What is a Ghost Kitchen and How to Start One.

If you want to expand on your kitchen’s current food offering, you might want to consider starting a Ghost Kitchen.

Sprouting up all over the country at an increasing speed, Ghost Kitchens are a way for businesses to adapt to the ever-changing dining patterns of their customers, by providing restaurant-quality food at home.

You can start with the basics of setting up a ghost kitchen, essential things to consider, and the kitchen equipment you need to stand out.

A ghost kitchen (or cloud kitchen) is a kitchen without a restaurant.

It only exists online and produces meals for delivery via platforms like Deliveroo and UberEats. They cannot be found in physical locations where customers dine.

You have a few different options when it comes to ghost kitchen concepts, so have a look to see what best fits your vision:

• Restaurant Kitchen: The layout of a regular restaurant, but without seating areas. It only delivers food and has the same equipment as a restaurant kitchen.
• Shared Ghost Kitchen: A ghost kitchen could house different brands from the same company. Combine two or three kitchens into one shared space with various conventional and multifunctional appliances.
• Central Ghost Kitchen: A central production kitchen to supply your satellite sites. Can also be used to supply food trucks and other mobile solutions.
• Multifunction Service Provider: Run more than one of your own/independent brands in one shared kitchen with various production stations. Can be the best option for using your team and equipment efficiently.

Opening a ghost kitchen can be approached in many ways. First, decide which business model from above to use. While choosing a model, be aware of the following:

• Location, location, location.
  Your online presence generates all your orders; therefore, you need to position your ghost kitchen where your target customers can find you. Also, be mindful of your competition and surrounding cuisines.
• Delivering yourself or using a third-party delivery service?
  It's crucial to weigh up where you would prefer to spend your money. If you run deliveries yourself, you will need to invest more in marketing and creating your own ordering and delivery system. If you use a third party like Deliveroo, they charge a commission, but the stress of delivery is relieved.
• Marketing is key.
  With a ghost kitchen, branding and messaging are all you have to share with potential customers. You need to stand out from the crowd, particularly on social media and delivery platforms. Once you’ve perfected your branding and menu, remember to revisit your marketing to keep up with current customer trends.

Can you produce food that is consistently good to meet customer expectations?

At RATIONAL, we have developed intelligent cooking systems that work perfectly in ghost kitchens. Your team can deliver consistent great-quality results, keeping your customers coming back time and time again.

Our cooking systems can also be updated easily too if you change your menu up.

The ghost kitchen concept is here to stay. You can have a successful business if you plan effectively, market your business correctly, and equip your kitchen with the equipment that makes it run smoothly. Learn more about how you can enhance your ghost kitchen, from designing the space to buying intelligent Ghost Kitchen cooking equipment. Get in touch with the team at RATIONAL today.