REEF Technology, a Miami-based company, expanded its network of mobile ghost kitchens across Portland during the summer of 2021, adding one cluster in Montavilla along SE 82nd Avenue. The company had bet big on delivery-only food service, a decision that seemed prophetic during the pandemic. However, that early success did not last and was particularly unsustainable in Portland. Now, all locations are closed, with most former sites cleared of the brand’s equipment. Only one ghost kitchen cart remains at 1133 SE 82nd Avenue, which is locked up, and the NBRHD.com website that once solicited new clients is offline.
Sophie Peel reported in the Willamette Week that REEF Technology recently ceased most, if not all, operations in Portland. Several years ago, the company’s business model was seen as the future of food service, thanks to the popularity of app-based delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub, and Postmates. The company leveraged a nationwide network of parking lots into delivery service hubs that offered low rent and easy access. Each food cart ghost kitchen could prepare food under various brands, cutting labor costs and flooding delivery apps with an onslaught of culinary options.
However, the troubled Portland rollout by REEF Technology was detailed in the December 26th cover story in the Willamette Week. The article noted that many large brands had recently severed ties with the ghost kitchen provider, including Jack in the Box, Burger King, and Popeyes.
Despite the early success and promise of the ghost kitchen business model, it appears that REEF Technology’s network of mobile ghost kitchens in Portland was not able to sustain itself in the long term. The closure of most, if not all, locations in Portland is a significant setback for the company’s future prospects in the food service industry.
