Ghost Kitchen Brands is a multi-tenant ghost kitchen operator that serves food from franchised brands in Canada and the United States. The company is led by CEO George Kottas and has partnered with celebrities such as Shaquille O'Neal, Jimmy Donaldson, and Mario Lopez to create virtual restaurants. MrBeast Burger, promoted by YouTube celebrity Jimmy Donaldson, is now available in hundreds of locations across the country. But what exactly is a ghost kitchen?A ghost kitchen is a commercial kitchen that is optimized for food delivery services.
It does not have a storefront and the staff prepares dishes from their menus that are only available for home delivery. It is essentially a virtual restaurant that works like a digital store, with some internal staff members working to fulfill online orders. In exchange for a portion of sales revenue, the brand provides the name, logo, menu, recipes and advertising images to any restaurant owner who has the space and staff to make hamburgers as a side activity. James Garofalo, Chief Operating Officer of Goddess and the Baker, was initially skeptical of the phantom franchise model. But since the pandemic disrupted foot traffic, he decided that it might make sense.
Virtual Dining Concepts, the company behind MrBeast Burger, has announced similar projects with television personality Mario Lopez and former “Jersey Shore” alum Pauly D. Mario's Tortas Lopez and Pauly D's Italian Subs are now listed in dozens of markets. Guy Fieri's first virtual brand, Flavortown Kitchen, has opened at least 130 outlets since January. The Kaufman family recently took a “road trip” to the nearest MrBeast burger delivery area to meet a DoorDash driver carrying three burgers and two orders of French fries. The teenagers had no idea where the food was prepared - it was actually prepared at a branch of the red sauce chain Buca di Beppo in Midvale, Utah.
In Manhattan, a MrBeast hamburger is prepared at the neighborhood bar Handcraft Kitchen & Cocktails. Ghost kitchens offer endless possibilities in terms of what you can do to launch new brands or manage several virtual restaurants in one place. Not all ghost kitchen businesses are inherently exploitative or obsessed with profits over labor; in fact, some may even be responsible for saving independent restaurants that might otherwise have gone bankrupt during the pandemic without additional income. Compared to other types of ghost kitchens, kitchen capsules are easy to transport between locations, such as parking lots, and behind restaurants. Opening a ghost or dark kitchen requires minimal investment and risk, with unlimited opportunities to grow your restaurant business in the online delivery world. Virtual Dining Concepts states that restaurants that install ghost kitchens to operate one or more of their brands can expect a 30 percent increase in profits.
With its presence being digital, you can further maximize your exposure with several brands that are left without a single kitchen. Ghost kitchens have helped traditional restaurants recover their losses and minimize employee layoffs by allowing them to prepare food for several brands and stay in business. The concept is so lucrative and attractive to homeowners and investors because anyone can cook your hamburger, tacos or pizza anywhere. With its presence being digital with ghost kitchens, you can further maximize your exposure with several brands that are left without a single kitchen.
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