We’ve talked a bit about the rise of ghost kitchens and virtual brands. The idea is not new and hasn’t been new for a while now. Ghost kitchens began during the early 2010s but gained popularity in the restaurant segment during the COVID-19 pandemic.1
The key question is: what will remain of digital restaurants in the future? Food delivery will grow to a $24 billion industry by next year, and 6 out of 10 Americans will choose to order food rather than dine in.2 It is also predicted that the ghost kitchen segment could reach $1 trillion by 2030 with the increasing amount of automation and investment into the business.3
Ghost kitchens and virtual restaurants are continuously riding the delivery wave and will continue to grow stronger as the years go on. This is due to the little time it takes to launch the business compared to the traditional; building a loyal customer base is more accessible, and overall, the scalability and profitability that comes from ghost kitchens and virtual restaurants are higher.
A GrubHub report in January 2022 suggested that 41% of independent restaurants are operating virtual brands, with a more significant percentage taking the plunge as the fueling niche grows, especially in the quick-service business.4
Although, with this fast-growing trend, what does this mean for traditional restaurants? Traditional restaurants will continue to thrive as they have been. Traditional restaurants can still rely on third-party delivery services, take-out, and create space to operate their ghost kitchen.
This segment will only continue to grow, giving restaurants time to develop new strategies, take on innovations, and increase their brand and profitability. With the economic fluctuations, restaurants should optimize all of their resources, especially with delivery services in the future.
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Goliath Consulting Group is a restaurant consultancy group based in Atlanta, Georgia. To learn more about digital training and the types of software that are offered, contact us to find out which is the right fit for your restaurant: http://www.goliathconsulting.com or email us at getresults@goliathconsulting.com
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