FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — Food delivery has been on the rise in recent years, and demand has only increased since the pandemic began, according to Eater.
When you open your favorite delivery app, you might see a restaurant you don't recognize or it might not even be the actual restaurant. It could have come from a ghost kitchen.
A ghost kitchen is a delivery-only option based within the kitchen of another restaurant, and in some cases, the same restaurant you order from may be cooking as a chef for multiple other restaurants.
Some restaurants may look like small businesses, but are actually well-known restaurant chains. In December 2023, CNN reported that this was an issue for some customers who wanted to complain about their orders.
CNN's Nathaniel Meyersohn said, “When I found out that I had ordered from what I thought was a small restaurant, it was actually a large chain restaurant using ghost kitchen technology, I felt “cheated'' and “catfished.'' There were some customers,” he said.
What's the best way to know if you're ordering from a ghost kitchen? Check the address you're ordering from.
The Meltdown in Fort Smith on GrubHub's website and The Burger Den on DoorDash share the same address as Denny's.
Rogers' Tender Shack and It's Just Wings share addresses with Outback Steakhouse and Chili's, respectively.
Pasqually's Pizza & Wings on Uber Eats in Little Rock is Chuck E. Cheese.
MrBeast Burger (the ghost kitchen of Youtuber Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast) in Conway on Uber Eats shares an address with On The Border Mexican Grill and Cantina.
As you can see, it's common for restaurants to offer multiple ghost kitchens and unlikely menus. Ghost kitchen items may vary by location, and the hubs for those locations may vary by city.
