How to Spot If Your Food Is Coming From a Ghost Kitchen

Perhaps animpossiblywide range of restaurants in your area.

(Full disclosure: Dave Dietz is my dad, and I grew upworking in the restaurant.

What are ghost kitchens?

This makes them invisible compared to traditional restaurants.

So are they spooky because of haunted spirits?

Are they spooky because of the threat they pose to the future of your restaurant experience?

Although ghost kitchens existed pre-pandemic, COVID accelerated their rise.

Last yearHospitality Technologypredicted that the ghost kitchen industry will be worth $71.4 billion by 2027.

In short: Ghost kitchens arent going anywhere soon.

So, what does the growth of ghost kitchens mean for you?

Someargue that ghost kitchens are unethicaland mislead customers.

Otherspredict ghost kitchens threaten the sustainabilityof traditional food service business models.

Heres a breakdown of how ghost kitchens might affect your takeout experience.

As a consumer, a primary concern about ghost kitchens is probablythe quality of food.

When it comes tohealth and safety, ghost kitchensmust abide by restaurant regulations.

In other words, sure, the Amazon-killing-retail analogy might describe services like Instacart and grocery shopping.

Then again, as a formerly avid movie-goer, I understand the concern.

Likewise,The New York Timespoints out that ghost kitchens can be a lifeline for the independent restaurateur.

Here are out tips to spot a ghost kitchen:

Look up the restaurant name.

Just like with people on dating apps, a lack of online results could mean its a ghost.

Applebees as Neighborhood Wings).

Cross-check the address of the restaurant you are considering and the brands headquarters.

If they list the same address, its a ghost kitchen.

Look at the addresses of several offerings in your area.