Virtual restaurants

are they right for you?

Virtual restaurants have risen dramatically in popularity the last couple of years. In today’s climate, the thought of launching a new restaurant can be stressful, to say the least, and with good reason. Opening a virtual restaurants could be a less taxing option.

WHAT IS A VIRTUAL RESTAURANT?

Think restaurant food, without the dine-in option. A virtual restaurant (also known as a virtual kitchen or ghost kitchen) is just that — a restaurant that eradicates the eat-in option for diners and operates strictly as a food delivery company. Whether it’s online ordering being booked via app or web, the virtual restaurant serves as the kitchen for delivery and/or takeout food options. A virtual restaurant operates from an isolated kitchen space without a storefront. Customers use online ordering and payment methods and have their food delivered either by the restaurant itself or with food delivery apps such as UberEats or Skip the Dishes.

WHY GO VIRTUAL?

The benefits of using a ghost kitchen or numerous.

Larger customer base

Restaurants fixed to a specific location miss out on customers outside of their service range. Convenience is one of the most significant factors in choosing a restaurant for most patrons. Driving outside of your neighborhood for food doesn’t happen as often as one would think. Ghost kitchens can deliver to many areas, near and far.

Low capital investment

Opening a traditional storefront is expensive, and can require a whole slew of permits, inspections, licenses, equipment, furniture and more. With a virtual restaurant space, your initial investment is a fraction of the cost.

Smaller payroll

You’ll need less staff for your virtual kitchen. Gone are wages to front-of-the-house. In the face of rising labor shortages and the prospect of a higher minimum wage, the small staff required to run a ghost kitchen is incredibly appealing.

Flexibility and Efficiency

Online platforms can be easily altered to fit updates, whether automatic or manual. For restaurant businesses, this means introducing new dishes to your fully online menu becomes inherently easy and efficient. This amount of flexibility and customization allows for adaptation to ever-changing preferences within your target market. Much of the need for immediate alteration came from the impact that the pandemic had on the restaurant industry — primarily impacting existing restaurants.

Expansion Opportunities

Alongside flexibility and efficiency, virtual restaurants offer a bigger opportunity of expansion. Due to the restaurant being built online, rather than a physical location, replicating it’s system(s) becomes more efficient; this means an increase in expansion opportunities across both locations and dishes.

More freedom for experimentation

Virtual kitchens can give life to your creative ideas. Your entire business is online which gives you tremendous freedom to experiment and try out new trends. You can introduce new items on your menu at any time. Adapting according to the market is much easier with cloud kitchens as compared to traditional restaurants. ---Since your ghost brand is virtual, you can change your menu, pricing, or name at any time. Or add a side menu for a new concept from the same kitchen.

TM

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Chipotle Pot Roast Tacos

With crowd-pleasing Tex-Mex flavours, these slow-cooked pot roast tacos will be a hit on your menu

Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: 4 hours Total Time: 4 hours 45 minutes Serves: 12

INGREDIENTS

Chipotle Pot Roast: 1 Carve Premium Ontario Beef AAA Inside Round Roast (6 lb) (2.7 kg) 1 tsp (5 mL) each salt and pepper 2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil 1 onion, diced (100 g) 4 cloves garlic, minced (25 g) 1 tbsp (15 mL) ancho chili powder 1 tbsp (15 mL) ground cumin 1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano 2 minced canned chipotles in adobo (30 g) and 2 tbsp (30 mL) adobo sauce 1 can (28 oz/796 mL) plum tomatoes, crushed 2 cups (375 mL) sodium-reduced beef broth ¼ cup (60 mL) lime juice ¼ cup (60 mL) orange juice 2 tbsp (30 mL) brown sugar Assembly: ¾ cup (175 mL) olive oil 36 corn tortillas (small), warmed 3 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced 2 ¼ cups (550 mL) crumbled cotija cheese 2 ¼ cups (550 mL) fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). 2. Chipotle Pot Roast: Season roast with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven or large ovenproof saucepan set over high heat; cook roast for 10 to 15 minutes or until seared all over. Remove from pan. 3. Stir in onion and garlic; cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Stir in ancho chili powder, cumin and oregano; cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in chipotles and adobo; cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, broth, lime juice, orange juice and brown sugar; bring to boil. 4. Return roast to pan; cover and roast for 3 to 3 ½ hours or until fork-tender and can be shredded easily. 5. Shred roast with 2 forks; toss with sauce. Let cool completely; refrigerate and reheat to order. Alternatively, hold for service. 6. Assembly: For each serving, heat 1 tsp oil set over medium heat. Cook 1 cup of shredded beef until heated through. 7. Divide beef among 3 warmed tortillas. Top each taco with 3 slices of avocado, 1 tbsp cotija cheese and 1 tbsp cilantro.

TIP: Substitute feta cheese for cotija cheese.

Recipe provided by Flanagan Foodservice. For more recipes please visit Flanagan.ca

PROUDLY CANADIAN OWNED

Canada’s third largest foodservice distributor, with distribution centres in Kitchener, Sudbury and Whitby. We proudly serve Ontario food operators with service that represents the warmth and tradition that Canadians are famous for. With over 10,000 products listed, Flanagan Foodservice can supply and equip every aspect of your restaurant: from fresh meat and seafood to a full line of smallwares and equipment. Contact us today at 1-855 Flanagan or go to www.flanagan.ca to learn more CARVE IS AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT FLANAGAN FOODSERVICE Produced with support of the Ontario Beef Market Development Program THE BOTTOM LINE SPRING 2022 | 45

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