A force awakens

Darth Kitchens, a dark (or ghost) kitchen in Cape Town’s CBD, has developed and launched eight brands over the past year. And while the lockdown has affected food delivery numbers in South Africa, Darth Kitchens CEO, Tom Shackle, believes the delivery-only model as premised on the virtual kitchen concept will become more popular in SA.

“The market for food delivery in this country is growing fast. The lockdown in this country has affected those numbers, but with delivery being one of our only options these days, the customer is provided with a quick, simple option to get food, while staying in the comfort of their own home. Given the rise of the need for convenience in the market, food delivery in this country is following a similar trajectory to the trends we’ve seen internationally. With that, I foresee the dark kitchen model becoming exponentially more popular.” And while the lockdown has put Darth Kitchens’ expansion plans on hold, there are still “scaling plans on the horizon for when the current circumstances calm down, and we’re looking forward to expanding our footprint into other areas”. ■

Tom Shackle CEO of Darth Kitchens