Adaptation. This is the word that comes up in all conversions between restaurateurs since March 2020. Some have had to quickly adapt to this new reality and thus develop a new offer in order to survive, whether it is take-out orders, a new delivery service or the preparation of ready-to-eat meals. Which made some entrepreneurs realize that a virtual kitchen could save them! What exactly is it?
First developed in the United States, where franchises of this type are available, the concept is quite simple: build a restaurant without a dining room, where the kitchen takes up all the space and is used only to prepare orders for delivery. .
The concept then evolved and we find in the Montreal area the establishment Q-ZN, a simple warehouse where many stations have been converted with stainless steel prep tables, hood fans, freezers and refrigerators.
Thus, a restaurant or a chef, hard hit by the pandemic, could leave their current premises, integrate Q-ZN, rent a space and take advantage of the present facilities. Costs include station rental, kitchen equipment, and a point-of-sale system integrated with popular delivery services such as Uber Eats.
For the restaurateur, the fixed costs are therefore lower and the investment to join this facility is less than what an entrepreneur has to pay to open a new establishment. It can also offer dishes at lower and more affordable prices to its customers.
The various chefs present in this "warehouse" each work on their own but share tools such as fridges and dishwashers. Activities are reduced to the essentials, as is the payroll.
By reducing certain expenses, the restaurant owner can invest more in advertising and find new customers attracted by delivery services.
Remember that the demand for delivery was constantly increasing even before the start of the pandemic. Containment and the closure of dining rooms have only increased this trend.
Dining restaurants have certainly not had their last word, but a new reality is slowly catching up with restaurant entrepreneurs.
Will they take the entire turn towards a virtual kitchen, intended only for the delivery of their menu?