Ghost kitchen and ghost restaurants. New business models for the professional caterer.
Ghost kitchen and ghost restaurants represent a new type business model for today needs. This has all started recently, as many restaurants have started to outsource not only delivery activities but also direct orders, perhaps coming from various web sites aggregators for requests to which the restaurant had subscribed. A trend that in 2020 has increased precisely because of the health emergency. This has led to the creation of work spaces, in dedicated and decentralized kitchens, with respect to the location of the restaurant. Here come the new business models for professional catering. Real business models for professional catering that are innovating the sector.
What is a Ghost Kitchen?
We propose below the correct definitions to clarify the different business models that take the name: “Ghost”.
Ghost kitchen, what is it?
It is the model in which a single operator manages a remote kitchen, in which the food produced is connected to one or more brands exclusively dedicated to delivery. The ghost kitchen does not administer directly to the public. There is no dining room but we find production areas set up with professional catering machines: professional Jacketed kettles and bratt pans.
Ghost restaurants, what are they?
They are a catering service totally dedicated to delivery. The ghost restaurant only serves customers via delivery based on telephone orders or online food orders. It does not have a room or dining room.
Dark kitchen, what are they?
The operators dedicate only one area of the restaurant kitchen, exclusively to the production and management of “food delivery” home delivery.
Cloud kitchen, what is it?
The same kitchen but shared by several operators. A sort of restaurant co-working. Several restaurateurs coexist in the same space, each independent of the other.
Virtual Kitchen, what are they?
They are kitchens dedicated to the production and delivery of food produced under the franchise or licensing license of another brand.
Ghost kitchen: trends from the world
To help us navigate this evolving world of ghost kitchens, we propose the map by Jennifer Marston – thespoon.tech who took a snapshot of the current international panorama of the different types of ghost kitchens active.
Also in Italy, thanks to the arrival of many online food aggregators and distributors specialized in delivery, the Ghost phenomenon has arrived. Just in this last year to face forced closures, restaurateurs have resorted to web technologies, going to expand their offer also including delivery, home delivery.
Here are a few sample numbers:
- The food delivery market in 2018 was worth 1.1 billion (RestauratoreTop Report 2019).
- Matteo Sarzana – General Manager of Deliveroo: online food delivery is worth: 350 million in 2018 (+ 69%) and 590 million are expected for 2019 (+ 68%). At the current rate of growth, in 2020 the value will be 900 million and in 2021 1.45 billion euro.
Today in Italy, Delivery represents the only way forward for many operators in the Horeca sector to maintain an active contact with their customers. Currently in Italy the main direction is to exploit the raw materials that the restaurants already have, and create a brand dedicated only to the delivery, that can allow restaurants the following :
- Increase turnover
- Decrease food waste
- Test new concepts
- Amortize the cost of labour and the space available in the kitchen
- Find a solution to the Covid closures
Precisely the enhancement of delivery caused by the Covid19 health emergency, has set foot in the launch of new “ghost” business models, also in Italy where we find the majority of ghost kitchens and ghost restaurants.
How to create a Ghost kitchen or a ghost restaurant
For those who work in the restaurant sector, activating these new methods of customer service is not immediate but requires rethinking the entire business model of the company. Firex Srl, a leading company in the food service and food industry sector, will support companies that want to seize the opportunity for successful delivery, it accompanies the ghost kitchen, ghost restaurants and restaurateurs on innovative solutions capable of guaranteeing standardization and efficiency in every process and application.
Firex for the Ghost world: it offers multipurpose industrial cookers and braising pans
Every process and application is feasible with Firex machines, whether you are a ghost kitchen, a ghost restaurant or you are employed in the food service or food industry sector. A wide range of solutions are illustrated here:
- Cucimix: Automated multi-propose industrial cooker. Autonomy, automation and repeatable, Cucimix winning combination. Thanks to the mixer incorporated in the bratt pan, the cooker’s feather in the cap, Cucimix is every chef’s new best friend, able to handle each process independently and simply.
- Betterpan: Multi-purpose industrial cooker. Maximum flexibility and multi-task. Various cooking methods in a single equipment piece. Offering the possibility to braise, fry, steam and pressure-cook, Betterpan is the appliance every chef can count on to obtain an impeccable result with a professional kitchen equipment.
- Baskett: Mixing boiling pan. A helper in the kitchen at the service of his experience for managing large numbers: efficient, compact and versatile.
- Fixpan: Electronical stationary boiling pan. The Fixpan pasteurizers are available with gas, electrical or steam heating systems and are the simplest and most immediate resource for cooking large quantities of food in water. With electronic control and hermetic lid, these fixed industrial pans carry out with industrial precision and efficiency all the functions, including the possibility to perform the pasteurisation process on a product that is already packaged (e.g. jars)
- Multicooker: A Automatic cooker. This range developed for the specific needs of catering – includes 18 different models with 1 or 2 pans and independent baskets. Flexible cooking equipment that can carry out most of the traditional cooking in water, such as those regarding any type of pasta, rice, soup, etc. with the benefit of automatic lifting system of the basket with timer.
- Dreener Line: Industrial vegetable washer with compartments. The perfect wash, without waste of water and energy. Saves a lot precious time. Modular vegetable washer with compartments, perfect for the processing of different foods and quantity, with savings of water, energy and time.
- Easybratt: Gas or electric tilting bratt pan. Easybratt tilting braising pans range, has been recently upgraded to satisfy the requirements of the small and medium food service operations. It is composed by 20 different models, gas or electric heated, manual or motorized.
- Easybaskett: Tilting boiling pan. These boiling pans are the easiest and simplest solution for high volume boiling, even products with high acidity content. The bain-marie heating system safeguards against scorching and avoids product sticking on the bottom and sides of the pan.
- Easypan: Industrial stationary boiling pan. This type of modular industrial pans, whether cylindrical or rectangular, is characterized by a high quality of materials and construction processes; all to ensure maximum safety and reliability over time. The Easypan steam cooker range is available in both direct and indirect versions, with a bottom heated electrically, by gas or steam. Capacity from 50 to 500 litres.
- Cook & Chill: It is an innovative, easy-to-manage food preparation system that guarantees outstanding results. With the cook and chill system, the food is still prepared in a conventional manner ,it then undergoes rapid chilling phase, up to 10°C in the centre of the food product within approximately 90 minutes after cooking, to be stored and distributed.
Call Firex: a staff dedicated to the Ghost world in catering
A team of professionals always available to customers to provide friendly advice capable of following the customer in all phases of development of their business. A staff also dedicated to the Ghost world in catering, capable of helping the customer in all its needs. Firex offers quality and process control with a solution for every need.
If you want to clarify your ideas and get help for your business, visit Firex Ghost.
