It is no longer news that the food and restaurant industry has dived into food delivery. Online ordering was already becoming increasingly popular over recent years, but the demand has absolutely skyrocketed with the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Since typical dine-in restaurants are closing their doors to comply with social distancing requirements, people interested in high-quality meals or just looking to take a break from cooking typically turn to delivery apps to get their food. To profit from this delivery revolution, ghost kitchen services have begun to pop up as a reaction to demand, bringing with it some execution concepts.
What is a Ghost Kitchen?
A ghost or virtual kitchen is essentially a restaurant without a dining area. To earn an income, these locations rely exclusively on take-out services.
This unique 21st-century breakthrough aims to simplify and extend delivery services at a reduced cost. At Kitchens United or Cloud Kitchens, you can get a landlord to lease a space in populated areas, after which you get your brand on an app that links you to consumers. In other words, you can launch a new enterprise or expand your current brand with a ghost kitchen tool. Here are some advantages of operating a ghost kitchen as opposed to a traditional sit-in restaurant:
- Reduced costs
- Increased efficiency
- High demand
Considering that food delivery is exploding in popularity, it's no surprise that chefs and investors are rushing to become a part of the ghost kitchen trend.
Ghost Kitchen Concepts
You may be wondering: how do I start an online restaurant? Once you've decided that you're interested in creating a ghost kitchen, you need to select a concept for it.
Fast Food Concept
With a fast-food focused virtual eatery, the menu involves mass-produced food with priority placed on speed. These are an affordable alternative to home-cooked meals and are typically not very costly for the kitchen to produce. Since most people don't care about dining in when it comes to fast food, these types of meals are perfect for ghost kitchens. Menu items can go as low as $4 per person and typically include:
- Burgers and fries
- Sandwiches and subs
- Pizza
Although this concept streamlines just one food type, the menu can have a wide range due to the extensive number of foods that fall into this category.
Vegan Concept
With the demand for vegan and fresh food also on the rise, many ghost kitchens have chosen to embrace this trend and profit off of its popularity. It has a small niche, making it management friendly, and a large consumer base regardless of its relatively high pricing. Here are some of the advantage to operating a plant-based kitchen:
- Environmentally-friendly
- Universally appealing
- Stands out in the market
At the end of the day, there's nobody that can't eat plant-based food. Vegans, vegetarians and omnivores can all find something they enjoy on the menu. While these ingredients may cost you more than fast-food, you can make up for it by pricing your menu items higher.
Multiple Kitchen Concept
The multiple kitchen concept is by far the most extensive concept when it comes to building a ghost kitchen. It covers multiple cuisine styles and food types by serving several menus from just one kitchen. The multiple kitchen concept is not restricted to a particular food type and can include vegan and fast-food menus, amongst other things.
Due to the extent of its capacity, this concept is the most difficult to manage. However, if done right, it's also the most profitable option. More menus means a wider client-base, which translates to more orders and more income.
What is the Ideal Ghost Kitchen Concept
There's no straight answer to this question but in general, the multiple kitchen concept is the best choice (if you can manage it). Not only does it let restaurant owners reach a wider clientele, but it also gives them the liberty to experiment with different types of food.
Of course, the downside to this concept is that it can be extremely difficult to manage multiple orders across menus. Fortunately, there's a solution.
Managing Your Orders
For restaurants looking for help with order management, the search is over. Cuboh is a stream-lining platform that manages all your orders, refunds and up-charges while keeping your food delivery apps in one place.
Ghost kitchens are said to be the future of the food industry, and more and more restaurant owners are hopping on to the trend. In order to stay successful, not only does the ghost kitchen have to have a good concept, but it also needs to operate efficiently and work with third-party services to promote the distribution of food. Cuboh strives to support entrepreneurs and ghost kitchen businesses, working with your team to make sure that your orders are sent out mistake-free.
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