Pizza Boxes Have Been Patented Over 100 Times Since 1976

That humble cardboard box cradling your pepperoni pizza? It's the product of decades of obsessive innovation. Since 1976, inventors have filed more than 100 patents related to pizza box design—each one trying to solve the eternal struggle of getting hot, cheesy pizza from Point A to Point B without it turning into a soggy, grease-soaked disaster.

The pizza box arms race started heating up in the 1980s. Patent No. 4,441,626, filed in 1981, introduced a multi-layer bottom designed to absorb grease while keeping the pizza elevated on corrugated ridges. The goal? Prevent your slice from swimming in its own oils. Other inventors tackled ventilation—too much steam and your crust gets soggy, too little and condensation pools on the lid.

From Stackable to Convertible

One company, Correll Concepts, went absolutely wild between 1992 and 2010, racking up 43 patents on pizza packaging alone. That's more than any other company in the world. Their innovations ranged from practical to bizarre: boxes that collapsed for easier recycling, tiered designs that could carry two pizzas at once, and boxes with built-in plates and serving utensils.

Then there's Apple. Yes, that Apple. The tech giant patented a round pizza box in 2010 for their cafeteria, featuring holes in the lid to release steam and prevent sogginess. Even trillion-dollar companies can't resist the allure of perfecting pizza delivery.

Why So Many Patents?

Pizza is a $145 billion global industry, and delivery is a huge chunk of that. The box isn't just packaging—it's the last line of defense between a perfect pie and a customer complaint. Inventors have addressed:

• Grease management: Absorbent materials, elevated surfaces, and moisture barriers
• Heat retention: Insulated designs and steam venting systems
• Stackability: Shapes and reinforcements that prevent crushing during delivery
• Sustainability: Recyclable materials and collapsible designs
• Convenience: Tear-off plates, built-in cup holders, and even neck-sized openings for hands-free eating

The Weird Ones

Patent No. 5,961,035 introduced a six-sided "designer" pizza box—because apparently four sides just weren't cutting it. Patent No. 10,800,593 from 2020 features a perforated U-shaped section in the lid that tears off "to accommodate the neck of a user." That's right: a pizza box with a built-in feeding trough.

The first corrugated pizza box patent dates back to 1963, establishing the template we still use today: foldable, stackable, no adhesive needed, with ventilation slots. Since then, inventors have filed hundreds of variations—each one chasing the dream of the perfect pizza box.

So next time you flip open that cardboard lid, remember: you're holding the result of half a century of engineering, trial and error, and patent attorneys arguing over grease absorption rates.