Ghost Kitchen Journal

Category: News

  • Nextbite Faces Lawsuit for Not Giving Enough Notice Ahead of Mass Layoffs

    Nextbite Faces Lawsuit for Not Giving Enough Notice Ahead of Mass Layoffs

    A former Nextbite employee is suing the virtual restaurant brand — now owned by the CEO of its former competitor, SBE — for not giving the requisite 60-day notice before laying off  approximately 130 employees without cause in May, as stipulated in the WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act. Plaintiff and former Nextbite supply chain analyst, Alitza Portohundo, filed the proposed class action lawsuit in the District of Delaware on June 2, and is one of 90 employees that were part of a mass layoff on May 15, termination effective immediately.

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  • Insider: Starbucks Opening San Francisco Ghost Kitchen to Expand Last Mile Options

    Insider: Starbucks Opening San Francisco Ghost Kitchen to Expand Last Mile Options


    Starbucks     is reportedly partnering with CloudKitchens, a ghost kitchen led by Uber founder Travis Kalanick, to expand its last mile capabilities, according to Insider. CloudKitchens rents small kitchen bays that can be used as pickup-only facilities for delivery drivers.

    Starbucks is planning to utilize a CloudKitchens location in San Francisco starting August 22, 2023, according to city permits seen by Business Insider. The site, called Charter Oak Food Pick-Up, is located at the intersection of two highways, making it convenient for last mile operations. It will operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.

    Starbucks CFO Rachel Ruggeri noted that while drive-thru locations offer the strongest results, pickup and delivery-only stores help ensure customers can get their orders however and wherever they need them. The company is looking to expand with “a lot of different store designs and types to be able to meet the increasing demand that we see,” she said on a June 6 call with investors.

    CloudKitchens has dozens of ghost kitchens across the U.S. and operates internationally under different names. Other brand partners include Buffalo Wild Wings and Chick-fil-A.

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  • Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Ghost Kitchen Challenge had a Tough Judge to Please

    Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars Ghost Kitchen Challenge had a Tough Judge to Please

    In each episode, the talented food entrepreneurs strive to impress. During Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars ghost kitchen challenge, too many mistakes combined with lack of leadership lead to one team’s downfall. While these individuals might be a “beast” in their own business, their best efforts did not impress MrBeast and the other judges.

    Over the past several years, ghost kitchens have been an integral part of the food industry. While brands like GoldBelly might bring some celebrity chefs and celebrated restaurants dishes directly to consumer’s doorstep, that food delivery may not come in time for dinner. Ghost kitchens have brought both big names and aspiring food brands straight to people’s home. Options like MrBeast, Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen, and more give consumers that taste they have longed to enjoy.

    During the Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars ghost kitchen challenge, the entrepreneurs had to conceive, market, and service a ghost kitchen menu. While this concept might seem easier than the blending wines or charity fundraiser, the reality is that the challenge was a slice of a restaurant start-up. That other restaurant wars food television challenge might be daunting, but this FOX television challenge was all about the details.

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  • Uber Eats is Purging 5,000 Ghost Kitchens

    Uber Eats is Purging 5,000 Ghost Kitchens

    Uber Eats is purging 5,000 ghost kitchens from its app and setting stricter rules for the remaining ones after finding its platform flooded by virtual restaurants listing similar food options under different names.

    “Diners are effectively seeing 12 versions of the same menu on the app. It’s fair to say that kind of erodes consumer confidence,” John Mullenholz, head of dark kitchens at Uber Eats, told The Wall Street Journal.

    Uber Eats’ new guidelines require virtual locations to have menu items “at least 60 percent different” from any other online restaurants operating from the same location. The ghost kitchen and its parent restaurant must maintain a 4.3-star rating or higher on the app, have five percent or fewer orders that they have canceled and have a five percent or lower inaccurate orders rate.

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  • GTK Holds Grand Opening in Hoboken

    GTK Holds Grand Opening in Hoboken

    Ghost Truck Kitchen, formerly a take-out and delivery outpost, is opening two new locations — one grab-and-go outpost in uptown Hoboken located at 1014 Washington Street and a group-dining storefront in the Bergen-Lafayette neighborhood of Jersey City. The new Hoboken spot, called Go-To Kitchen, held a soft opening in May, and the grand opening of the new outpost is today, June 15th until 11PM. The “food truck” menu of hand-held bites and global dishes became a hit during the pandemic, especially since there are options for everyone. All the food is prepared from scratch and only the “best ingredients” are used.

