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WATCH: Ghost restaurants are becoming a thing now

Image: Pexels I was recently sent a video about a phenomenon called ghost restaurants

"What on earth is this?" was my reaction. In the video, there's a guy cooking at a restaurant, but it turns out he doesn't own it. 

And yet he has a food business and since he doesn't have the money for the premises, he uses an existing restaurant kitchen to cook for his clientele. 

It's a pretty nifty idea (even though I have some misgivings, more on that later) and I think it's a win-win scenario for everyone involved. 

Ghost restaurants are food delivery services, which are starting to become very popular in places like Japan and New York City. 

They are described as virtual restaurants or cloud kitchens, and only offer take-away meals, which are delivered to patrons who order using third-party delivery companies. 

According to recent statistics, delivery only is expected to grow by more than 15 percent through 2021, and it sees food delivery services, like UberEats, encouraging more restaurants to become ghost operations. 

Uber Eats also teamed up with celebrity chef, Rachael Ray to open a limited-time, 10-city ghost kitchen featuring recipes her new cookbook.

 

Kitchens for rent 

Ghost restaurants have to use hired space to prepare their meals. Called commissary kitchens, this space is available to rent and can be used by multiple ghost restaurateurs to prepare their meals. 

They operate entirely online and allow customers to order through third-party delivery services. Sometimes the restaurant takes its own orders, makes the food and then delivers it to it's patrons. 

We expect it to be a major trend that will hit our shores next year. 

We have previously reported about the increasing trend of cooks getting into the food prep business and using their own kitchens to prepare the food for their clients.

Even though I am personally worried about the safety aspect- especially when multiple service providers use the kitchen to prepare the food, but I think it's a genius plan and once again shows just much the trend of us sharing everything, from car rides office space, homes and now kitchens. 

IOL

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