Ghost kitchen
A ghost kitchen, also known as a virtual kitchen, cloud kitchen, or dark kitchen, is a food establishment that operates solely to fulfill online food orders for delivery or takeout. The concept of ghost kitchens has gained popularity with the rise of online food delivery platforms like DoorDash and GrubHub.
Unlike traditional restaurants, ghost kitchens do not have a physical dining area, as their entire focus is on preparing and cooking food for off-premises consumption. Ghost kitchens often cater to multiple virtual restaurant brands or concepts simultaneously. Consequently, a single ghost kitchen may produce a diverse range of cuisines targeting various segments of the online food delivery market.
Advantages of ghost kitchens
Below are some advantages to running a ghost kitchen.
- Efficiency - As ghost kitchens don't have a front of house, they incur lower operating costs and see increased efficiency compared to traditional restaurants.
- Adaptability - Due to their structure, ghost kitchens can more easily experiment with new food concepts at a lower risk.
- Space saving - Ghost kitchens minimize or eliminate the need for larger physical retail spaces.
Disadvantages of ghost kitchens
Below are some disadvantages of ghost kitchens.
- Inconsistent - Your food may be prepared at various ghost kitchens on separate orders. That is to say, even when you order the same menu item from the same company, it may be inconsistent (e.g., ingredients, how it's prepared, and its quality).
- No community - Building a sense of community behind your brand, restaurant, or staff is impossible since no one knows who prepared the food.
- Stressed cooks - Running a ghost kitchen requires more from the cooks since they have a bigger menu of items to learn.