You've probably already heard of dark kitchens (also called ghost kitchens or cloud kitchens)? And if you've been following our blog for a long time, you may have even attended our meet-up dedicated to the subject (it was in 2020, the year of their rise in France)!
But what is it exactly?
Concept, advantages but also risks to be taken into account before launching: we make the point together to start the adventure serenely.
And as a bonus, find all the answers to the questions asked at the meet-up at the end of the article!
The concept of dark kitchen
Definition and functioning of a dark kitchen
It's a fact: home delivery has exploded in the restaurant industry. The phenomenon has boomed between 2020 and 2021 with health constraints.
Dark kitchens are restaurants whose business model completely eliminates the room and the service. Dark kitchens focus on one thing and one thing only: cooking, then delivery (or, in some cases, offering a "take-out" option with no specific point-of-sale experience).
In short, these are professional kitchens entirely dedicated to meal delivery.
Whether in Paris, Lyon, Lille, Marseille, Toulouse or in the rest of France, more and more restaurant professionals are turning to this model. Whether they are brands looking to diversify their activities, pure players or "traditional" restaurateurs sometimes tired of management and room constraints, these new-style restaurants want to continue to offer their cuisine while maximizing the return on investment and limiting the risks.
The characteristics of a dark kitchen
Ghost restaurants mostly share these five characteristics:
A moderate rent
A choice of location in populated areas, but with more moderate rents than downtown areas (where competition and the strategic need to be on a transit point also make the operation more expensive and complex).
Excellent cost control
Greater freedom and cost control by not being constrained by the search for the right location, the right room size, and the recruitment and management of staff throughout the year.
A dependence on delivery platforms
Mathematically, dark kitchens are dependent on delivery networks, especially on the very established platforms such as Deliveroo, Uber Eats...
An irreproachable management
The ability to optimize the purchase of ingredients and products with larger inventories, or even the ability to decline them at the level of different brands (from traditional Japanese to poke bowl for example).
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An anticipated communication and marketing budget
A strong need to communicate and to be at the cutting edge of the latest technologies. Because a ghost restaurant means an invisible presence for passers-by (goodbye to the window on a busy street).
The other side of the coin involves a large marketing budget to make your existence known continuously on social networks and platforms, where you have to make your offers live in an ultra-competitive environment!
That said, some dark kitchens models, such as Pranzo (launched by Pizza Cosy), rely on their existing reputation and their physical network of outlets.
Why are so many restaurateurs and food entrepreneurs turning to this new concept?
The advantages of the dark kitchen model
The benefits of dark kitchens are numerous, which is why many food entrepreneurs are taking the plunge.
Reduced loads
Expenses and investments are greatly reduced (which also reduces management needs and risks): no need for a restaurant room, no significant payroll, except for the personnel needs necessary for the kitchen and preparation.
Pooling of resources
It is quite possible to test and launch different offers and brands within the same dark kitchen in order to pool the use of certain ingredients and products.
Reconciling online and takeaway sales
In a context where delivery takes more and more place in the daily life of consumers, this business model is clearly in the air of time and allows to maintain a viable activity with serenity whatever the situation.
Reconciling click and collect or online delivery with a quality experience at the point of sale is not within the reach of all restaurateurs and retailers. Who has never seen their service disrupted by deliverymen coming and going from the restaurant throughout the evening?
Today, renting a space for a dedicated kitchen allows you to diversify your activities without degrading the experience of your loyal customers.
Opening a dark kitchen: limits and risks of the concept
How to get started in dark kitchen?
If on paper, the ghost kitchen model has everything to offer, it is important not to launch into the adventure anyhow.
The first thing to consider is the dependence on delivery platforms (or the capacity of one's own fleet). Since the goal is to deliver as many meals as possible to the home or office in a given time frame, freeing yourself from the delivery platforms' commissions allows you to avoid cutting into your margins.
In most cases, it is advisable to partner with a strong player in the market, such as Deliveroo or Uber Eats, while considering a negotiation to reduce the percentage of commission usually charged when going through a third party.
Another element to take into account is the indispensable need to master the new technologies, not only to put forward one's offer, but also to understand the algorithm of the platforms and of Google to optimize one's visibility at the local level.
Formats to get started
If you attended our meet-up dedicated to dark kitchens, you know that there are already several ways for a restaurant owner or entrepreneur to launch his ghost kitchen.
The most controlled choice is probably to rent a professional kitchen designed for this type of activity, like the one offered by Cooklane.
Everything is done to manage flows and optimize delivery processes as precisely as possible: all you have to do is design your kitchen the way you want it and deploy your offer!
Using a specialized third-party service provider can save many months of research and installation, with all the related costs that can be anticipated on this kind of timeframe.
Other brands, such as Pizza Cosy, have taken the plunge by launching a dark kitchen offering that is separate from their regular menus and brand, but based on the existing physical network of franchised locations.
And it works: our meet-up guest Julien Licata mentioned up to 4K€ of additional turnover per point of sale... every month!
Answers from our experts to the questions asked during the meet-up dedicated to dark kitchens
"Can dark kitchen and takeout be combined (in addition to delivery)?"
Yes, these activities can be combined, but this requires a particularly well optimized point of withdrawal. Some players have started to try this by proposing a withdrawal counter for their dark kitchen offer.
"The Dark kitchen concept seems to exist mainly in the Paris area. I haven't seen any in Lyon..."
The concept exists all over the country! To come back to the offer of one of our speakers, you can for example order the Pranzo offer on Uber Eats in the Lyon area.
"How do you generate sales when launching your virtual restaurant (social media, promotions and vouchers)?"
Digital marketing is an essential part of the success of ghost kitchens. The ideal is to build a marketing strategy that includes a dedicated budget for advertising on social networks(Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and why not Snapchat or TikTok in terms of animations).
Developing the brand is fundamental to differentiate: emailing and newsletters, beautiful photographs, work on referencing platforms, special care given to the experience and packaging ...
All this is coupled with a voucher strategy that will boost the launch.
Note: launching is one thing, but making your offer live over time is just as important!
"How long does it take to launch a dark kitchen?"
By using a dedicated kitchen rental service provider, you can be operational in just a few days. However, you should allow a few months (6 minimum) on average to really develop your concept.
"Do we need to be present on all platforms?"
The answer is yes, as confirmed by Anthony Vaslin of Cooklane.
Deploying your own online ordering has many benefits, but connecting to Uber Eats and Deliveroo often allows you to perform at your best in delivery!
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You want to open a dark kitchen and you would like to benefit from a personalized support?
Contact an Innovorder consultant who will answer all your questions!
