Imagine starting a restaurant that’s closed to diners. That’s exactly what DoorDash is doing. They’re looking to start up what they call a ‘virtual kitchen’ and it might be all the rage. The place they open will be a shared kitchen area where many businesses can come together and make the food that DoorDash then delivers to customers. No patrons will be allowed to dine in there, as no seats are available.
Redwood City, California looks to be the first virtual kitchen site. They have several businesses already looking to take part. They include The Halal Guys, Nation’s Giant Hamburgers, Rooster & Rice, and Humphry Slocombe. This venture is meant to be a win-win for both DoorDash and the restaurants themselves. Therefore, restaurants save money on providing dining space and DoorDash gets a cut of the delivery.
The delivery company currently offers service in 4,000 U.S. cities and in Canada and Australia. “We are constantly working on innovations that help merchants find new, meaningful ways to reach customers and run their businesses more efficiently,” Fuad Hannon, head of new business verticals at DoorDash, said in a statement. “We launched DoorDash over six years ago in the Peninsula, and can’t wait to bring even more selection to the local community we know and admire.”
“Given our founders’ Bay Area roots, we are always interested in how technology can change the way food is delivered and shared,” Min Park, chief financial officer of Rooster & Rice, said. “We were impressed by the overall partnership and scale DoorDash could reach with this concept, and we found the notion of a delivery-only kitchen in Redwood City very appealing as it helps us test out demand in new markets, reaching new customers and areas quickly.”
The DoorDash Virtual Kitchen Idea is Expanding
Companies like DoorDash really look to improve the convenience they offer customers. They’re locked in a battle with GrubHub and UberEats as other food delivery services. They’re also not the first company to come up with the virtual kitchen concept. Bon Appetit and Rachael Ray also want to jump into the game. It’s unknown if the virtual kitchen will spread to other large markets. Still, it seems like a promising way to give customers what they want. You make an order for what you want to eat and it comes to your door freshly cooked. This may change the way we eat forever
