Technology is an ever-growing presence in people’s daily lives. When they wake up, they read a newspaper on their phones. They might hail a rideshare car to work, or open maps for an optimized driving route.
At work, they use different programs and platforms – from project management software to video communication platforms. Finally, kicking back after a day of hard work, they may flick on a streaming service or play a game online.
It’s no surprise, then, that technology would infiltrate the world of food. Already, delivery and pickup apps have altered the way North Americans think about dinner. But with the advent of “delivery kitchens,” food and technology have become cozier than ever.
What are delivery kitchens? Sometimes called “ghost kitchens,” they are restaurants set up solely for delivery and takeout. Reachable by app and close in proximity to customers, they leverage technology to provide fast, convenient meals.
It’s a trend that’s only accelerated throughout the pandemic. In this article, let’s look at why delivery kitchens’ mix of technology and food has proved so appealing to consumers and entrepreneurs alike.
Addressing Changing Consumer Habits
Consumer habits toward food have shifted alongside the advancement of technology. As food delivery becomes a more ingrained part of people’s daily routine, consumers have developed a few primary demands, namely:
- Time: People want their food quickly
- Freshness: They want it to be fresh and hot
- And Cost: Perhaps as a backlash to swelling service and delivery fees from certain delivery apps, consumers want low-cost options.
Delivery kitchens address these issues. For instance, the delivery kitchens offering 30-minute-or-less delivery of fresh food without delivery or service costs.
Expansion, Minus the Upfront Investments
Delivery kitchens wouldn’t be the decade-defining food trend they are without also appealing to restaurateurs and entrepreneurs. For business owners, the value is evident: expansion without excessive upfront costs.
With the delivery kitchen model, entrepreneurs keen to make their food visions a reality can bypass costly brick-and-mortar setups to focus on providing a quality product to their customers.
They can simply partner with a food delivery platform, like getREEF mentioned above, and expand into new neighbourhoods. The technology also connects them to new customers and new delivery areas without the need for big-budget ad campaigns.
Developing Tight-Knit Communities
Delivery kitchens benefit consumers, and they benefit restaurateurs. But they also help shape and enrich communities.
Because the kitchens are densely situated in urban areas, they form “hubs,” convenient centres of commerce that allow community members to enjoy fresh food without having to walk a mile or take a bus.
People can order a burger or tacos, and receives it in under 30 minutes. Likewise, if they want to pick up their order, they don’t have to walk very far.
It’s for these three reasons – value to consumers, value to business owners and value to communities – that food and technology have become so intertwined recently. One thing’s for sure: expect to see more delivery kitchens in the future.
