The Dark Kitchen is an innovative concept that is gaining more and more momentum within society. In reality, with the health crisis, but also the frantic and varied work pace of workers, restaurateurs have been able to find a solution to adapt. The Dark Kitchen presents itself as an online restaurant that offers fast home delivery of ordered meals. However, many people do not know what such a promising activity consists of. Find out in this article how to open a Dark Kitchen.
What is a Dark Kitchen?
Still known as the virtual kitchen, the Dark Kitchen is an English expression which means "ghost restaurant". It is used to designate online restaurants that offer dishes to order and then deliver to your home. Unlike a classic restaurant, the Dark Kitchen is not a physical establishment that receives customers indoors. Through a dedicated platform accessible online, it offers Internet users a variety of dishes to order. This is the case for example of Deliveroo or Just-Eat.
If the Dark Kitchen is experiencing more and more success on the web, it is because of the many advantages it brings to Internet users. This is also why many entrepreneurs and restaurateurs do not hesitate to open a dark kitchen. However, the success of such a company essentially depends on its visibility and reputation on the various delivery platforms.
What are the different business models of a Dark Kitchen?
There are various types of restaurants that operate in Dark Kitchen mode. The basic principle is identical: receive orders, prepare dishes and deliver them. However, the procedure may vary from one restaurant to another. This made it possible to observe different categories of Dark Kitchen which are distinguished according to their business model.
The traditional Dark Kitchen
The first category is the traditional Dark Kitchen. This is the classic model with the basic features. This Dark Kitchen only offers Internet users products from a single brand and uses a single kitchen. No dining room.
The multi-brand Dark Kitchen
This Dark Kitchen is not particularly different from the classic model. However, the multi-brand ghost restaurant offers its Internet users products from different brands that are marketed under a marketing identity. For example, it is possible to use a brand dedicated to the establishment's Chinese cuisine and another for the kebab.
The Dark Kitchen to take away
The Dark Kitchen to go is more or less similar to the traditional Dark Kitchen. Here, it welcomes customers to its dedicated premises, not to eat meals, but to order or pick up an order made online. This hybrid business model ensures customer loyalty and reduces communication costs. That said, it also requires more space.
The Dark Kitchen owned by delivery platforms
This business model presents companies specializing in the delivery of meals that own kitchens and equipment. However, they do not prepare any dishes. Indeed, their role is to provide restaurateurs with kitchens, equipment, delivery people and an online platform for receiving orders. This approach allows restaurateurs to focus on food preparation.
The Outsourced Dark Kitchen
The outsourced Dark Kitchen is the newest take on ghost restaurants. It consists of outsourcing the entire preparation process, except packaging and delivery.
In short, the Dark Kitchen is an online restaurant specializing in home delivery of ordered meals. Depending on the business model you have chosen, you can easily invest in this type of project.
