Truth behind why pizza boxes are square instead of round

Have you ever wondered why pizza boxes aren’t round? No? Well, the time has come.

Some of them might have rounded corners, but by and large you can bet that your pizza delivery will come in a square box.

Now, there’s an obvious answer why this might be the case. If you remember primary school maths, you’ll know that making a net that folds up into a box. Square boxes are pretty easy to knock together, but circular boxes are different gravy.

However, that challenging but eminently solvable problem isn’t the reason why pizza boxes are typically square-shaped.

Putting squares boxes together is much easier than with round ones (seksan Mongkhonkhamsao/Getty Images)

It’s all down to the other sensible reason: squared boxes are easier to store.

The revelation comes courtesy of FactBuddy on TikTok, which asked: "Have you ever wondered why pizza boxes are square? Pizzas are round, so shouldn't the boxes be round too?”

It continued: "Well, there actually have been designs for round boxes for over 15 years. Pizza places don't typically like to use them.

“You see, round boxes use several pieces of cardboard and are difficult to stack, but square boxes are cheaper to produce requiring only a single sheet of cardboard."

If all that shape-related excitement wasn’t enough, a comment noted that pizzas aren’t all squares and circles.

"Pizza box is square, pizza is round, but then cut into triangles," noted one comment.

"Your videos are a symphony of imagination that leaves us inspired and amazed," said another comment who seems… suspiciously bot-like.

It’s a question that was previously answered on an archived Guardian post, with a helpful respondent saying: “Because it is simpler, cheaper and easier to make a square box than a round one (a square box can be formed from a single sheet of card ) and also it is easier to store, transport and pack square boxes which will remain in a flat state until needed and are quickly assembled at point of use.

“A round box by its very nature needs to be assembled from at the least four sections, or to be pressed to shape using special machinery. It also needs to be in two separate parts: the container and the lid.”

How about an octagonal box? (MirageC/Getty Images)

For more niche trivia, FactBuddy is the place to find it. If you’ve ever wondered on the origins of the piggy bank, the helpful TikToker has you covered there, too.

"In the 15th century, people would store their money in pots. And they called these pots pig pots because they were made out of a clay called pigge,” he said.

"Pretty soon, potters started making these pig pots look like actual pigs as a joke. And, well the rest is history."