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Carry on carry-outs

Packaging of restaurant food for carry-out looks to be a very hot market. The NPD Group (Port Washington, NY) reported that 1996 was the first year that more restaurant meals were taken out than eaten on premise.

The numbers were close, 51% to 49%, but carry-outs were 41% a decade ago. Meanwhile, Wendy's Intl., the Dublin, OH-based fast-food chain, is replacing salad bars in company-owned outlets with five salad offerings, all prepackaged at each store in square plastic plates and domes. Wendy's says today's consumers favor a prepackaged salad to the salad bar.

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