PYMNTS reports that former Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick spent over $130 billion to buy 40 properties in multiple cities for CloudKitchens, his ghost kitchens startup. Originally reported by The Wall Street Journal, the properties include warehouses, closed restaurants and body shops in two dozen cities across the U.S.
While ghost kitchens, or professional facilities set up for food preparation exclusively for delivery, have been around for years, they have been increasing in popularity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as consumers are relying more heavily on food delivery and pickup options. Operators with micro markets should be aware of this growing threat as ghost kitchens meet consumer demand for convenient, high quality meals.
