The Ghost Kitchen Has Risen: How Do You Feel?

Published by: Ruogu Wang

Have you at any time ordered food items delivery from a new restaurant that was so tasty, it created you want to go there to dine in? Unfortunately, these days that could possibly be impossible — since that restaurant might really be a “ghost kitchen.”

What is a ghost kitchen?

Ghost kitchen refers to food stuff preparing and cooking services that deliver foods by shipping only as an alternative of presenting dine-in experiences like common dining places. They make their income by using on line orders, phone orders or third-party food shipping and delivery platforms this sort of as Uber Eats or Doorway Dash. A ghost kitchen is distinctive from the strategy of ghost restaurant mainly because a ghost kitchen area is merely for food planning. Several ghost restaurants can share the same ghost kitchen area. This modern organization design emerged prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth of Internet mobile apps gave the food stuff delivery business a significant strengthen, which has exposed the improvement house possible of this marketplace.

For organization operations, this model lowers input and operation prices. It is a lot more versatile, necessitating considerably less area and much less personnel. Launching a ghost restaurant on Uber Eats is appreciably cheaper than opening a common cafe. In the meantime, consumers can count on to love meals simply on their sofa when they want. China is the most important market place for food stuff delivery, the place it creates above $51.5 billion in earnings yearly. Its most significant foods delivery services supplier Meituan delivers 24 million foods each working day. As for the United States, there had been more than 1,500 ghost kitchens in 2020. Well-known restaurant models this sort of as Denny’s, The Halal Guys and TGI Friday are hoping out this new model and have attained fantastic small business good results. For massive cafe chains, ghost kitchens also deliver a new way to reduce food items waste. For example, when several dining places share the exact same ghost kitchen, it makes it possible for people dining establishments to alter their menu strategically and share the stock of components.

The rise of COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic eternally modified the food items and beverage marketplace. Consumers became worried to dine in a cafe at the identical time governments announced dine-in limitations to handle the pandemic. Classic dining places are struggling to endure while ghost kitchens are flourishing. In truth, many brick-and-mortar eating places use ghost kitchens to pull by themselves by means of this challenging time. Shutting down the front space and concentrating on the kitchen can limit personnel layoffs. Through foods shipping, eating places can deliver vital dollars move in buy to endure. Despite the fact that before the COVID-19 pandemic, ghost kitchens were being now thought of a obstacle for classic dining establishments, their improvement has accelerated significantly for the duration of this interval.

How do clients feel about ghost kitchen?

Ghost kitchen area is however a relatively new principle. Current research demonstrates that buyers absence knowledge of ghost kitchens, and they do not rely on ghost kitchens. Seventy-two % of consumers prefer to buy food items supply from brick-and-mortar restaurants a lot more so than ghost kitchens. While ghost kitchens have the very same foods-safety benchmarks as brick-and-mortar eating places, clients could possibly not be in a position to know that. There are also criticisms about ghost kitchens doing away with the enjoyment of onsite eating encounters. Nonetheless, the added benefits of ghost kitchens have also been famous. Clients can love a variety of menu solutions and ease. They also care about the optimistic affect of ghost kitchens these as lessening foods waste and contributing to the economic system. For the potential development of ghost kitchens, general public consciousness of this idea requirements to be woken up. Organization operators must market place the positive aspects of ghost kitchens, establishing a favourable image to elevate public goodwill.

Reference Record:

• Ma, Webb, T., & Schwartz, Z. (2021). A blended model of cafe deliveries, dine-in demand and capacity constraints. International Journal of Hospitality Administration, 96, 102981–. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.102981
• Cai, Leung, X. Y., & Chi, C. G.-Q. (2022). Ghost kitchens on the rise: Outcomes of expertise and perceived advantage-chance on customers’ behavioral intentions. Worldwide Journal of Hospitality Management, 101, 103110–. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2021.103110

---

This website submit tied for Very first Position in the Spring 2022 HFTP/MS World wide Hospitality Company Graduate Student Site Opposition introduced by the HFTP Basis. Contributors are pupils collaborating in the Grasp of Science in World Hospitality Small business, a partnership in between the Conrad N. Hilton College or university of International Hospitality Management at the College of Houston, the University of Lodge and Tourism Administration at Hong Kong Polytechnic College and EHL. The blog site posts that obtained the top scores will be printed on HFTP Link via July 2022. Study much more at HFTP Information.

---

Ruogu Wang is a graduate college student now pursuing the Master of Science in World wide Hospitality Business enterprise application, which is in partnership of 3 universities: EHL, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and College of Houston.