A Big Bag of Kisses

An interview with Ingrid Kosar, president of Thermal Bags by Ingrid
By Bob Sandidge 

We caught up with Ingrid Kosar at Thermal Bags headquarters in Gilberts, Illinois, an hour northwest of Chicago, to ask her a few questions about where she sees the pizza market today.

Bob: Well, Ingrid, what is the state of the market today?

Ingrid: We’ve never been stronger. We have an interesting perspective on the pizza industry because we see how many people are buying bags, where in the country they are going, and the types and sizes people are buying most. Usually, when the economy is not as strong, even more people enjoy pizza. 

Bob: It seems that you’re always adding improvements to your bags. Where do you get the ideas?

Ingrid: We spend a lot of time talking with customers. Customer conversations inspire many of our product improvements. We’ve changed insulation, relocated handles, added reflective strips to protect delivery people, and reengineered racks. We continue to make detailed improvements to each generation of Thermal Bags by Ingrid based on the real needs of our customers. We never stop.

Bob: A few years ago, there was a lot of excitement about heated bags. Are those still around?

Ingrid: Yes, some are. In fact, we built bags for some of those companies, and there are still some pizza operations using them. Over the past few years, though, many operators haven’t replaced those heater systems when they need maintenance and are realizing that they can get the same results for less cost from a high-quality thermal insulated bag.

Bob: Seems like with the cost of energy today that there is also a “green” aspect to using a nonheated bag.

Ingrid: That’s right. Our bags require no batteries, no plugs with wires in your car, and no high-powered heating coils in the pizza store to make more heat and drive up the utilities. What we know is that red is green—it just makes sense that the most energy-efficient way to keep a pizza hot is with the energy that went into the pizza to cook it. A well-designed and -built thermal bag gets the job done with no wasted energy. Operators are concerned about energy costs and are realizing that our bags not only do a superior job but also save money and wasted energy.

Bob: OK, I have to ask—why all the chocolate Kisses on your desk?