At a Glance:
Different Types of Ghost Kitchen Concept Choices
How Much Does a Ghost Kitchen Cost?
Common Ghost Kitchen Essentials
Pros And Cons of Running a Ghost Kitchen
About 111 million Americans used an online ordering app for food in 2020, up 17 percent from 2019, according to EnterpriseAppsToday. Revenue from online food ordering apps is anticipated to rise 62 percent by 2025. That's a sizable portion of the market, and business owners should seize the chance to examine their customers' ordering and delivery experiences closely.
Imagine only having to worry about ordering, delivering, and marketing. That is the situation with the more than 1,500+ ghost kitchen operators in the US.
Ghost kitchens, sometimes known as cloud kitchens, were once just a whisper in the restaurant industry. Only 15 percent of restaurants used a ghost kitchen model before the epidemic. But that percentage increased to 51 percent by May 2020 and has since then only risen.
In this guide, we'll offer you a ghost kitchen 101 and explain everything you need to know about ghost kitchens, how they operate, and some of our Colder's kitchen essentials to launch your Milwaukee-based online cupcake business.
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In-Stock AppliancesWhat is a Ghost Kitchen?
When you hear ghost kitchen, you're probably thinking, "ghost kitchen? Meaning what?" Well, our Colder's team conducted the research. In essence, a ghost kitchen is a kitchen that runs without the typical storefront and seating area that a typical restaurant provides. This implies that not only is its impact on a community varied, but so is the fundamental nature of its interactions with clients.
The entire purpose of this kitchen concept is to reduce the overhead costs associated with operating a brick-and-mortar restaurant. By operating solely as a kitchen, you avoid paying for a dining room, foot traffic, front-of-house staff, and other related expenses. Due to the lower initial outlay, it is simpler to take chances and experiment with your products, particularly your menu. This is where you shine as a ghost kitchen — through your food.
The ghost line kitchen operators used a "commissary kitchen" as a hired kitchen space in a ghost kitchen concept. Ghost kitchens have a variety of uses, but they all have one thing in common: they divide the dining area from the kitchen. The term "ghost kitchen" refers to the fact that these kitchens operate primarily out of sight of customers. These can also be referred to as satellite, cloud, virtual, or dark kitchens. Whatever name you give them, they assist in accomplishing the task!
Different Types of Ghost Kitchen Concept Choices
There are many different types of ghost kitchens; some are shared, while a single chain of restaurants only uses others. We've broken down the various ghost kitchen concepts to help you determine which type is best for you.
Commissary Kitchens
Consider that you operate several food trucks in the Milwaukee region. The lack of adequate food preparation and storage space can hamper filling each order quickly. Commissary kitchens provide a dedicated area for food preparation and distribution to all your locations.
It's quite flexible because you receive access to a common ghost truck kitchen that you can use whenever you choose. You can use your commissary kitchen whenever you require additional room to make orders or store ingredients without having to pay for the facility outright.
You'll have the essential tools at your disposal to get going quickly and effectively. A commissary kitchen offers a less expensive option to start your own kitchen. You won't have to make a commitment or suffer a financial setback to rent the property.
Commercial Kitchens
Do you frequently receive larger internet orders that require a large kitchen and a lot of help to fulfill? Commercial kitchens are larger industrial cooking spaces where food preparation by caterers and restaurant chains is authorized.
You have access to a personal kitchen space in a commercial kitchen where you can prepare food.
There's no need to worry about sharing your space or renting out specific time slots. You have a dedicated area to prepare orders whenever you need it with commercial kitchens.
Incubator Kitchens
Pop-up kitchens, often referred to as incubator kitchens, are transient cooking areas that can be found within a food truck, a kiosk, or even a traditional restaurant. The purpose of these temporary kitchens is to serve as a place to prepare incoming delivery orders.
As a result, the delivery workload can move to the incubator kitchen rather than being handled in one kitchen, which could result in inefficiencies and inaccurate deliveries.
The purpose of these kitchens is to increase efficiency for each delivery order that arrives at the actual restaurant. It offers a specific place to hand off to arriving delivery drivers as well as a separate space for order preparation.
You have a shared space for delivery-only in each incubator kitchen, so you can test out new brands whenever it's most convenient for you. You have the flexibility needed to test various ideas in one kitchen space, much like commissary kitchens.
Kitchen Pods
Kitchen pods are simpler to move between locations, such as parking lots and behind restaurants, than other kinds of ghost kitchens. These typically take the shape of mobile kitchens made from shipping containers. This allows restaurant owners to prepare food wherever and serve local clients.
They are smaller, but they are also simpler to transport. Additionally, kitchen pods are typically gloomy and lack windows, making it more challenging to meet the demand for delivery services efficiently. Large orders might be challenging to prepare well when there is little natural light and ventilation.
Cloud Kitchens
Restaurants may expand their delivery options with the help of Cloud Kitchens' delivery secret sauce. Whether you own a food truck, a franchise, a small restaurant, or are a part of a larger chain, we have the know-how to perfect your delivery. For your unique needs, Cloud Kitchens offers a range of delivery options. We'll be there for you every step of the way, whether you're trying to expand your restaurant business or just need a little more prep space. Delivery considerations went into the design of our ghost kitchens.
