Ghost Kitchens news and trends

Ghost Kitchens Vanish as In-Person Dining Returns
Restaurant innovation // April 14, 2024

The ghost kitchen industry has become a shadow of its former self. These online-only dining spaces boomed during the pandemic, but as a report Friday (April 12) by The New York Times (NYT) noted, they’ve since begun to fade.  For example, the report said, commercial real...

Nathan’s Famous: Ghost Kitchen Industry Is Shifting Away From Small Businesses
Restaurant innovation // January 08, 2024

While ghost kitchens have stuck around since their initial boom in the earlier stages of the pandemic, quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand Nathan’s Famous sees smaller players bowing out. Phil McCann, vice president of marketing at Nathan’s Famous, noted in an interview with PYMNTS — following...

Virtual Pizzeria Milano Vice Raises $9M Amid Ghost Kitchen Upheaval
Investments // December 06, 2023

As the virtual brand space goes through significant changes, delivery-focused, tech-forward pizza brand Milano Vice is bringing in funds by the millions.  The Berlin-based startup shared in a LinkedIn post Wednesday (Dec. 6) that it has secured 8.3 million euros ($8.94 million) in Series A funding in...

1 in 7 Consumers Chooses Ghost Kitchens to Skip Social Interaction
Restaurant innovation // November 15, 2023

While the majority of consumers are not sold on ghost kitchens, a significant portion relishes the reprieve that the all-digital model gives from face-to-face interaction. By the Numbers The PYMNTS Intelligence report, “Connected Dining: The Robot Will Take Your Order Now,” drew from a survey...

Interviews & Exclusives
Restaurants Leverage Hospitality Experience as ‘Dark Kitchen’ Trend Grows

November 15, 2022
It was once a challenge for restaurants to take ownership of their online presence, putting many at the mercy of third-party aggregators or having to foot hefty bills for ads and placements. But thanks to tools like Google Business Profiles and Facebook Business Pages, restaurants can now take charge of their own online promotion and […]

Quick Reads
Richtech to Operate ‘Robot-Powered Restaurants’ at 20 More Walmart Locations

October 20, 2024
Richtech Robotics plans to use its robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) cloud technology to run 20 more Walmart-located restaurants in Arizona, Colorado and Texas. The provider of AI-driven service robots has signed a binding letter of intent with Ghost Kitchens America in which the companies will enter into a franchise agreement and Richtech will acquire […]

Ghost Kitchens Vanish as In-Person Dining Returns

April 14, 2024
The ghost kitchen industry has become a shadow of its former self. These online-only dining spaces boomed during the pandemic, but as a report Friday (April 12) by The New York...

Ex-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick’s CloudKitchens Cuts Staff

September 05, 2023
Ghost kitchen startup CloudKitchens has reportedly fired staff and closed warehouses to shrink expenses. The apparent cuts at the company — led by Uber co-founder and ex-CEO Travis Kalanick — are the subject of...

Uber’s Kalanick Pours $130M Into Ghost Kitchen Properties

October 21, 2020
In making his new ghost kitchens startup CloudKitchens, ex-Uber Co-founder Travis Kalanick has become something of a real estate mogul, buying up 40 properties in two dozen cities, according to...