McDonald's ingenious 'TableBag' elevates the takeout meal

Fast food has always been about convenience, but sometimes it can still be surprisingly inconvenient. Especially if you can't find anywhere to eat it. Busy cities never seem to have enough benches, which often means we end up scoffing meals while we walk – not a great look for Milan Design Week.

But McDonald's Italy has come up with a novel way to elevate the takeout meal into something altogether more civilised. Cardboard packaging that turns into a makeshift dining table.

The 'TableBag' was actually devised by Leo Burnett for last year's Milan Design Week, when copies were given out to a limited number of people who placed app orders. The takeout box-cum-table was revisited by the packaging design news site Dieline amid the 2023 edition of the festival last week.

Yes, there are clearly downsides to the solution. It's a lot bigger than a normal takeout box, and at a time when most brands are trying to become more responsible about the amount of packaging they use (they are at least made from recyclable materials). It also requires diners to find a metal bollard to set it up on. 

However, it's impressively designed. With two cup holders and enough space for two orders of burgers and fries, it's a nice, if limited, solution for an event that sees not far off 400,000 professional visitors descend on Milan. For more incredible work from Milan Design Week, check out this game-changing 3D puzzle design.

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