It’s no secret that the restaurant industry has had a difficult time for the past couple of years. The global pandemic completely changed the way people dine and socialise, increasing inflation has hit family budgets and staffing shortages have been felt across the sector.
Despite this, ghost kitchen brands are incredibly versatile and nimble. It’s a fast-paced, innovative industry where turning challenges into opportunities is key to success.
With this in mind, we’re helping you plan ahead by thinking about three of the biggest challenges faced by the industry in 2022, and importantly – what you can do about it.
This is both a threat and an opportunity for virtual kitchen brands.
With global lockdowns, many restaurants are repurposing their operations towards food delivery. This means an already competitive industry has become even more competitive – with new virtual food concepts and existing restaurants appearing online every day.
Of course, virtual food brands have the additional challenge of connecting with online customers without “in-person” interactions.
To remain competitive, focus on your online presence and personalising the delivery experience. This includes all aspects of food delivery platform listings, menu optimisation and food photography – and of course excellent customer service.
To really capitalise on the growing digitisation of the industry, it’s also worth making sure your brand is listed across several online food delivery platforms.
The takeaway and food delivery market has transformed in recent years. Gone are the days of classics such as pizza or fish and chips dominating. Instead, consumers demand choice and variety.
This also means brand loyalty is waning however, as diners are constantly looking to experiment and try cuisines from all over the world. This is partly driven by increased exposure to new food ideas through social media.
In this ever-changing food scene, it pays to keep up to date with social media developments. So whether it’s watching food influencers or the latest TikTok trends, make sure your virtual kitchen brand isn’t left behind.
In addition to your regular menu, consider reserving a couple of dishes for regularly updated specials. Allowing your chefs to creatively experiment with flavours will also add to their job satisfaction.
Keeping sustainability at the forefront of your ghost kitchen operations is paramount. Whilst this can certainly be a challenge in an industry with tight margins, it’s something consumers really care about.
The food delivery sector is sometimes perceived as ignoring environmental issues. With the necessary transportation involved in delivery, packaged food and energy-consuming kitchens, it’s not hard to see why consumers worry.
Despite this, virtual food brands can actually be more environmentally friendly than traditional restaurants. So let your customers know about all your sustainability efforts! Whether its energy savings, environmentally friendly packaging, efforts towards reducing kitchen waste or using local produce – it won’t go unappreciated.
If you want to increase the profits of your kitchen, get in touch with our friendly, expert team at Peckwater Brands. We’ll set you up to run a successful delivery franchise. You run the kitchen, we do the rest.