Ghost Kitchens: The Biggest Emerging Food Trend Of 2021

What's driving the demand for 'Ghost Kitchens'

12 Jul, 2021 by Sachin Pabreja

Nothing beats the experience of fine dining at a spectacular venue - cozy or intimate, simple or sophisticated, restaurants around the world have been providing the experience to diners wanting an escape from everyday life for a long time. Culinary experiences of all sorts have been enjoyed around a dining table creating great memories until now. The joy of eating out came crashing down when restaurants were forced to close their doors leaving consumers with few or nil choices.

While some food joints such as KFC and pizza outlets were already providing home delivery meals on top of their dine-in experience, door closing didn’t really affect their business.

The concept of ghost kitchens, which had been around for some time became more of an option for consumers. With on-again, off-again lockdowns due to the pandemic, consumers were becoming more prone to ordering online and having their meals delivered to them without ever having to leave the comfort of their homes.

The price of real estate is seeing ghost kitchens becoming more and more popular because patrons aren’t able to help sustain the opening of the restaurants. People who want to own a restaurant don't always have the money to spend on an expensive building in a great location. There is the added benefit of low overheads when operating a ghost kitchen because of minimal outlays on staffing with minimal demand on labor and no service costs.

Restaurants around the globe are adapting rather rapidly with this model and for some restaurants, business is thriving. But from a consumer perspective, the coming of age of the millennials, with a strong demand for digital and mobile-friendly solutions, the ghost kitchen will gain momentum. It’s a different story for the baby boomers. There is a significant percentage of people who are old-fashioned diners preferring an experience and ghost kitchens will not suffice to meet this demand.

In my opinion, ghost kitchen is and will play a significant role in the new normal where cost-effectiveness is a focus but dine-in experiences will return, with the primary focus on themed setups for those adventurous diners.

Consumers will drive the demand for such, prompting unique experiences, which will ultimately lead to more dining out in the distant future. For now, ghost kitchen setups will pop up to keep the industry alive and the consumers satisfied. This debate will continue for as long as it takes while people are having to deal with the impact the pandemic is having on them.

In conclusion, there will be a return of the dine-in experience with a twist but ghost kitchens are here to stay with smart food production and purchasing for reduced food wastage, driving the dollar further. The millennials are already loving it. As for the baby boomers, the experience of dining out is still in demand and shall be the case. Admittedly, the pandemic is posing restrictions on this option for now but the new normal will enhance this. We have only seen the tip of the iceberg of innovation in this sector.

No doubt the industry experts will be brainstorming on how to meet the consumer demands whether via ghost kitchen trends or the old-fashioned dine-in experience. Either way, the food industry will not die a natural death instead we as consumers will just have to adjust accordingly.

Written By

Sachin Pabreja
Co-Founder, Hotelier & Food Enthusiast

A hotelier and restauranteur with more than two decades of experience in the F&B and Hospitality industries, Sachin Pabreja is Co-founder of EazyDiner, India’s only instant table reservation platform. He is passionate about changing the landscape of the Indian F&B industry. Prior to EazyDiner, Sachin worked at The Imperial, Grand Hyatt as well as Claridges Hotel in New Delhi and remains focussed and committed to creating innovative and exceptional products in the F&B and Hospitality industries.

Food Trends by Sachin Pabreja

Recent Food Trends

Tête-À-Tea With Sachin Pabreja: A Candid Discussion with Chef Turned Restaurateur Avinash Martins on the Vision and Inspirations Behind His Flagship Restaurant, Cavatina, in Goa Tête-À-Tea With Sachin Pabreja: In-Depth Talk With Mr. Sahil Sambhi, The Founder & Driving Force Behind The Success Of His Top-Notch Restaurant Vietnom

Recent Searches

Now in 100+ cities in India and Dubai

Popular Cities

All Cities

Ghost Kitchens: The Biggest Emerging Food Trend Of 2021

What's driving the demand for 'Ghost Kitchens'

Written By

Recent Food Trends

Other Related Food Trends | All About Food in Mumbai

Tête-À-Tea With Sachin Pabreja: A Candid Discussion with Chef Turned Restaurateur Avinash Martins on the Vision and Inspirations Behind His Flagship Restaurant, Cavatina, in Goa

By Sachin Pabreja

Puthandu 2024: Enjoy The Tamil New Year With Sumptuous Delights At These Top 6 Restaurants In Chennai

By Charu Gupta

Celebrate The Festival Of Vishu With Traditional Vishu Sadhya At These Top 6 Restaurants In Kochi

By Kritika Tandon

Enjoy A Wholesome Dining Experience This Eid At These Top 7 Restaurants In Mumbai

By Puneet Kapoor

Eid 2024 Celebrations: Relish A Festive Fare Fit For Royalty At These Top 6 Restaurants In Hyderabad

By Charu Gupta

Eid 2024 Special: Top 8 Restaurants In Delhi NCR Where You Can Relish The Most Delectable Festive Feasts With The Family

By Gargi Bisht

Get the EazyDiner App

Success

Enter your email id

Now in 100+ cities in India and Dubai

Popular Cities

All Cities

Ghost Kitchens: The Biggest Emerging Food Trend Of 2021

What's driving the demand for 'Ghost Kitchens'

Written By

Recent Food Trends

Other Related Food Trends | All About Food in Mumbai

Tête-À-Tea With Sachin Pabreja: A Candid Discussion with Chef Turned Restaurateur Avinash Martins on the Vision and Inspirations Behind His Flagship Restaurant, Cavatina, in Goa

By Sachin Pabreja

Puthandu 2024: Enjoy The Tamil New Year With Sumptuous Delights At These Top 6 Restaurants In Chennai

By Charu Gupta

Celebrate The Festival Of Vishu With Traditional Vishu Sadhya At These Top 6 Restaurants In Kochi

By Kritika Tandon

Enjoy A Wholesome Dining Experience This Eid At These Top 7 Restaurants In Mumbai

By Puneet Kapoor

Eid 2024 Celebrations: Relish A Festive Fare Fit For Royalty At These Top 6 Restaurants In Hyderabad

By Charu Gupta

Eid 2024 Special: Top 8 Restaurants In Delhi NCR Where You Can Relish The Most Delectable Festive Feasts With The Family

By Gargi Bisht

Get the EazyDiner App