What is a ghost kitchen? Meaning, the 5 models and how they work
Updated October 20, 2026
A ghost kitchen is a commercial kitchen that cooks food only for delivery or pickup, with no dining room and no storefront for guests; customers order online, usually through delivery apps or the brand's own ordering page. Uber Eats describes ghost kitchens as "delivery-only restaurant brands", often run from commissary kitchens. A virtual restaurant is the close cousin: an online-only brand cooked in an existing restaurant's kitchen, next to its regular menu. "Cloud kitchen" and "dark kitchen" are other names for the same delivery-only idea, used more outside the US.
In short
- Ghost kitchen: a delivery-only kitchen with no dining room; one or several brands.
- Virtual restaurant (virtual brand): an online-only brand made in an existing restaurant's kitchen.
- Still a food business: a "true ghost kitchen", in Georgia's health department's words, "is permitted and inspected by the local health department".
- On Google: delivery-only brands must hide their address and show a service area; each brand needs its own profile.
- The catch: with no walk-in guests, every order is bought online, so delivery-app commission (15–30% in the US) decides whether it pays.
Ghost kitchen, virtual restaurant, cloud kitchen: what's the difference?
| Term | What it means | Where you hear it |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost kitchen | A kitchen that cooks only for delivery or pickup, with no dining room; may house one brand or many | US |
| Virtual restaurant / virtual brand | An online-only brand cooked in an existing restaurant's kitchen, alongside its main menu | US delivery apps (Uber Eats, DoorDash) |
| Cloud kitchen | The same delivery-only model; common in India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia | Outside the US |
| Dark kitchen | The same delivery-only model | UK and Europe |
| Commissary or shared kitchen | A licensed kitchen rented by the hour or by the unit to several food businesses | US health departments, caterers, food trucks |
Uber Eats' merchant site draws the line like this: "A virtual restaurant is an online-only food delivery business" that runs out of an existing restaurant's kitchen as a separate brand, so guests can still visit the original restaurant. A ghost kitchen has no guest-facing location at all.
What are the main ghost kitchen models?
| Model | Who runs it | Kitchen | Typical brands | Main cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Virtual brand in your own restaurant | An existing restaurant | Its own kitchen, in spare hours | 1–3 extra brands using the same ingredients | Staff time, packaging, app commission |
| 2. Private unit in a ghost kitchen facility | An operator rents a unit in a building of kitchens | A private kitchen in a shared building | 1 or more | Rent and the facility's fees |
| 3. Shared-use or commissary kitchen by the hour | Several permitted businesses | One kitchen, split by area or by hours | Small brands, caterers, food trucks | Hourly or monthly kitchen rent |
| 4. Stand-alone delivery-only kitchen | One operator | A small leased kitchen, maybe with a pickup window | 1–5 brands | Lease, buildout, equipment |
| 5. Licensed or franchised virtual brand | A restaurant cooks another company's brand | Its own kitchen | 1 per license | The brand's fees, under its contract |
North Carolina's public health department describes model 3 in its shared-use kitchen guidance: "more than one permitted food establishment operating within the same facility", in separate areas or in the same space at different hours, with a primary operator responsible for things like cleaning, pest control and a certified food protection manager.
How does a ghost kitchen order work?
- The customer orders online: on a delivery app, on the brand's own ordering page, or from Google's Order online button.
- The ticket reaches the kitchen: on a tablet or printer for each app, or in one ordering system.
- The kitchen cooks and packs: packaging that keeps food hot or cold and travels well matters more than plating.
- A driver picks it up: the app's courier, a courier booked for your own orders (such as Uber Direct or DoorDash Drive), or your own driver. Some ghost kitchens also offer pickup.
- The customer rates it: on the app or on Google. With no dining room, reviews are the only "front of house".
What rules apply to a ghost kitchen in the US?
- It needs the same food permits as a restaurant. Georgia's Department of Public Health says a true ghost kitchen "is permitted and inspected by the local health department", "does not have a dining room, and the only way to place an order is online". It also warns consumers that unpermitted operations can look the same online, and points them to the state's inspection search. Rules are set by your state and county, so ask your local health department first; the next guide covers how to start a ghost kitchen.
- Google listings follow delivery-only rules. Google's guidelines say "Delivery-only brands must add their service areas and hide the address on their business profile". Brands that share a kitchen and offer pickup to everyone may show the address. Several virtual brands at one location are allowed but face extra verification, and two brands shouldn't share one profile. See can a delivery-only kitchen hide its address?, can a cloud kitchen have a Google profile? and can each brand have its own profile?.
- Delivery-app commission is the biggest variable cost. In the US, DoorDash charges 15%, 25% or 30% on delivery, Uber Eats 20%, 25% or 30%, and Grubhub 5%, 15% or 20% marketing commission plus delivery from 10% (all US delivery app commissions).
