The appeal of ghost kitchens grew early in the COVID-19 pandemic when food delivery services became a necessity. Nearly three years later, do convenience retailers still view ghost kitchens as a viable option for enhancing foodservice? NACS survey results and convenience retailer investment in ghost kitchens suggest the answer is yes. A ghost kitchen is roughly defined as a physical space for foodservice providers to create prepared food for off-premise consumption, usually via delivery.

The October 2022 NACS Foodservice Growth Drivers survey indicates that the number of retailers planning to partner with a ghost kitchen in the next two years (25.4%) is nearly double the number that have worked with a ghost kitchen in the past (13.6%). Circle K parent Alimentation Couche-Tard, for example, in July 2022 invested in Kitchen United, a growing ghost kitchen servicer and restaurant hub technology company.

Although nearly one-third of participating retailers are unsure whether their company will collaborate with a ghost kitchen in the near future, nearly one-quarter of respondents show interest in a ghost kitchen partnership. Only 22.0% of respondents consider ghost kitchens to be too complex for their business to implement and manage, while 55.9% believe ghost kitchens have the potential to increase their business’ profitability. Convenience retailers continue to see potential from ghost kitchen partnerships, and future interest does not appear to be waning.