Avid readers, followers and trend seekers of the food service business already know, for quite some time now, that online shopping for food/food delivery is a business trend that has been growing fast and with huge leaps forward, even before the pandemic. After the dramatic change posed by the covid-19 crisis, with all the restrictions and extra barriers imposed on everyday life, stablished apps and services that offer the possibility of purchasing food online, and have it delivered directly to the Client’s hands at the comfort of their homes, suffered a boost, and became widely popularized. In addition, a vast array of new apps and services of this same sector appeared and begun to supply the extra demand. This new scenario gave birth to a new trend and a new business model: The “Dark Kitchens”, or ghost kitchens. Read below to find more about this novelty, how it Works, its challenges and opportunities:

What is a Dark Kitchen?

The Dark or Ghost Kitchens, as they are known, are food service establishments focused in food preparation and delivery. In this business model, the restaurants only exist in the digital world, and there is no need to have a physical space, a saloon to sit the Clients, nor personnel to service them. Interaction is 100% online using the major apps specialized in food delivery. This trend, and new business model, attracts more and more attention and entrepreneurs to the gastronomic segment. It covers a wide range of options for the food lovers, going from fast food to specific ethnic cousines, and everything in between.

Main Advantages of a Dark Kitchen

The main difference between a dark Kitchen and the Kitchen in a regular restaurant is also the main advantage: low operational cost. Without a saloon to receive Clients, this business model offers huge savings in staff numbers and kitchenware. Another important saving offered by this model is low rental costs, because it its focused only in delivery, the investor is able to install the kitchen in city regions where the rentals are lower per square meter.

One Place and Different Types of Restaurant

Because this model only exists in the digital realm, another advantage offered is the possibility of having different operations in the Kitchen. It means that, in the same kitchen, the business owner can prepare and offer to its online Clients different types of food menus and different cousines. Using more efficient and more versatile Equipment, that occupy less space in the Kitchen, this can be easily achieved. This set up also allows the business to increase its market share, once it reaches out to different gastronomic segments. SKYMSEN is able to help owners in the assembling of an efficient and highly profitable Dark Kitchen, products such as the Stone Deck Electric Oven FLP-400, the Pizza Dough Opener AMP-400/500, and the Turbo Convection Oven MAXICONV offer a world of advantages and solutions that fit this business model.

Enlargement Possibilities

The Dark Kitchens trend is not limited to smaller business, or startups, stablished and recognized restaurant brands are also using this model to expand their operations and open new markets, without the need to invest in physical spaces and structures. In these cases, their brand names offer credibility to their online sites, decreasing the need to invest too much in marketing, whereas smaller or newly open business will have to expend more with marketing tools, social networks and medias to obtain more visibility.

Food Packaging in the Age of Dark Kitchens

Food visuals and presentation is one of the key points in serving food, and one of the points reinforced to exhaustion by Chefs everywhere. It is a vital and essential part of the food experience and will affect the Client’s perception of the business and, ultimately, determine if the Client will continue to purchase its food from there. When it comes to Dark Kitchens the packaging is of huge importance and is the contact point between the business and the Client, therefore, it is necessary to invest in packages that are attractive and also safe to transport the food, with the use of seals and other means to make sure that the food will reach the Client in an impeccable state.

Following the tips and information shared here, we are sure that you’ll be able to achieve success when starting or expanding your business in the Dark Kitchens era.

When the time comes to equip Your Kitchen, remember that SKYMSEN offers the Best Solutions in Food Service and Gastronomy available in the market.