Ghost Kitchen Franchise Model

A ghost kitchen franchise (also called virtual kitchen or cloud kitchen) is a franchise model where the operator runs a delivery-only food preparation facility with no dine-in seating. Ghost kitchen franchises typically have significantly lower startup costs ($75,000-$250,000 vs $500,000-$2M for traditional restaurants) because they eliminate retail space, dining room buildout, and front-of-house staff. The model accelerated post-COVID but faces challenges with brand visibility and delivery platform dependency.