In the 1960s and 1970s, Halloween wasn’t just about costumes and candy. It was a time when fast-food restaurants got in on the spooky fun. One memorable example is the Burger Chef “Trick or Treat Bag”, a seasonal giveaway that delighted kids (then) and collectors (now) alike. These paper bags were bright orange and emblazoned with a cheerful witch flying across a crescent moon. They were part of Burger Chef’s effort to make Halloween a community event for “People on the Go-Go”.

Interstate Bag Company of Walden, New York produced the Burger Chef Halloween bag. The company supplied custom-printed paper bags to restaurants and grocery stores throughout the mid-20th century. The company’s logo, “Prepakt” and their Walden, N.Y. address, appears on the bottom flap. This small detail that now helps collectors date and authenticate these nostalgic pieces of advertising history.

From 1954 until the early 1980s, Burger Chef built its reputation on innovative marketing ideas. The chain introduced the first kids’ meal (the Funmeal) years before McDonald’s popularized the Happy Meal, and their seasonal promotions often included themed giveaways. During Halloween, these bags served a dual purpose: they carried hamburgers, fries, and milkshakes home, and then became trick-or-treat bags for children to fill with candy on October 31st.

Today, surviving Burger Chef Trick or Treat bags are prized by collectors of vintage restaurant memorabilia and mid-century Americana. The combination of bold orange color, whimsical Halloween graphics, and the Burger Chef logo captures a time when even a simple paper bag could become a cherished memory of childhood. They stand as charming relics from an era when fast food and holidays were woven together with creativity and community spirit.