Ghost Kitchens or Dark Kitchens are the “invisible” centralized kitchens, active in the preparation of food, exclusively for delivery characterized by a management that optimizes food safety, time, resources and purchases.
Delivery food is an increasingly growing phenomenon. Perhaps because Amazon got all us used to receiving the solution of our problems at home, food delivery today has a turnover of 35 billion dollars on a global scale and the projection to 2030 is around of 365 billion dollars, with growth 20% composite year on year.
Main players decided to concentrate food production in large centralized kitchens (ghost kitchen), decentralized and less expensive, capable of supplying thousands of meals a day, in full compliance with all the strictest hygiene standards. Once meals are ready, they move the logistics sector to bring them home or to satellite locations such as canteens, university residences and private homes. Across Europe there are now about 5,000 active “Ghost kitchens” and within the next 5 years they will serve over 200 thousand catering brands. (Source: UberEats).
What are the advantages of the Ghost Kitchen
- They are able to guarantee excellence at an operational level and greater agility and standardization in product management which translates into greater efficiency for the restaurant industry;
- They can represent for a classic restaurant a platform for expansion and relaunch, in these moments, with very low risk, which eliminates the costs of renting the premises and equipment and other operating expenses such as utilities, operating costs, cleaning;
- They are real food factories that must produce added value to increase the quality of customer service, in terms of the variety of the offer, food hygiene and safety.
Coronavirus will give a further boost to the Ghost Kitchens
During this period, due to the Covid-19 virus, the dynamics of every economic sector, none excluded, are evolving. Ghost Kitchens are playing a central role where, for example, entire Municipalities ask for help in the preparation and delivery of safe meals at home. These centralized kitchens are able to respond to the health emergency with more restrictive measure for food safety and hygiene and for the workplace but also having technologies controlling the consistency of the result. Millennial’s eating habits overflow in this historical moment and they will consolidate even when the health emergency will overcome.
More and more kitchens are choosing the technology solution of the Cucimix line of Firex Srl: An automated cooker able to replicate the same recipe indefinitely ensuring compliance with the recipe, minimizing labor and human intervention and therefore increasing the levels of safety and hygiene: the operator sets the machine’s touch screen, and then focus himself to other activities. Endless recipes, large batches and standardization.
Firex Srl offers a range of machinery perfect for the most advanced centralized kitchens but, in this period, wants to do more. Moreover of keeping on providing assistance to its customers, of the food service and food processing sector, it presents a new service:
Remote cooking test. Inside the virtual room of the Firex Kitchen Lab, company demonstration kitchen, allows you to evaluate together with the food technologist whether the solution is the right one for you or your customer. Furthermore, a technical and commercial suppor is provided, on the best alternatives to restart or give new life to the business, also following the new trends of food delivery.
In a period of great change as is what companies are experiencing today, Firex Srl continues with its production activities because it is functional to ensure the continuity of the supply chains of essential activities and is increasingly seeking to perform its service at its best and to ensure continuity, with the usual responsibility and interest in customer needs.
Sources:
- Ghost kitchen: trend, opportunità e rischi – FoodService.com
- Ghost Kitchen, ecco perché saranno un boom – https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/Ghost-kitchen-ecco-perche-saranno-boom – Sole 24 Ore – Gianni Rusconi
- Il Coronavirus cambia il food delivery: consegne contactless e mensa diffusa per smart worker – https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/consegne-contact-less-e-mensa-diffusa-chi-fa-smart-working-coronavirus-cambia-food-delivery – Sole 24 Ore – Gianni Rusconi
- Coronavirus, con take away e food delivery i ristoranti contrastano il crollo dei clienti – https://www.ilsole24ore.com/art/coronavirus-take-away-e-food-delivery-ristoranti-contrastano-crollo-clienti-ADsktQ – Sole 24 Ore – M.T. Manuelli