How Do Ghost Kitchens Work?
As said, a ghost line kitchen often operates in a cooking space that is rented for commercial purposes. Most of the essential ingredients a cook could require are frequently available in these commissary kitchens.
The commissary kitchen at the ghost kitchen will require a variety of standard appliances, as it is a rented kitchen space, including a walk-in and storage, as well as ranges, ovens, refrigerators, and more.
A ghost kitchen typically uses a third-party delivery service to distribute food to customers. These clients mainly communicate with the ghost kitchen online or through mobile apps.
How Much Does a Ghost Kitchen Cost?
A ghost kitchen does not have a set cost because the price will mostly rely on whether you use a commissary kitchen or rent a commercial location. However, ghost kitchens help you to avoid high rent expenses because they have lower overhead costs than conventional restaurants.
A brick-and-mortar restaurant typically costs between $100 and $800 per square foot. The cost of furnishings like menus, dining seats, and tables are not included in this pricing. You will save a lot more money using ghost kitchens because they only use a kitchen and don't require any additional equipment.
Common Ghost Kitchen Essentials
Common kitchen equipment in a commissary includes every kitchen's essentials to function. Commissary kitchens have areas for food preparation, dry and cold storage, and some of the appliances we'll discuss below.
➤ Recommended Ghost Kitchen Refrigerator: Whirlpool® 28.5 Cu. Ft. Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel Side-by-Side Refrigerator
With its useful features, including those for a ghost truck kitchen, this counter-depth side-by-side refrigerator from Whirlpool is made to make life easier for you and your food truck staff. With the frameless glass shelves or the indoor ice storage, you can keep more of your menu favorites in 28.5 cu. ft. of space. Additionally, the adaptive defrost feature monitors the freezer and starts the cycle when necessary to prevent thawing out your meats or to turn your best sorbets into fruit juice. Your menu items won't be affected by the scent of another kitchen crew's food thanks to the FreshFlow air filter's 15 greater effectiveness at minimizing common food aromas. The best thing is that the LED dispenser nightlight is perfect for you and your early morning team to get started with day prep.
What Customers are Saying: "We love our new refrigerator. It has so much more space, and my produce stays more fresh. Also appreciate the metal glass holder on [the] water dispenser. Much easier to clean!"
➤ Recommended Ghost Kitchen Freezer: Frigidaire® 14.8 Cu. Ft. White Chest Freezer
If the 11 cu. ft. of freezer space from our suggested refrigerator is insufficient, having this Frigidaire chest freezer in the rental ghost kitchen would be advantageous. With a total of 14.8 cubic feet of freezer capacity and detachable baskets, you may keep your most popular frozen desserts for your next food truck festival as well as tomorrow's meal preparation. The manual defrost will maintain a more constant freezing temperature for your ice cream and more cookie, cake, or brownie batter for your customers' preferred dessert establishment, keeping your frozen food fresher. And thanks to the pop-out key lock feature, you can be sure that neither you nor anyone else will accidentally leave the freezer door open. And no one will be secretly sampling the best-sellers on your menu since the freezer key is automatically ejected from the locked door after closing for the day.
What Customers are Saying: "Works well and runs quietly. Love the light inside."
➤ Recommended Ghost Kitchen Oven: Frigidaire Gallery 30" Smudge-Proof® Stainless Steel Double Electric Wall Oven
When searching for the ideal appliance for your ghost kitchen, consider a double electric wall oven from Frigidaire Gallery. In your ghost kitchen, where you serve Italian, Mexican, or other international cuisines using a variety of cooking methods, this total convection gives you the most flexibility possible. Utilize the no preheat option to avoid a delay in the preparation and delivery of your food, and use the air fry to serve your guests crispy, crunchy, and grease-free fries with their burgers. To bake brownies, cheesecake, or chocolate bread to satisfy your clients' sweet tooth, you'll adore this oven because it circulates heat even with this convection bake, steam bake, and bread proof settings.
What Customers are Saying: "I can't say enough good about this oven! Haven't played with all features but baking and air fry features are spectacular!"
➤ Recommended Ghost Kitchen Cooktop: KitchenAid® 36'' Stainless Steel Gas Cooktop
With this KitchenAid gas cooktop, prepare your best-selling cheesesteaks, chicken alfredo, or stir-fries in your ghost kitchen. As your crew enjoys exploring inventive recipes and flavors, this gas cooktop is created with a CookShield finish that is heat resistant and easy maintenance, along with multi-finish back-lit knobs for an appealing presentation. Improve your culinary skills by preparing delectable meals on a powerful and delicate dual ring, Even-Heat simmer, and Even-Heat Torch burners with a cooking capability of 6,000, 10,000, or 20,000 BTUs for flavorful caramelized, seared, and sautéed dishes. Additionally, experiment with new dishes and recipes using the detachable griddle, such as your famous crepes or the four-cheese sandwich your customers adore.
