Printed takeout bags for Cerritos, where the next great meal is always one door over.

Cows out, Korean BBQ in

Until 1967 this city had a different name: Dairy Valley. It had hundreds of dairies. Then in the 1970s it became the fastest growing city in California, with a lot of new families coming from China, Korea and the Philippines. Today more than 6 in 10 of the roughly 50,000 people who live here identify as Asian.

You can taste that on any street. Fountain Plaza on South Street, near the 605, is known for its mix of cuisines, and 85°C Bakery sells its Taiwanese breads and cheese tarts right there. Gen Korean BBQ House, Cho Dang Tofu House, 85°C Bakery and Claws, which started in Cerritos in 2007, are all local picks. When that much good food sits that close together, the plain bag is your biggest problem. Nobody remembers a brown sack.

Hot soup and grilled meat need a bag that stays upright

Tofu soup comes out of the kitchen still bubbling. Galbi comes in a tray with juice at the bottom. Put either one in a bag that tips over and you have a car seat problem and an angry phone call.

Our bag stands on a flat base with a 3.5″ gusset on both sides, so a soup bowl sits level and stays level. It is 14″ tall and holds up to 22 lb. Put the soup on the floor of the bag first, the meat tray on top of a lid, and the rice and side dishes in the gaps. For more on packing grilled meat and banchan, read our Korean BBQ takeout bag guide.

Where a cart can and can't park

Cerritos spells out exactly where a cart can go. You need a city Sidewalk Vending Permit and a Cerritos business license, both renewed every year, and a county health permit if you sell food. You can't set up at the Civic Center or the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. You can't be within 1,000 feet of a school during school hours, or within 500 feet of the farmers market while it is open.

You also bring your own trash can and keep a 10 foot circle around your cart clean at all times. Spilled food or grease gets cleaned up right away. That is a lot to watch while you are also cooking and taking cash. Hand every order over in one bag, folded shut, and most of the mess walks away with the customer.

Saturday mornings and picking your colors

Every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, the Cerritos Certified Farmers Market sets up in the parking lot of the Performing Arts Center at 18000 Park Plaza Drive. Families come for fruit, eggs, fish, bread and flowers, then they go get lunch. A logo they saw on a bag that week is the one they think of first.

On the design side, Korean BBQ spots often go with red and black, which look sharp on brown kraft. Bakeries and dessert shops with soft pinks and blues usually look better on white kraft. You get a 12 × 14 in front, and printing on it is free. For the full picture across the county, see printed takeout bags for Los Angeles restaurants.