Ghost kitchens and virtual kitchens gained popularity due to the Covid pandemic, and they continue to thrive as more people enjoy the convenience of home food delivery. For decades, takeout and delivery pizzas have been staples for individuals and families wanting a quick meal while staying at home to watch a movie or sports event. However, ghost kitchens and virtual kitchens have stepped up the food delivery game by offering customers extensive menus that include sandwiches, entrées, and desserts. Virtual kitchens can make it happen, whether the order is for an individual or a dinner party with friends.
"To Go" is the Way to Go
Upscale restaurants, casual dining places, and fast-food establishments have joined the virtual kitchen trend, giving their customers the option of ordering favorites for home or office delivery. Chick Fil A has long offered dining, takeout, and drive-thru service, but Covid changed how the popular chicken sandwich venue did business. Customers could no longer sit in the dining room and linger over sandwiches, shakes, and waffle fries. For some, taking a place in the drive-thru line was necessary for those wanting to get their daily, or weekly Chick Fil A fix. Others took advantage of food ordering apps and delivery.
Chick Fil A Ghost Kitchens
It was common for vehicles to snake around Chick Fil A restaurants before the pandemic. However, when franchises closed their dining rooms, it meant even longer waits for loyal customers. In addition to filling orders at their drive-thru windows, Chick Fil A franchises continued to enjoy robust delivery businesses as customers ordered online using food delivery apps. Now, Chick Fil A is taking some pressure off its traditional stores by opening ghost kitchens to meet the demand for delivery and takeout.
Chick Fil A can set up a ghost kitchen in almost any area. Since the business prepares food for customers ordering delivery or takeout through an app, there is no need for the kitchen to be in a high-traffic area. An industry leader in customer service and quality, it is no doubt that Chick Fil A will approach its virtual food sales with the same level of commitment.
Software for Ghost Kitchen Logistics
Restaurant owners and entrepreneurs thinking of going ghost or virtual must consider how the operation will handle a high volume of delivery orders. When customers place an order for delivery, they expect it to be accurate, high-quality and delivered within a reasonable timeframe. To meet customers' expectations and keep the operation running smoothly, restaurants require an approach that will streamline the process from the time the order is received until it reaches the customer.
The volume of orders that ghost kitchens handle could overwhelm an operation, which is why the best restaurant tech is necessary to keep the business running efficiently. Rather than installing order-taking and delivery software on computers, or worse, having staff taking orders by phone, using saas or software as a service simplifies the order filling. Cloud-based software as a service can streamline ordering and track inventory and sales.
Software as a Service is a Worthwhile Investment for Virtual Kitchens
Restaurant saas saves time and eliminates the confusion arising from outdated software and the nightmare of accepting orders from several channels. There is no need to update the software on a computer or keep up with orders coming from multiple channels. For ghost or virtual operations, saas uses a single platform to send orders to the kitchen, calculate sales, and inform delivery drivers and customers of order status. Foodservice managers and staff can focus on preparing a quality product and getting it to the customer. Virtual restaurant and ghost kitchen owners can operate more efficiently and save time and money by using saas to handle logistics.