Ghost Kitchens Are A ‘Thing’

The Lempert Report
December 12, 2019

What about ghost supermarkets?

During Wendy's 2019 Investor Day, Chief Development Officer Abigail Pringle announced dark kitchens, also called ghost or cloud kitchens, would become a significant part of the fast food chain's expansion strategy, Business Insider reported.  

Topline is building a commercial kitchen in a less expensive area that is made just to deliver foodservice offerings directly to consumers. Through the lower overhead and rent, the use of more technology and robotics, and clearly the lower labor costs – sorry waiters, busboys and maître ‘ds the restaurant can inch out better profits.

Now for supermarkets the model will be different, but as we have said many times before, the traditional 42,000 square foot store front is antiquated and needs rethinking. Shoppers want to build a food relationship with service departments in the store – but those unemotional cans, bottles and boxes? Lets get rid of them. Lets divide the store in half and create a ghost supermarket that is a fully automated warehouse and picking location that a shopper can use to order their staples before they get to the store, then shop for the more exciting fresh foods and on the way out of the store stop by the pick up area for those ghost supermarket products.