads as a warm ochre, not foil.

So lean into what kraft does well. Bold numbers like 2027, chunky confetti in red, gold and teal, a big clock face, thick lettering for your name. Small text is fine too. On the real bag, the street address is tiny and still easy to read.

You have the whole front to play with, full color edge to edge, up to 12 × 14 in on the front.

Where LA counts down this year

Gloria Molina Grand Park at 200 N. Grand Ave. lists its NYELA party for Dec. 31, 2026, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., with a countdown show projected on City Hall and local food trucks across the park. The City of Los Angeles called last year's edition the biggest free New Year's Eve party on the west coast.

Most of LA watches that countdown on a phone from a living room. And somebody in that living room picked up the food.

Source: Gloria Molina Grand Park, NYELA event page, and City of Los Angeles news post of Dec. 26, 2025. The 2026 lineup and times may change, so check the park's page.

How much to order for the year end

Boxes usually arrive 3 to 4 days after they ship, and shipping is free. Christmas and New Year's land a week apart, so if you want a bag for each, send both designs early in December.

Never printed bags before? Start with the Kraft Discovery Box: 50 printed bags and 50 food tamper-evident stickers. Kitchens that move a lot of trays take the box, 150 bags for $85 on Subscribe and Save, or the bundle, 300 bags for $152.

The bag is 110 GSM kraft, 12″ by 7″ with 3.5″ gussets, 14″ tall, rated to 22 lb. A full party tray plus sides rides fine. Need a bag for a different neighborhood? Start at our home page for printed bags in Los Angeles.