You may have noticed it already and the data backs it up: the foodservice sector has been changing. Significant global events in recent years pushed consumer preferences toward convenience and this shift in behaviour seems to be here for the long run. [1]

 

Basically, more people are now choosing food delivery and takeout over dine-in restaurants, which has lead to the explosive growth of ghost kitchens. Offering optimized, cost-effective services, this format is expected to evolve into a 1 trillion dollar global market by 2030. [2]. Not only that, but projections indicate that by 2030, they could account for 50% of the drive-thru and takeaway food markets. [3]  

 

As this trend continues to evolve, ghost kitchens are positioning themselves as key players in the future of the food industry. But is this the right choice for your business? Let's explore ghost kitchens in more detail, including their advantages and challenges, so you can make an informed decision.

 

Ghost kitchens are professional food preparation and cooking facilities set up exclusively to serve delivery and takeout orders. They have all the equipment needed to prepare meals but no physical space for guests to eat in. In fact, they have no front-of-house areas at all. 

 

This type of foodservice format has grown so quickly that there is no one single term for it, so you may come across other names like cloud kitchens, dark kitchens, and shared kitchens. Although the term ‘virtual kitchens’ might come into the mix too, it’s important to have in mind that it doesn’t have quite the same meaning.  Ghost kitchens usually don't have a traditional restaurant location and work solely for delivery. In contrast, virtual kitchens are an extension of an existing restaurant, using its own facility to prepare a delivery-only menu, which may be different from what’s served to dine-in guests. [4]

 

Watch a ghost kitchen in Chicago, IL in action! (Behind the scenes at a Ghost Kitchen in Chicago - YouTube). [5]

 

If you're interested in joining the ghost kitchen market, it's important to first know its benefits and potential drawbacks.

 

Before you jump on this trend, it’s worth considering how can the ghost kitchen model benefit your business, including:

 

Ghost kitchen operations have lower overhead costs compared to typical restaurants. This is because they eliminate the need for front-of-house staff and pricey real estate, as they don’t provide a physical dining space. This makes them a cost-effective solution when your business is aiming for convenience and fast delivery. 

 

If you’re starting a new business, a ghost kitchen can enable you to scale delivery operations quickly. By using fully equipped and ready-to-operate facilities, you can launch new concepts or locations in as little as a few weeks. This allows you to swiftly respond to market trends and expand your business’s presence without the troublesome process associated with typical restaurants.

 

Unlike dine-in setups, ghost kitchens offer a unique opportunity to test a new business or food concept without the commitment of a permanent location. The flexibility of off-premise dining can allow you to experiment with diverse ideas without the financial burden of traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants.

 

The ghost kitchen business model makes producing and delivering high-quality food easier. Utilities, maintenance, security, legal, and other overhead costs are already handled or shared among all the facility users. This leaves you time to perfect the menu offerings and enhance the customer experience instead of taking care of administrative tasks. 

 

Less admin means more time to analyze customer preferences and implement feedback. Paying attention to reviews, ratings, and order patterns can help you figure out what’s working—and what’s not. Whether it’s tweaking a popular dish, adjusting portion sizes to potentially reduce food waste, or adding new items based on demand, customer insights can help you make smarter, more strategic decisions. These improvements may not only optimize your bottom line but also help keep people coming back for more.

 

Ghost kitchens are custom-built spaces designed for the food delivery market, allowing for optimized processes. They often have streamlined packaging areas and organized pick-up queues for delivery drivers,  which don’t just benefit your operations — they also play a big role in customer satisfaction. Consistent packaging helps protect portion presentation and quality, while faster delivery times mean food arrives hotter and fresher. When the back end runs smoothly, it shows in the front end experience, helping you build a stronger reputation and customer loyalty.

 

If these benefits were enough to convince you to explore the ghost kitchen concept, one of the most important aspects is running one is to keep it clean and hygienic. Luckily, there are some simple measures you can implement to achieve this:

 

Maintaining health and hygiene in a commercial kitchen is crucial for preventing foodborne illnesses and ensuring the wellbeing of both your employees and customers. It helps build trust and credibility, which are essential for the success of any food-related business. Here are our tips and suggestions for a clean and hygienic ghost kitchen facility:

 

No matter what kind of facility you’re running, some simple hygiene measures are key, from handwashing to regular surface wiping. All that, together with using high-quality cleaning and hygiene products is a vital part of keeping your kitchen area in top shape.  

