The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a major shift in the restaurant industry. With the world in lockdown, restaurants were unable to serve customers in their dining rooms, leading to an increase in takeout and home meal orders. This has put a strain on businesses that rely on third-party delivery services, such as Grubhub and UberEATS, who charge ghost restaurants and kitchens up to 30% of the order price as commission. Over time, these costs can add up and create financial difficulties.
To ensure a successful work environment, there are certain health and safety guidelines that must be followed. Business owners can set up training programs and post signs in their kitchens to inform employees of the necessary hygiene practices. Workers should always wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with warm water and soap before handling food. Additionally, thermometers should be readily available in the kitchen to check the temperature of food items.
Poultry must reach 165 degrees before it is served or packed, while beef, fish, pork and lamb must reach 145 degrees for consumer safety. Ghost kitchens don't have to be completely virtual. While many businesses that only offer home delivery thrive with the virtual configuration offered by ghost kitchens, traditional restaurants are also seeing great results. Shipday's ghost kitchen delivery software provides small businesses with everything they need to make successful deliveries, including the option to automatically assign local deliveries to available drivers.
This 15-minute fast delivery service makes customers more likely to make a purchase again in the future. Ghost kitchens are a low-risk option for testing a new market due to their lower initial and overall costs compared to traditional restaurants for eating at home. Most ghost kitchens are located in shared facilities that charge tenants by the hour, day, month or year, giving business owners the opportunity to choose which one is right for them and their budget. The most profitable ghost kitchens are also some of the most efficient ones.
When starting a ghost kitchen, it is important to invest early in order to access optimal financial advantages. Ghost kitchens usually fulfill orders for food made online and deliver it to customers. Buying pre-chopped vegetables or bags of vegetables may have an additional cost, but if your ghost kitchen produces a large amount of food, your staff may not have time to prepare the ingredients. Promoting your ghost kitchen on social media is also essential for success.
Whether it's reaching parents and families on Facebook or publicizing trends on Instagram or TikTok, a social media campaign will bring more attention to your business. Additionally, EasyRoutes can help put your kitchen in the hands of customers quickly and efficiently. As ghost kitchens work without front desk staff members, it is important to create memorable and positive guest experiences by providing exemplary service. Launching a ghost kitchen is much faster than opening a traditional restaurant as you can skip design and construction of a new building, permits and zoning, complicated renovations and decoration - turning what could be six months or a year into just one month.
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