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  • The Making of Chipotle’s Fresh-Forward Ghost Kitchen

    The Making of Chipotle’s Fresh-Forward Ghost Kitchen

    In the wake of COVID, virtual concepts have turned into culinary goldmines. The industry could potentially reach $1 trillion by 2030, according to research firm Euromonitor International. In early February, Chipotle joined the fun with Farmesa, a virtual concept offered via Kitchen United in Santa Monica, California. So far, the fast casual is one of the largest restaurant chains to explore this emerging culinary space. 

    For Chipotle, the new venture represents a departure from the traditional ways in which restaurants operate. Executives such as Nate Lawton, the vice president of new ventures for Farmesa, are confident the new brand will allow the company to test future concepts and learn more about what it means to run a successful virtual restaurant. 

    In the past, Chipotle has tried secondary food and beverage ideas, such as Tasty Made and ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen. However, Farmesa is the company’s first move into ghost kitchens, driven by a growing better-for-you fast-casual category and the promise to deliver fresh, real ingredients to a wider consumer base.  The inception of Farmesa was fueled by a fusion of Chipotle concepts and innovations. Lawton expresses “there are some great things we learned from Chipotle that have allowed us to design what we think is super exciting in this space.” 

    While Chipotle has seen modernization in the way of operations, store layout, and technology partnerships, Lawton points out Farmesa’s menu is what will truly connect with consumers and keep them coming back for more. Nate Appleman, a James Beard award-winning chef, serves as director of culinary innovation for Farmesa. A Chipotle veteran, Appleman was the driving force behind the brand’s menu in the mid-to-late 2000s. During Farmesa’s infancy, Appleman teamed up with Lawton to discover what customers were looking for on a menu. 

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  • From Ghosts to Stars: The Evolution of Virtual Restaurants and the Power of Branding

    From Ghosts to Stars: The Evolution of Virtual Restaurants and the Power of Branding

    Ghost kitchens, which thrived during the pandemic, are now disappearing as delivery platforms like Uber Eats declutter their apps. However, a new version of ghost kitchens is emerging that focuses on leveraging existing resources and strong branding. TenderFix, a delivery-only virtual chain, exemplifies this approach with its celebrity partnership with actor Noah Schnapp and its association with MorningStar Farms’ plant-based chicken alternatives. The success of MrBeast Burger, a delivery-only brand launched by a popular YouTuber, further demonstrates the power of recognizable branding in the virtual restaurant space. These developments indicate that specific brand recognition is more effective than generic virtual eateries.

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  • The Killer Brownie Company Brings Indulgent Brownies With Cult-Following to Consumers Nationwide for Delivery Through Its Partners

    The Killer Brownie Company Brings Indulgent Brownies With Cult-Following to Consumers Nationwide for Delivery Through Its Partners

     Nextbite, a leader in virtual restaurants, today announced a partnership with The Killer Brownie Co.® to bring its decadent, gourmet brownies to consumers nationwide for delivery. Nextbite fulfillment partners can now sign up to offer The Killer Brownie® desserts for delivery, bringing these indulgent brownies to consumers from coast to coast to satisfy their dessert cravings.

    The Killer Brownie® desserts available through Nextbite include the Original Killer Brownie with layers of rich fudgy brownie folded with crunchy pecans that hug a layer of caramel sprinkled with chocolate chips. In addition to the Original Killer Brownie, the Nextbite offering for its partners includes many other innovative dessert flavors: Cookie Dough Killer Brownie, Triple Chocolate Killer Brownie, Confetti Killer Brownie, Cookies and Cream Killer Brownie, Salted Caramel Killer Brownie and Peanut Butter Killer Brownie.

    “We are honored and excited to be partnering with the innovative and creative team at Nextbite as a premium dessert for delivery,” said Chimene Mayne Ross, President and Chief Customer Officer, Killer Brownie Co. “Now even more fans across the U.S. will be able to enjoy a Killer Brownie as the dessert of choice, thanks to this partnership.”

    According to Alex Canter, CEO and Cofounder of Nextbite, “Delivery just got a lot sweeter with these amazingly decadent and delicious brownies. Consumers from coast to coast are craving these brownies and we are now making them available through our partners.”

