Ghost kitchens have grown increasingly popular, especially throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and pose a threat to micro market operators as they focus on delivery and carryout meals. Operators need to stay aware of how competitors are pivoting to offer new services in response to the pandemic.
August 19, 2020 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
ROSEMONT, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--US Foods Holding Corp. (NYSE: USFD), a leading foodservice distributor, today announced the launch of US Foods Ghost Kitchens, a program designed to guide restaurant operators every step of the way when opening their own operation, helping them easily add a new revenue stream. With the addition of this program, US Foods customers now have access to exclusive resources developed to streamline the process of starting a ghost kitchen, including proprietary technology to help identify menu opportunities, a detailed playbook to guide decision making, dedicated marketing support, webinars and one-on-one consultations with US Foods specialists.
Ghost kitchens, also referred to as dark or virtual kitchens, are professional kitchen facilities set up to support delivery or carryout meals only, offering restaurant operators an opportunity to start an additional revenue stream. Currently, with dine-in restrictions due to Covid-19, most restaurants are experiencing challenges managing through the minimum dining room capacity operators say is needed to make reopening work financially. As a result, 75% of restaurant operators now consider off-premise dining to be their best growth opportunity.1
“The Ghost Kitchens program was developed in response to growing interest among our customers, but we’ve also been tracking the trend, and ghost kitchens are projected to reach a $1 trillion global market by 2030,2 making them an attractive concept for operators even after dine-in restrictions are lifted,” said Jim Osborne, senior vice president of customer strategy and innovation at US Foods. “We also know ghost kitchens are a departure from the traditional brick and mortar format, so some independent operators need help to jumpstart a new venture, which is why our program takes out all the guesswork. We help the operator through every major decision. And since operators using the program often set up within their existing facilities, we’re able to help them open a ghost kitchen with minimal start-up costs in a matter of weeks, with the goal of higher profit margins and expanded customer reach.”
US Foods is leading the industry with its first-to-market, easy-to-activate program for operators exploring a ghost kitchen service model. The program will help restaurant operators drive profits by:
- Accessing US Foods’ proprietary technology to identify the right concept based on their unique, local market conditions
- Leveraging US Foods’ knowledge and support in building and creating strong brands and digital marketing
- Creating and optimizing the menu based on US Foods’ exclusive food-costing tools, industry analysis and recipes designed by in-house chefs that focus on both profitability and diner trends
- Providing guidance on how to quickly get started so that operators are up and running in a matter of weeks
More information about the US Foods Ghost Kitchens program can be found at usfoods.com/ghostkitchens. www.usfoods.com/ghostkitchens
About US Foods
US Foods is one of America’s great food companies and a leading foodservice distributor, partnering with approximately 300,000 restaurants and foodservice operators to help their businesses succeed. With more than 70 broadline locations and 76 cash and carry stores, US Foods provides its customers with a broad and innovative food offering and a comprehensive suite of e-commerce, technology and business solutions. US Foods is headquartered in Rosemont, Ill. Visit www.usfoods.com to learn more.
1National Restaurant Association, 2020 State of the Industry Report
2Euromonitor, https://www.restaurantdive.com
