GHOST RESTAURANTS

A ghost restaurant, also known as a VIRTUAL RESTAURANT or CLOUD KITCHEN, is a food service establishment that offers take-out only. These “ghostly” eateries don’t have a storefront, so customers can’t come to pick up their food. Ghost restaurants deliver food directly to their patrons through third-party delivery services.

SHOULD I OPEN A GHOST RESTAURANT?

Use the following questions to decide if a ghost restaurant business model is right for you:

Do You Have Access to Prime Real Estate?

Your location can help you decide if a ghost restaurant is the way to go. A virtual kitchen foodservice model is especially greatfor high-rent areas. Instead of hoping to find a prime location to draw foot traffic, restaurateurs can establish their virtualrestaurant in any neighborhood they see fit, so long as their delivery service can easily access customers.

Do You Need a Dining Space?

Many popular fast-casual establishments in cities are bound by the requirement for seating and waiting space, even though a large percentage of their customers aren’t dining in. So, offering only delivery helps virtual restaurants avoid the problem of underutilized space.