Shape Shifters

With no real definition of “ghost kitchen,” the term has come to mean all manner of things: food trucks serving multiple menus, restaurant pop-ups, commissary annexes, and, of course, branded kitchens that exist solely to fulfill third-party app delivery orders. While at times the virtual restaurant was a means to an end (“If we also sell steak frites, or maybe burritos, will we make it through the shutdowns?”), others embraced the virtual business model from the get-go. Which, if any, will stand the test of time?

Alan Berger, along with Jesus Olaya and Nicole Zajac, runs Foodhalla, a food truck with three separate concepts: Bodega, Seoul Brothas, and Spudnation. The truck launched in October 2020 and the trio cross-utilizes as many ingredients as possible, while still putting out unique Cuban, Korean, and loaded potato menus. It’s a three-birds-one-stone approach, which is something Berger thinks restaurants should tap into. “If you have an idea for a concept out of your restaurant and you have the resources, you have another source of revenue,” he says. This is especially relevant, Berger believes, given that the post-pandemic customer is primed to order takeout and delivery. 

Nili Poynter, co-founder and president of ChefReady, a newly opened facility with 10 kitchen spaces in Denver’s Overland neighborhood, also sees customer demand for delivery growing and views restaurant pop-ups as good for her bottom line. “Even prior to the shutdown, a lot of tenants were looking to outsource delivery to a ghost kitchen. They were too busy,” she says. “I think that’ll happen again.”