Worked example: a virtual brand in an existing kitchen
A pizzeria with spare oven time from 2 to 5 p.m. launches a wings brand on delivery apps. These are illustrative numbers.
| Line | Working | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| Orders | 20 a day × 30 days | 600 |
| Sales | 600 × $25 | $15,000 |
| App commission at 25% | $15,000 × 25% | −$3,750 |
| Food cost at 32% | $15,000 × 32% | −$4,800 |
| Packaging | 600 × $0.75 | −$450 |
| Left for labor, fixed costs and profit | $6,000 |
The brand adds sales without new rent, which is why virtual brands appeal to restaurants with spare capacity. The same orders on the brand's own ordering page would carry card fees of about 2.9% + 30¢ instead of 25% commission, but the brand would have to bring those customers itself. For full costs and rents, see ghost kitchen cost and business models.
Ghost kitchen pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| No dining room to build, staff or rent | Every order is bought online, often at 15–30% commission |
| Test a concept with a short menu before opening a restaurant | No walk-in trade, no front of house to win guests back |
| Several brands from one kitchen and one team | Brands compete for the same kitchen at peak times |
| Location chosen for delivery reach, not foot traffic | Reviews and food quality on arrival make or break it |
| Faster to start than a full restaurant | Permits, insurance and food safety rules still apply in full |
How Menuthere helps ghost kitchens
Menuthere gives each brand its own ordering page with 0% commission, so the orders you win yourself aren't charged 15–30%.
- One ordering page per brand. Each Menuthere outlet has its own menu, ordering link and orders; on Pro, a head office shows every outlet's sales and orders in one place.
- Delivery your way (Pro): your own drivers with an iOS and Android driver app and live tracking for customers, assigned with one tap; or connect your own Uber Direct account (outside India) for courier delivery on your own orders.
- A link for Google and Instagram: put each brand's ordering page behind its Order online button.
See Menuthere for cloud kitchens, a website for your cloud kitchen and a delivery app for cloud kitchens.
Give your delivery-only brand its own ordering page, with 0% commission.
Frequently asked questions
What does ghost kitchen mean?
A ghost kitchen is a commercial kitchen that prepares food only for delivery or pickup, with no dining room. Customers order online, through delivery apps or the brand's own ordering page. One ghost kitchen can cook for one brand or several.
What is the difference between a ghost kitchen and a virtual restaurant?
A virtual restaurant is an online-only brand cooked in an existing restaurant's kitchen, so guests can still visit the original restaurant. A ghost kitchen has no guest-facing location at all and is often in a commissary or a building of rented kitchens. Many people use the terms interchangeably.
Is a cloud kitchen the same as a ghost kitchen?
Yes, in practice. Cloud kitchen is the common name for a delivery-only kitchen in India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, dark kitchen is used in the UK, and ghost kitchen is the usual US term. The model is the same: cooking for online orders with no dining room.
Are ghost kitchens legal?
Yes, when they hold the same permits as any food business. Georgia's health department says a true ghost kitchen is permitted and inspected by the local health department. Requirements are set by states and counties, so check with your local health department before you start.
What is a ghost kitchen on DoorDash or Uber Eats?
It is a delivery-only brand listed on the app like any restaurant, cooked in a ghost kitchen or in another restaurant's kitchen. On the app it looks like a normal restaurant page; the difference is that there is no dining room to visit.
Can a ghost kitchen have a Google Business Profile?
Yes. Google's guidelines say delivery-only brands must add service areas and hide their address. Several virtual brands at one location are allowed with extra verification, but two brands should not share one profile.
Sources (4)
- Uber Eats Merchants, "What is a virtual restaurant? (+ How to start one)": https://merchants.ubereats.com/us/en/resources/articles/what-is-a-virtual-restaurant/ (read 20 Oct 2026; no publication date shown): "A virtual restaurant is an online-only food delivery business"; runs from an existing restaurant's kitchen as a separate brand; ghost kitchens are "delivery-only restaurant brands", also called commissary kitchens, with no customer-facing location.
- Georgia Department of Public Health, "Guidance When Ordering Food Online" (created 20 Apr 2023): https://dph.georgia.gov/node/55651 (read 20 Oct 2026): a true ghost kitchen "is permitted and inspected by the local health department", "does not have a dining room, and the only way to place an order is online"; inspection search at ga.healthinspections.us.
- North Carolina DHHS, "Shared-use kitchen guidance" press release, 19 Dec 2017: https://www.dph.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2017/12/19/shared-use-kitchen-guidance (read 20 Oct 2026): "more than one permitted food establishment operating within the same facility"; separate areas or different hours; primary operator duties incl. a certified food protection manager; position statement, not directly enforceable.
- Google Business Profile Help, "Guidelines for representing your business on Google": https://support.google.com/business/answer/3038177 (read 20 Oct 2026): "Delivery-only brands must add their service areas and hide the address on their business profile…"; co-located brands with pickup for all may show the address; multiple virtual brands allowed with extra verification; two brands not on one listing.