Should small restaurants implement ghost kitchens? Ghost kitchens are commercial kitchens that are optimized for food delivery services, they are also known as dark kitchens. The delivery kitchens are located where there is a high demand for delivery services. There is no storefront for the kitchen itself, and the staff only prepares dishes from their menus for delivery. You can think of it as a restaurant kitchen operating with a digital storefront, with a few employees fulfilling online orders in the back of the house. Rather than having a physical location, it has a digital presence, allowing the restaurants to reach more customers than ever before. Why do ghost kitchens matter and how do they work? Ghost kitchens opened around the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, which gave them a huge boost. When the high fees charged by the major delivery services can be mitigated or built into the price, food delivery outfits operating out of ghost kitchens may be able to make a living. Ghost kitchens have been used by even national chains such as Hungry Jacks and McDonald's to test new menu items without compromising their brand name in case they fail. Considering the ease with which customers have adapted to the trend, ghost kitchens may be here to stay. The first step in setting up a ghost kitchen, or virtual kitchen, is to rent space in a facility where the restaurant can prepare delivery orders. The restaurant will launch online across multiple delivery apps once it is equipped with the commercial kitchen equipment needed to operate. Food will be prepared by chefs for online orders that will be delivered by takeout services such as Uber eats or Deliveroo. What are the pros and cons of a Ghost Restaurant? Ghost kitchens are restaurants with no digital storefront meaning there is no dine-in service. This model allows more experimentation with food creation, which is why many people choose it. Furthermore, as more and more customers prefer delivery over dine-in(survey results), eliminating overhead costs while still being able to grow a business is another key benefit. Additionally, ghost kitchens can simplify menus, which will help to streamline costs as well. But this does mean The presentation of meals at restaurants is much less in their control. Food may arrive in less-than-ideal condition, sauces and garnishes may be misplaced. Customers are able to choose exactly what they want to eat and when they want it delivered when they use ghost kitchens. Cloud-based mobile ordering is used by the majority of ghost kitchens, so customers can personalize exactly what they want and get made-to-order meals. On the other hand, the owner is not able to build a community, neither regulars nor restaurant staff are around to share meals with. Unlike full-blown customer-facing concepts, ghost kitchens are smaller in size and have a smaller environmental footprint. This naturally results in a more sustainable operation. This is much better environmentally and economically. This also reduces the face-to-face interactions with customers meaning there is less chance of Covid- 19 Ghost kitchens are in development and are starting to grow. They may be the future of most food chains. The pros outweigh the cons and many restaurant owners prefer this business model. Link to survey https://forms.gle/iECBwHWzUPihpGJh9 References Mircea Vlaicu (2019). The 2020 Guide to Ghost Kitchens: All You Need to Know. [online] Roaming Hunger | Find and book the best food trucks. Available at: https://roaminghunger.com/blog/15623/ghost-kitchens-everything-you-must-know [Accessed 7 Feb. 2022]. Dick, A. (2020). Ghost Kitchens and Virtual Restaurants: Legal Considerations. [online] Lexology. Available at: https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=581d0c71-679e4599-8a94-cd365563e0aa [Accessed 7 Feb. 2022]. Bright (2020). Hitchcock Farms. [online] Hitchcock Farms. Available at: https://www.hitchcockfarms.com/blog/ghost-restaurant [Accessed 7 Feb. 2022]. King, M. (2021). How to Start a Ghost Kitchen in 13 Steps. [online] Fit Small Business. Available at: https://fitsmallbusiness.com/how-to-start-ghost-kitchen/ [Accessed 7 Feb. 2022]. Ice.edu. (2019). The Pros and Cons of Ghost Restaurants | Institute of Culinary Education. [online] Available at: https://www.ice.edu/blog/ghost-kitchens [Accessed 7 Feb. 2022]. Miller, J. (2021). What’s a ghost kitchen? A food industry expert explains. [online] The Conversation. Available at: https://theconversation.com/whats-a-ghost-kitchen-a-foodindustry-expert-explains-163151 [Accessed 1 Mar. 2022].
