How to Bring Your Own Container to a Restaurant (Without Feeling Awkward)

The first few times you bring your own container to a restaurant, you may feel a little weird.

Then you do it.

And you realize it really isn't a big deal.

I use my BYOB at pretty much every kind of place I eat. Food trucks. Pizza places. Casual restaurants. Nice restaurants. I bring it when I'm eating alone and when I'm out with a crowd.

And here's the part I didn't expect when I started doing this:

Instead of people thinking it's strange, they usually want to know what it is.

BYOB has become a conversation starter at more restaurant tables than I can count. Friends ask about it. Servers ask about it. I've had people ask me where they can get one.

Nobody has ever asked me where I got a foam clamshell.

Why bring your own container in the first place?

For me, it started with restaurant leftovers.

I didn't want to keep bringing home food in disposable foam and plastic containers, especially when I already knew there were better reusable options for storing food.

The problem was remembering to actually bring one.

That's eventually what led me to create BYOB, Bring Your Own Box: a collapsible food container designed specifically to be easy to carry with you before you ever need it.

1. Don't make it a big production

You don't need to announce that you brought your own container when you sit down.

Mine usually stays right where I put it until I realize I'm going to have food left over.

Finish your meal. Pull out your container. Pack your food. That's it.

2. When the server asks if you need a box, keep your answer simple

One of my favorite restaurant moments happened while I was eating tapas with friends.

The waitress came over and asked whether we needed a to-go box.

I smiled and said:

She looked down at the table, noticed my BYOB and immediately wanted to know:

"Where did you get that container?"

This happens more often than you'd think.

One customer summed it up perfectly: "People are constantly asking me where I got it, lol."

3. You can pack your own leftovers

This is probably the easiest way to make bringing your own container feel completely normal.

Instead of handing your personal container to the server and asking them to take it into the kitchen, simply transfer your own leftovers at the table.

Restaurant policies around customer-owned reusable containers can vary. The FDA Food Code includes guidance around when containers can be reused or refilled in food establishments, but state and local rules and individual restaurant procedures can differ.

Packing your own leftovers at the table keeps the whole habit simple. If you're unsure about a particular restaurant, just ask.

Source: U.S. Food & Drug Administration, FDA Food Code

4. Yes, I even bring mine to nice restaurants

This is one of those things that can feel perfectly normal at a food truck and somehow much more intimidating once there are white tablecloths involved.

I get it.

But I use BYOB in all kinds of restaurants.

From food trucks to fancy places, leftovers are still leftovers.

If I've paid for the food and I want to take the rest home, I don't see a reason my reusable container suddenly becomes inappropriate because the restaurant is nicer.

Food truck? Absolutely.

Nice restaurant? Yep, there too.

5. Eating with other people actually makes it more fun

I bring BYOB when I'm dining alone, but I especially love having it when I'm eating with other people.

That's when it tends to become a talking point.

Someone notices it collapse. Someone asks what it's made from. Someone realizes they could stop taking home another stack of disposable containers.

I've ended up talking about BYOB and sharing my website plenty of times simply because I pulled out my container at the end of dinner.

6. The real trick is remembering to bring it

You can have the best reusable container in the world, but it doesn't help much when it's sitting in your kitchen cabinet and you're at a restaurant.

My solution is simple:

Other people keep one in a tote, work bag or wherever they already keep the things they rarely leave home without.

The goal isn't to become really good at remembering another thing. It's to give the container a permanent home somewhere that makes forgetting it harder.

7. And if you forget it? Just try again next time.

This shouldn't become another thing to feel guilty about.

If you forget your reusable container and need to use the restaurant's to-go box, use it.

Then put your reusable container back in the car, your bag or wherever you've decided it lives and try again next time. Sustainable habits stick because they become easy, not because we're perfect.

One more thing: don't forget about the food once you get home

Bringing the leftovers home is only half the win. You still want to actually eat them.

USDA food-safety guidance recommends getting perishable leftovers refrigerated promptly rather than leaving them sitting out or riding around in the car for hours.

We're going to dig much deeper into leftover storage in another guide, including how long common restaurant leftovers are good in the refrigerator.

Source: USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service

Frequently asked questions about bringing your own container to a restaurant

Is it rude to bring your own container to a restaurant?

In my experience, no. I simply pack the food I've already purchased into my own container at the table. If you're ever unsure about a restaurant's policy, asking politely is the easiest answer.

What should I say when the server offers me a to-go box?

Keep it simple: "No thanks, I brought my own." You don't need to explain or make a speech about it.

Can I bring my own container to a fancy restaurant?

I do. I've used BYOB everywhere from food trucks to nicer restaurants. If I have food left over that I want to take home, I use the container I brought with me.

Do I hand my reusable container to the server?

You don't have to. I prefer the simple option of packing my own food at the table. Individual restaurants and local food-safety rules may have different procedures for containers brought into kitchen or food-preparation areas.

How do I remember to bring a reusable container?

Don't rely on remembering it every time you leave home. Give it a permanent place. I keep mine in my car door so it's already with me when I arrive at a restaurant.

Bring Your Own Box,
Rachel