Who Signs the Lease? Navigating Decision-Making in Central Kitchen Operations

Clarify who drives central kitchen lease approvals, overcome common roadblocks, and choose the right partner to scale with confidence.

Deciding to move into a central kitchen is a big step for any food production business. Beyond evaluating the location, size, and cost, operators often face a more complex question: who actually signs the lease?

Understanding how central kitchen lease decisions are made internally — and which stakeholders are involved — is key to keeping growth plans on track. 

Whether you’re a COO, a food production operator, or an entrepreneur scaling multiple brands, aligning decision-makers early can help you avoid delays, build confidence, and simplify the path to expansion.

The Stakeholders in Lease Decision-Making

Every organization handles central kitchen lease approvals differently, and in reality, the process is rarely as clear-cut as it looks on paper. 

Responsibilities often overlap, priorities can conflict, and the sequence of approvals may shift depending on the company’s size and structure. Still, most organizations follow a framework with a few key decision-makers:

1. Executive Leadership

• Who they are: CEOs, founders, executive directors, or board members.
  
• What they care about: Big-picture strategy. They want to know how a central kitchen supports long-term growth, competitive positioning, and scalability. They also assess whether the move aligns with brand expansion, market penetration, or diversification goals.
  
• Decision-making role: Final approval. Even if operational and financial teams recommend moving forward, leadership usually provides the ultimate sign-off. In smaller companies, executives may also negotiate lease terms directly with providers.
  
• Collaboration challenge: Leadership often pushes for aggressive growth timelines, while other stakeholders focus on operational or financial caution. Aligning these perspectives is key.

2. Operations Leaders

• Who they are: COOs, heads of operations, kitchen managers, and production directors.
  
• What they care about: Day-to-day functionality. They evaluate whether the facility can support multiple food production models (ghost kitchens, catering, wholesale, commissary support). Kitchen layout, equipment access, and workflow efficiency are top priorities.
  
• Decision-making role: Primary drivers. They determine if the space will actually work for the team, and their recommendation carries significant weight.
  
• Collaboration challenge: They may push for more square footage, additional storage, or higher-end equipment, which can clash with finance’s cost concerns.

3. Finance Teams

• Who they are: CFOs, controllers, financial analysts, or budget managers.
  
• What they care about: Numbers and risk. They review lease costs, operational overhead, build-out fees, and long-term ROI. They’re also focused on mitigating risks like cash flow strain or overly restrictive lease terms.
  
• Decision-making role: Risk assessment. Finance teams model different scenarios (best case, worst case, and most likely outcomes) to guide leadership. Their recommendation often determines whether executives are comfortable moving forward.
  
• Collaboration challenge: Finance may slow down decision-making if projections are unclear or operational data isn’t well-documented.

4. Legal Advisors

• Who they are: In-house counsel, external attorneys, or specialized real estate advisors.
  
• What they care about: Protecting the business. They scrutinize lease clauses around liability, compliance, maintenance responsibilities, and renewal flexibility. They ensure contracts don’t include hidden risks or obligations that could burden the company in the future.
  
• Decision-making role: Safeguards. They don’t determine whether the lease makes business sense, but they ensure it’s legally sound and enforceable.
  
• Collaboration challenge: Legal reviews can prolong timelines, especially when lease structures are complex. Having a clear, standardized lease often accelerates their work.

5. Operations Staff and Brand Managers

• Who they are: Shift supervisors, culinary team leads, brand operators, and support staff.
  
• What they care about: Practical execution. They want to know if the kitchen supports production flow, safe food handling, storage requirements, and staffing efficiency. For multi-brand operators, they also consider how easily menus can be run side by side.
  
• Decision-making role: Influencers. While they don’t sign leases, their feedback is critical. If the staff can’t see themselves working effectively in the space, operators risk high turnover and inefficiencies.
  
• Collaboration challenge: Their focus on daily usability sometimes clashes with finance or leadership, who are more concerned about cost and strategic scale.

Read more: How much does it cost to rent a Commercial Kitchen? Everything you need to know!

Common Roadblocks in Lease Decisions

Even with the right stakeholders at the table, central kitchen lease decisions can face roadblocks that slow the process. 

One of the most common challenges is misaligned priorities — finance teams tend to prioritize cost control, while operations teams focus on efficiency and functionality. This can create friction and prolong discussions. 

Approvals themselves often move slowly, since multiple layers of review are required before a final decision is made. In many organizations, there’s also a lack of clarity around ownership, leaving teams uncertain about who ultimately has the authority to move the lease forward. 

Finally, the complexity of legal and compliance reviews can feel overwhelming, particularly without specialized guidance. 

Together, these factors frequently lead to hesitation, which delays expansion plans and results in missed opportunities in competitive markets.

How CloudKitchens Simplifies Central Kitchen Lease Decisions

At CloudKitchens, we understand that signing a central kitchen lease isn’t just about real estate — it’s about growth. Although we don’t lease per se, our licensing alternative is built for supporting and simplifying every step of the process.

• Clear license structures: Our standardized agreements streamline legal review and minimize back-and-forth.
  
• Built-in scalability: Facilities are designed to grow with you, making it easier for leadership to approve long-term plans.
  
• One-stop operations hub: With ghost kitchens and commissary kitchens in prime locations, COOs and operations leaders can be confident in efficiency and reach.
  
• Technology integration: From order management to reporting, we help finance and operations see the full ROI picture.
  
• Dedicated support: Our team works directly with operators to clarify next steps, reducing uncertainty and smoothing the path to approval.

By aligning with CloudKitchens, operators reduce complexity, build internal confidence, and shorten the decision-making cycle.

Making the Decision Easier

Securing a central kitchen lease doesn’t need to be overwhelming. By understanding who’s involved, anticipating roadblocks, and choosing the right partner, food operators can move forward with confidence.

If you’re ready to scale smarter, CloudKitchens provides the space, technology, and expertise to make the decision simple.

Find your kitchen location today and unlock your growth potential.

DISCLAIMER: This information is provided for general informational purposes only and the content does not constitute an endorsement. CloudKitchens does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of any information, text, images/graphics, links, or other content contained within the blog content. We recommend that you consult with financial, legal, and business professionals for advice specific to your situation.