Ghost kitchens (also sometimes referred to as cloud kitchens, dark kitchens, or virtual kitchens) are only available online and don't have a physical counterpart. Unlike a virtual kitchen, a ghost kitchen isn't connected to an existing restaurant. Instead, it is an independent entity with its own menu that is prepared in a kitchen closed to the public. Some ghost kitchens use their own facilities, while others operate in shared spaces with other ghost kitchens.
The emergence of dark kitchens, virtual kitchens, virtual restaurants and ghost kitchens is due to several technological and social factors. A delivery kitchen in the cloud is different from a ghost kitchen in that it is connected to an existing restaurant. The pizzeria uses the pre-existing kitchen space to prepare new dishes for delivery. Virtual kitchens don't participate in kitchen operations, but rely on remote teams to create the menus they offer. Ghost kitchens are here to stay and many companies are taking advantage of the trend.
For example, DoorDash recently launched DoorDash Kitchens, a shared ghost kitchen space in Northern California. The Local Culinary is another example of a ghost kitchen that offers space only to virtual brands developed in-house. It's clear that ghost kitchens have left their mark on the global gastronomic industry, changing the way diners obtain food and the way business owners think about preparing it. It remains to be seen how these factors will continue to shape the existence of ghost kitchens in the future.
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