Sometimes, all it takes is 30 minutes to learn the ins and outs of new food technologies and trends that are transforming the food and beverage industry. In this series, we’ll dig into a food innovation topic and link you to content and resources so you can become a master on the topic in 30 minutes (or less!).
This week, we’re looking at ghost kitchens, a commercial foodservice operation without a traditional storefront or restaurant. Also known as virtual restaurants or dark kitchens, in many of these establishments food is ordered online and prepared for delivery only, via cashless transactions
The Overview
Canadian Institute of Food Safety - What is A Ghost Kitchen?
Learn the key differences between a ghost kitchen and a traditional foodservice operation.
Kickfin - What Are Ghost Kitchens: Everything You Need to Know
More about the pros and cons of using or setting up a ghost kitchen.
Medium - Cloud Kitchens: The Underdogs Of The Food Industry
Statista says the cloud kitchen format is expected to grow 12% through 2024.
The Restaurant Times - 7 Pitfalls to Avoid when Running a Cloud Kitchen Business in 2023
Some common mistakes operators may face when running a ghost kitchen.
The Canadian Connection
Ghost Kitchens Network is a company that partners with fast food brands to create scalable, multi-tenant ghost kitchen concepts across North America for third-party delivery, as well as offering standalone, mall and big box store locations for walk-in customers and customer pick up.
Wandereater - 9 Best Ghost Kitchens in Canada
Nine independent Canadian brands which rely on ghost kitchens.
Social Media
@virtualdiningco (Facebook) Virtual Dining Concepts works with existing restaurants and startups to establish delivery-only brands around the world.
Nextbite (LinkedIn) Nextbite Brands matches companies with under-utilized kitchens to help them enter the virtual restaurant space.
@freshmenu (Instagram) Ghost kitchens are thriving in India, where FreshMenu is based. The company offers an extensive menu of international cuisine prepared fresh daily.
Overtime
If you’ve got more than 30 minutes, these are for you:
Spotify – Ghost Kitchen Trends
This podcast looks at the business trends and concepts driving the ghost kitchen phenomenon.
YouTube – CloudKitchens: How it Works
YouTube – Cloud Kitchens Business Models