Culinology - September 2020 - 34
fuel
by Donna Berry
editor@sosland.com
ood delivery apps have inspired chefs
around the country to start their own
restaurants. Not the traditional ones with
tables and wait staff, where the right space
and location matters, rather they are renting
space in industrial kitchens and using thirdparty delivery services. Known as ghost
kitchens, with most facilities lacking signage
or any visible branding, the concept helps
bring new cuisines and menu concepts to
urban areas.
"A ghost kitchen has none of the things
we commonly associate with a restaurant,
namely servers, seating and signage," said
Christopher Sebes, restaurant technology
strategist, Naples, Fla. "Also sometimes
called a virtual restaurant, dark kitchen or
cloud kitchen, this facility exists only to serve
orders placed via mobile app or delivery
service web page.
"Ghost kitchens are coming into their own.
Their promise is lower rent and lower up-front
costs. Many of the costs, once prohibitive
and slow to recoup, will drop."
F
How it works
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34 |
Ghost kitchens are often owned and
operated by a management company, which
may assist with sales and marketing. Multiple
kitchens allow for varied cuisines prepared
Culinology | SEPTEMBER 2020
in a single facility, which gives new meaning
to the concept of "something for everyone"
when a family or office places an order.
The shared commissary often will house
a takeout and delivery counter to ease the
process, a feature that proved useful with
coronavirus restrictions.
Most kitchens are equipped with cold
storage, stove top, oven and sink. Counter
space and industrial electrical outlets allow
for extras, everything from blenders to
deep fryers.
"The space allows chefs to create a virtual
brand or expand the reach of an existing
bricks-and-mortar brand," Mr. Sebes said.
"It's all digital. You can create a restaurant
from your imagination."
This includes the menu. Such flexibility
invites chefs to offer daily specials and work
with local, seasonal suppliers. If an ingredient
becomes too expensive or is no longer
available, a digital menu allows for easy
substitution. Keeping the menu fresh and
different encourages customers to become
"regular" patrons during the new normal
approach to "dining out."
Opportunity in the new normal
"The opportunity is immense," Mr. Sebes
said. "The changes we're seeing will provide
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Culinology - September 2020
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