The most iconic image of carry-out food is the pizza box. Its classic cardboard and catchy sayings on the outside of the box provide a comfy home for any pie. However, Saahil Desai, author of “You Don’t Know How Bad the Pizza Box Is,” claims that the pizza box desperately needs an update. Desai is somewhat of a pizza connoisseur and argues that the pizza box fails to do its job: keep a pizza fresh. Is he right?  

I, for one, think he is not. Desai says that the main flaw within the pizza box is its failure to keep the pizza crust crispy and fresh. He says a pizza will never be as good as before it was placed in a cardboard box. But why is the pizza in the box so long it gets soggy? Carry-out isn’t meant to be eaten hours after it’s picked up. It’s supposed to be a quick and easy alternative to making your own food, so it shouldn’t be sitting in the box for long periods before it’s eaten. Desai needs to find a pizza joint closer to his house. While cardboard may cause crusts to fall a little flat, I don’t think it causes such a problem that the entire way of life for pizza chains needs to be changed. 

The current pizza box is cheap to make, easy to store, and relatively sustainable. I don’t see any issues with the existing pizza box if one obeys the rules of carry-out. As long as pizza is devoured after it’s purchased, there is no issue with the current method of transportation. The box represents the tradition of carry-out food for close to 100 years. I don’t see the need to change something that has worked for many years. However, I may have to reconsider if anyone decides to revolutionize the pizza box.