    He added, “Killer Brownies are a great delivery offering for a range of fulfillment partners, including restaurants, convenience stores, universities and more.”

    Nextbite seamlessly connects its partners with delivery services such as Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub to make it easy for its partners to offer Killer Brownies® for delivery. Nextbite enables its partners to offer delivery brands through its technology and delivery platform management, along with providing marketing, customer service and menu management support.

  • You Can Now Order from MrBeast Burger through your Xbox while Gaming — here’s how to do it

    You Can Now Order from MrBeast Burger through your Xbox while Gaming — here’s how to do it

    A MrBeast Burger is now a keystroke or controller button press away for Xbox or computer gamers.

    The Youtuber’s fast food brand is now available through Liifer, a food ordering app that integrates with games, Liifer said Thursday. Users can order fast food from MrBeast Burger’s 1,500 locations in the US and Canada. Liifer’s platform is accessible in roughly 1,000 video games, and the service also offers food from chains including McDonald’s and Papa John’s.

    “Gamers don’t want to interrupt a gaming session to fumble about with a separate phone or computer app,” said Louis-Philippe Ostiguy, founder and chief gaming officer at Liifer Technologies. “They want to order their food instantly without having to stop playing.”

    Customers will get free delivery on MrBeast menu items for a limited time, Liifer said.

    The Liifer partnership is the latest expansion for MrBeast Burger. The brand got its start in December 2020 and bears the name of MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson. Donaldson worked with Virtual Dining Concepts to create an entirely virtual restaurant brand.

    “MrBeast Burger is increasingly popular with gamers, especially after MrBeast was included in Epic Game’s Fortnite in December,” said Stephanie Sollers, CEO of Virtual Dining Concepts.

    MrBeast Burger fills orders using a mix of ghost kitchens, some of which it owns and some it has partnership agreements with. Virtual Dining Concepts’ then-CEO Robert Earl told Insider in 2021 that the model allows celebrities to craft their own menus.

    For restaurants, it’s a low-cost way to increase orders, Earl said.

    “You’re using your existing kitchen labor force,” he said. “You’re using your existing rent and your utilities. So it’s extremely additive and profitable for the restaurant.”

    Virtual brands have been a source of growth for restaurants and food delivery services over the last few years, particularly since the early months of the pandemic. But some restaurants have started serving the same menu items under dozens of different brands, leading delivery services like DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats to crack down on so-called “ghost” menus

  • Virtual Restaurant Leader Nextbite Announces Partnership With Nathan’s Famous to Bring Delivery-Only Hot Dog and Burger Menu to Restaurant Partners

    Virtual Restaurant Leader Nextbite Announces Partnership With Nathan’s Famous to Bring Delivery-Only Hot Dog and Burger Menu to Restaurant Partners

     Nextbite, a leader in virtual restaurants, today announced a partnership with Nathan’s Famous to bring its iconic hot dogs, burgers and crinkle cut fries as a delivery-only menu through Nextbite’s network of restaurant partners. The Nathan’s Famous virtual brand is now available for restaurants to sign up to offer them as a Nextbite partner, bringing this world-renowned brand to consumers nationwide.

    The Nathan’s Famous delivery-only menu includes Nathan’s signature all-beef hot dogs, crinkle cut fries, burgers and more. The hot dog menu includes hot dogs along with chili, cheese sauce and bacon toppings.

    “We think Nextbite is a great partner to bring our world-famous Nathan’s hot dogs, fresh burgers, and crinkle cut fries to Nathan’s fans all over via delivery, as we have a solid track record with our virtual partners,” said Phil McCann, Vice President of Marketing for Nathan’s Famous. “The Nextbite team clearly has the expertise to bring our concept on a national scale by working with restaurants nationwide.”

    According to Alex Canter, CEO and Cofounder of Nextbite, “We are thrilled to add this worldwide brand of favorite hot dogs and other menu items to our portfolio of delivery-only menus for restaurants. With pre-existing built-in demand from consumers, we’re excited to help spread their classic cuisine across the U.S., especially as we move into the summer.”

    With Nextbite’s virtual restaurant solution featuring Nathan’s Famous menu items, it seamlessly connects restaurant partners with delivery services such as Uber Eats, DoorDash and Grubhub. Nextbite delivery-only restaurant concepts are crafted to complement current restaurant operations, equipment, and resources. Backed by data, its brands drive orders during different dayparts, so restaurants can increase sales during slow periods.