Home delivery platforms have changed the way we consume. But behind some fast food hides a lesser known universe: that of dark kitchens. These “ghost kitchens”, without rooms or servers, redefine the codes of traditional catering. Deciphering a rapidly expanding model, driven by influencers with millions of subscribers.
Like one in two French people, you may have already used a home delivery platform to order a meal. Uber Eat, Just Eat and Deliveroo, meal delivery players are booming. Well helped by the Covid-19 crisis, the turnover of food delivery should reach 9.2 billion euros in 2026, according to Food Service Vision.
If these platforms list world-famous brands like McDonald’s or Burger King, they also offer the opportunity to discover new flavors, new restaurants and, one day, to go there physically. Problem is, some restaurants simply don’t exist, at least not in the way you might imagine.
A booming concept
They are called the dark kitchens or even the ghost kitchensin other words, “ghost kitchens”. Paradoxically, in these places, only the kitchen really exists. On site, no waiters, tables, cutlery but delivery men on bikes waiting to receive their precious order. Welcome to a world where stainless steel is king. Between fryers, grill, oven and plancha, the cooks prepare a wide variety of orders on the line, for several brands.
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