 

Keeping any facility clean, whether it’s a ghost kitchen or a traditional restaurant starts with a basic foundation: clean hands. 

 

Encourage your employees to wash their hands frequently throughout the day, especially when they are visibly dirty or greasy. Consider placing reminders in restrooms and near kitchen sinks with the main instructions: to wash their hands thoroughly with warm water and hand soap for at least 20 seconds, then dry them with a paper hand towel.

 

As an alternative, hand sanitizers are an effective and convenient way for your employees to prevent cross-contamination. So, you may want to install hand sanitizer dispensers around your facility to make its consistent use accessible and easy. When applied correctly, a high-quality hand sanitizer can help keep your customers safe, enabling positive experiences. 

 

Thorough cleaning schedules make a big difference in maintaining a sanitary work environment. They guide your cleaning staff’s daily activities, including regularly wiping and disinfecting surfaces, equipment, and high-touch areas to prevent contamination.

 

Disposable wipers and cloths , combined with a food-safe surface cleaning solution are an ideal combination to keep your ghost kitchentidy and hygienic. Both product options are convenient for quick clean-ups and can be easily stored and accessed throughout your facility. They allow your teams to promptly address spills and splatters, making it easier to maintain a sanitary working environment.

 

Preventing cross-contamination when cleaning and wiping a kitchen is just as important as preventing it during food preparation. Therefore, implementing a color-coded system makes it easy for your employees to keep cleaning cloths in their intended areas, helping maintain a high standard of hygiene and safety.

 

For tough-to-clean messes, our 2-in-1 scouring and cleaning towels are a game-changer. Providing them to your staff can help them more effectively remove grime and food debris while keeping surfaces and kitchen equipment scratch-free.

 

Providing comprehensive training for all your employees is essential to maintaining high health and hygiene standards in your ghost kitchen. It ensures that everyone — from new hires to seasoned staff — understands exactly what you expect when it comes to cleanliness and safety in your establishment.

 

While safe food-handling techniques like avoiding cross-contamination and keeping food at safe temperatures are essential, try not to overlook the basics. Getting everyone on the same page on personal hygiene best practices, such as proper handwashing and the use of gloves or hairnets, is a must. It’s also important to prepare your teams for unexpected situations, so incorporate procedures for major spills or contamination incidents too.

 

By investing in thorough and ongoing training, you’re not just protecting your customers — you’re creating a culture of accountability and professionalism in your ghost kitchen. Unsure where to start? Explore our Tork Clean Care Program for expert guidance and solutions tailored to the foodservice industry.

 

There’s no perfect way to run a business. So, while ghost kitchens come with many benefits, there’s drawbacks and potential challenges too. Let's take a look at some of the hurdles you should be aware of:

 

Without a physical storefront and foot traffic, ghost kitchens miss out on walk-in customers, local exposure, and the opportunity to engage with the community. [6] This means that awareness and customer acquisition rely heavily on outdoor communications, print, and digital marketing strategies such as paid online ads, which can be competitive and costly. Nonetheless, by following expert marketing advice and partnering with delivery platforms, ghost kitchens can overcome this hurdle and still reach a wider audience.

 

A single ghost kitchen typically only serves a three to five mile delivery radius to make its deliveries as efficient as possible. [7] This can make it difficult to expand your potential customer base in an already competitive market. Reaching more people requires widening your delivery range, which in turn, increases the delivery cost and time. This could backfire by negatively impacting customer satisfaction.

 

In many cases, ghost kitchens rely on third-party delivery apps and other digital platforms to secure orders. Competition and advertising costs can make it hard to stand out within these marketplaces, causing unexpected hurdles for your business. Additionally, this gives you little control over delivery cost and even errors, which can potentially lead to unsatisfied customers and negative reviews. 

 

 

While ghost kitchens may not be a flawless solution, with over half of global consumers feeling comfortable to order from delivery-only restaurants—and that number expected to grow — they are worth serious consideration. [8] Now that you understand the basic advantages and challenges of this evolving landscape, hopefully you feel equipped to make a more informed, confident choice. At the end of the day, you have the best insight into what suits your particular business goals.

 

 

Speaking of preparing to take the best decisions for your business, why not have a look at our foodservice back-of-house hygiene guide? You could also explore our guides on food hygiene and safety, and everything you need to know about HACCP.