Printed takeout bags for Arcadia, the town that taught America soup dumplings.

Where the soup dumpling craze began

Din Tai Fung, the Taiwanese chain famous for xiao long bao, picked Arcadia for its very first shop in the United States. It sat on South Baldwin Avenue for 16 years, with lines out the door, until it closed in July 2016 and the chain moved over to the Santa Anita mall. That one shop made a lot of Californians fall in love with soup dumplings.

Today Arcadia diners are picky in the best way. They know how a dumpling should look when it gets home. They notice when the lid pops, when the soup leaks, when the box arrives crushed. Good food in a weak, blank bag looks like a shortcut. Good food in a strong bag with your logo looks like you care about every detail.

How to send dumplings home in one piece

Soup dumplings are delicate. Wonton soup is heavy and hot. Noodles want their own box so they stay chewy. Dipping sauce needs a tight cup. That is four very different things that must all sit still in one bag.

Our bag gives them room. It's 14″ tall with a 3.5″ gusset and a square, flat base, so the soup goes flat on the bottom and the dumpling box rides on top without getting squeezed. The bag holds up to 22 lb, plenty for a family dinner of dumplings, soup and two plates of noodles.

Santa Anita race days bring hungry visitors

Santa Anita Park opened on Christmas Day in 1934 and covers almost 300 acres on West Huntington Drive. On race days, people drive in from across the region. Many stop for food on the way there, and even more grab something on the way home.

Those visitors may never have heard of your restaurant. A printed bag is how they remember it. They carry it to the car, set it in the back seat, open it at home, and see your name each time. Next race day, they know exactly where to stop. Plan your bag stock around the racing calendar so a big weekend never leaves you with an empty shelf.

Renew the license, then spend on bags

Every business in Arcadia needs a city business license, and it runs out 12 months after you pay. After a 30 day grace period, a late renewal gets hit with a penalty that starts at 20 percent and grows to 100 percent after 90 days. That is money that could have gone into packaging. Put the renewal date on your calendar.

When it comes to what to print, dumpling shops do well with a clean mark: a steamer basket, a single dumpling, a bold name. Bright red or deep green reads well on brown kraft. Soft colors look better on white kraft. Your print area is 12 × 14 in on the front. See the whole county guide on printed takeout bags for Los Angeles restaurants or read our noodle shop takeout bag guide.