What Customers are Saying: "I have never had a gas cooktop before until now. I don't know how I did it all these years without one! The instant heat and the even cooking [are] absolutely amazing!"
➤ Recommended Ghost Kitchen Range: LG 30" Stainless Steel Slide In Gas Range
What is a ghost kitchen without a range, last but not least? On this LG 30" gas range, your food truck crew will enjoy preparing meals and making delivery ready. You can turn your smart 6.9 cu. ft. oven on and off with the LG SmartThinQ app, or even get it to start preheating while you're on your way to the kitchen for daily orders and nighttime preparation. This slide-in gas range also has an LG ProBake Convection feature, which ensures optimal heat distribution for the best baking results, whether you are making your daily dessert or a special-order cake. It also has the largest capacity of any LG double oven gas range.
What Customers are Saying: "I am really happy with the quality of this unit. We are a family of five, so we use the oven consistently. It's really convenient to have the dual oven."
Pros And Cons of Running a Ghost Kitchen
"Sales via ghost restaurants from 300 facilities in the United States will rise by a projected 25 percent each year for the next five years," according to Technomic data, as reported by Restaurant Business Online. As with any business pivot, there is no guarantee of success. There is a list of benefits and a list of disadvantages.
Cons:
Every advantage has a potential disadvantage, and the best business owners address them right away:
❌ Delivery services provided by third parties can be pricey. Restaurants can pay delivery partners between 20 and 40 percent of their sales, even with COVID-19-related charge restrictions.
❌ Less interaction with customers is occurring. Ghost kitchens won't help restaurant owners achieve their aim of opening a restaurant and creating a community there. There are no regulars to eat with, nor is there any staff to befriend.
❌ Delivered meals must be prepared with care. Restaurants have a lot less control over how their food is presented. Garnishes disappear, sauces need to be on the side, and the food might be delivered in a less-than-appealing shape.
One of its biggest drawbacks is the ghost-kitchen model's inability to allow restaurant operators to regulate the customer experience after an order leaves the kitchen. Giving up that control is risky because online evaluations are crucial to a company's brand. You have no control over the quality of customer care provided by outside delivery staff.
But when everything is taken into account, the benefits appear to outweigh the drawbacks.
Pros:
A restaurant owner or chef may open a ghost kitchen for a variety of reasons, such as:
✅ They enable versatility in the menu. A lot of individuals use this paradigm since it encourages more experimentation. A key benefit of eliminating overhead costs while still being able to expand a business (complete with trial and error) is that more and more clients choose delivery over dining in. On the other hand, a more simplified menu may be made possible by ghost kitchens, which may also help to reduce costs.
✅ They draw customers who care about the environment. Ghost kitchens are by nature smaller than full-fledged customer-facing concepts, which results in a reduced environmental impact. Sustainability naturally rises when front-of-house tasks are eliminated (fewer dishes to wash, fewer plastic straws, etc.). And a large portion of today's consumers, particularly Generation Z, prioritize eco-friendliness as a major purchasing consideration.
✅ They satisfy the demands of today's customers. Customers expect delivery and pickup. Studies also indicate that this behavior will persist even after stay-at-home directives are lifted. "28 percent of questioned restaurants anticipate closing their dine-in facilities to become entirely delivery and pickup locations," according to a recent Raydiant survey.
✅ They are cost-effective. A large number of permits, inspections, licenses, equipment, and other requirements are necessary to open a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant. Ghost kitchens don't have any of the overhead associated with customer-facing operations. The restaurant doesn't own many, so they don't have to pay for permits, inspections, furniture, equipment, and other expenses that come with starting and running a restaurant.
The truth is that customers love delivery.
A busy ghost kitchen can earn a lot of money if properly set up. Speak to a Colder's member about setting up one of these versatile operations to serve diners remotely. We will provide you with all the resources and equipment you need. Our practical expertise with remodels, appliances, and ghost kitchens enables us to sit with clients and advise them on designing a functional kitchen. To connect with one of Wisconsin's top appliance stores, look through our catalog both online and in person!
Why Trust Colder's?
Since 1942, we at Colder's pride ourselves on offering value, selection, and service. Serving Southeastern Wisconsin with four showrooms that stock quality name-brand furniture, appliances, and mattresses, Colder's is sure to house exactly what you are looking for. And if you can't find it on our floors, chances are, we can order it for you. As a local, family-owned company, we are always doing our best to provide the highest value at the lowest cost to everyone who walks through our doors.
Colder's is committed not only to continuously offering can't-miss sales but also to working with each customer, making sure that you take advantage of every possible markdown — that's our best price guarantee.
Shop Kitchen Appliances at Colder's
Don't put off happiness — and shop appliances online for unbeatable prices at Colder's. Our friendly experts are always happy to help you find the appliances to get your ghost kitchen up and started, whether you call us at 414-476-1574 or use our online chat feature. Better yet, stop by one of our Colder's locations in West Allis, Oak Creek, Delafield, and Grafton, Wisconsin to touch, see, feel, and experience home products that fulfill your dreams. Visit us today!
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