We know: since the start of the pandemic, the restaurant industry has been struggling. Several establishments have already had to close their doors and restaurant owners, frustrated, have been numerous to denounce the government’s inaction on the said industry, which is burning the candle at both ends.
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In response to this critical situation, we hear more and more about “ghost kitchens”, also known as “ghost kitchens” or “dark kitchens”. Explanation of a concept which offers a solution to the crisis which is not only health.
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A shared kitchen
But first, what is a “ghost kitchen”? Of course, we’re not talking about a kitchen haunted by evil spirits here, but rather a concept that it is shared.
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“It is a restaurant which does not have a dining room and which will deliver, from a menu, dishes without having to know where they come from”, summarizes François Pageau, professor of restaurant management at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ).
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There are different forms of “ghost kitchens”. We can think of a highly rated restaurant – the Jellyfish in Montreal, for example – which invites a other brand to share the same physical kitchen, which he will have delivered through his own delivery service or a subcontractor, such as Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes or DoorDash.
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Some restaurants, like Buddha-Station in Quebec, will also choose to delegate their production to various other restaurants, explains Mr. Pageau. “The restaurant has nothing to do with Buddha-Station, but he has undertaken to prepare the bowls that will be ordered from him. He receives the empty bowls, he buys the raw materials, and depending on what customers order, it is directed towards a particular restaurant, the delivery man will pick it up. ”
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The phenomenon is also sometimes seen in caterers. They may have several different names, present several brands, but their menus are produced from the same kitchen.
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The concept, however, is not new. It appeared several years ago, the professor tells us, and has grown with the evolution of the Internet and the various delivery platforms available online.
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“We may be talking about it a little more since the pandemic, because restaurant owners are looking for new sources of income,” he said.
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Better synergy
“Ghost kitchens” offer several advantages. In addition to increasing the business volume of restaurateurs, they allow them to diversify their clientele by offering products from different ranges.
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“I could be an upscale restaurant with my dining room, but start a ‘ghost kitchen’ of burgers, for example. At that point, the customer does not come to my upscale restaurant; he orders those burgers and it doesn’t hurt my establishment. It increases sales, ”underlines Mr. Pageau.
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The “ghost kitchens” also respond to a problem of labor scarcity present for some time in the restaurant industry.
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“It’s synergy, it’s economy of scale, it’s better productivity,” he says.
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Take charge of the situation
“We see a lot of negative messages about catering. Every day, the only thing I see is that the catering is not going well, ”laments Albert Leclair, former chef of the restaurant La Bêtise.
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He started a “ghost kitchen”, Chick-N-Waff, with his partner Steven Nguyen just over a month and a half ago, after both losing their jobs due to the pandemic. They operate four days a week, in the premises of La Bêtise, during the days when the latter is closed.
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According to Albert Leclair, it is up to restaurateurs to take the situation in hand and find concrete solutions for their industry which suffers from restrictions linked to COVID-19, failing to receive help from the government.
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“If we just bring in problems, we won’t be able to move forward. I don’t think the government is really helping us with that… ”he said.
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The two partners want to raise awareness of the concept of “ghost cooking” to breathe some hope into their field.
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“It’s really a message of positivity that we want to convey, it’s a message of encouragement,” says Steven Nguyen. Before, I was in the world of finance and with the loss of my job, I had to reinvent myself. ” People don’t have to “get stuck in their situation,” he says.
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Challenges remain
While the “ghost kitchens” business model has several strengths, it still presents its share of challenges.
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The process can be arduous. It is done step by step; you have to “have the concept, sell it well, find the local”, enumerates Mr. Nguyen.
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We must ensure the marketing, recalls François Pageau; design the website, advertise. “You have to make yourself known, people have to call. It won’t happen overnight, and since there are no doors, I can’t have people walking past. ”
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Restaurateurs must also make sure to maintain an inventory, both in terms of raw materials and packaging.
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“Restaurants are known to have fairly low profit margins. This is precisely our biggest challenge: being able to think about price-quality… ”
– Albert Leclair, chef du Chick-N-Waff
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Finally, a not insignificant element, we must find an advantageous value for money in terms of the products delivered, to make it viable, says Albert Leclair. Especially since delivery apps eat away a significant percentage of restaurant owners’ profits; nearly 30% according to him.
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“Restaurants are known to have fairly low profit margins. This is precisely our biggest challenge: being able to think about price-quality… ”
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One step forward
François Pageau emphasizes that the concept of “ghost cooking” is not necessarily an infallible method; “Before saying that it’s a solution, you first have to work with the restaurant you have and after that, to increase sales, you can consider a second or third restaurant within the same kitchen . “
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But for the restaurant management professor, the phenomenon is probably here to take hold, even after the health crisis. “I tell myself that it’s something that will stay, [avec] restaurateurs who realize that the dining room is expensive ”. “There are waiters, there are furnishings, there are returning customers, all that.”
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According to Steven Nguyen, if people are going to start going to restaurants again after the pandemic, “a restaurant could operate several ghost restaurants, serving several different types of cuisines, which target several types of people, by having a shared kitchen. ” in the future.
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“I am not saying that the solution I am providing now is going to be THE solution that will change everything in catering, but I think that every small step is already a step forward, concludes Albert Leclair. It will help the restoration, possibly, in the future. ”
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