Built for delivery: Why Ghost Kitchens are rewriting the rules of QSR
Chances are that if you live in a city or town, you’ve likely ordered from a ghost kitchen. You may not know it … but that’s exactly the point. Also known as “dark” or “cloud kitchens”, ghost kitchens make up around 15%1 of all food retailers across Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats delivery platforms in the UK.
It’s clear that ghost kitchens are booming. In 2023, approximately 40%2 of participants in a Guardian survey said they bought a takeaway weekly via delivery apps, but only 9% knew they were ordering from a ghost kitchen. For quick service restaurants, this is the goal. Without a front-of-house, ghost kitchens are optimised for delivery efficiency, with layouts designed specifically to assist with faster preparation and higher throughput. Those that are run proficiently help to uphold the brand values without compromising on quick-service restaurant quality.
Under pressure to perform
Invisible kitchens still have visible pressure. The demands on ghost kitchens to retain brand integrity in fast-paced, high-turnover environments means there is an increased risk of inefficient waste management and quality inconsistency during delivery. There are also rising concerns3 surrounding public health, with food safety being rightfully questioned by regulators, key stakeholders and food safety officials.
Brands that are navigating these challenges with ease are building efficiencies directly into their workflow. Investment into kitchen display systems, automated order processing and inventory management software is often the first step to help increase speed, accuracy and consistency across teams.
Increasing speed with minimal friction
Ghost kitchens are built for success when the right tools are used for the job at hand. When space is at a premium, solutions that save on clutter while improving business workflow are ideal.
Pre-cut foil sheets are great for burgers, sandwiches and burritos to aid with faster and more consistent wrapping. Our pre-cut foil sheets come in a range of different sizes at Prowrap and, with no need for tearing, they also offer the ideal waste reduction opportunity for ghost kitchen operations.
No kitchen wants to be slowed down by even the smallest of injuries, least of all a kitchen that demands speed to outclass the competition. Simple to load, easy to use food wrap dispensers with concealed safety blades are excellent at preventing cuts. The blade on our Speedwrap Pro only activates when someone presses down on the closed lid, ensuring hands are protected without slowing down service. Its compatibility with cling film, foil and baking parchment also make it an ideal space-saver in delivery-only kitchens where reducing clutter paves the way for efficiency gains.
Maintaining standardisation
Delivery-only kitchens that are powered by QSR investments must uphold and maintain their food safety standards. Tools like the Speedwrap Pro, developed with BioCote™ antimicrobial protection, helping to eliminate 99% of bacteria and fungi within 2 hours, are ideal for maintaining standardisation across multiple ghost sites. BioCote™ technology means the dispenser can be simply wiped clean by kitchen teams for no extra hassle.
For brands that are conscious of maintaining sustainability standards, tools that are backed by recycling schemes are ideal. The Speedwrap Pro has a dedicated dispenser recycling scheme, which was the first of its kind in the industry. In addition, all Speedwrap Pro dispenser refill rolls are now produced with notched cardboard cores, replacing the plastic adaptors.
In ghost kitchens, even the smallest of changes can make a big difference to your bottom line. So, if you need assistance in finding the most efficient dispensing tool for the job, look no further than the Speedwrap Pro.
