Your Washington DC ghost kitchen awaits
CloudKitchens has private delivery-only kitchens to help Washington DC food businesses thrive.
Why open ghost kitchens in Washington DC?
$22
Average basket size
The average basket size at our Washington DC ghost kitchen locations is $22, meaning more online revenue for your restaurant business.
2.6K
Deliveries per week
Tap into more online delivery demand at our Washington DC dark kitchen locations with an average of 2.6K deliveries per week.
38mins.
Average delivery time
Our Washington DC ghost kitchens are built for efficiency, with the logistics and delivery support you need to deliver more orders faster.
6
Delivery platforms available
Maximize your reach online with 6 delivery platforms to choose from.
63%
Weekday orders
This area has more incoming delivery orders during the week Vs. on the weekend
532
New restaurants per year
Unlock your delivery potential in a competitive market
Ghost kitchens versus traditional restaurants
Real estate
Brick & mortar
2000ft2
High cost, high traffic address
Ghost Kitchens
200ft2
Same area, low cost low traffic address
Staff required (~)
Brick & mortar
24
Many dedicated to front-of-house
Ghost Kitchens
4
We provide staff to handle all order handoffs and more
Weeks to launch 1 location
Brick & mortar
52w
10 locations 5-10 years
Ghost Kitchens
6w
Multiple locations 1 year
Upfront investment
Brick & mortar
$1M
High investment
Ghost Kitchens
$30k*
Low investment
Break even
Brick & mortar
5y
10% profit on 1M run rate
Ghost Kitchens
6m
10% profit on 1M run rate
* Varies based on local permitting and operational complexity
All you need and more under the hood
We offer kitchens for modern-day chefs and help get you set up with specialized equipment and minimal fuss.
Space
- Private kitchen
- Driver pickup area
- Staff locker area
- Restrooms
- Mop wash
- Cold & freezer storage
- Dry storage
Services
- Order pickup & processing*
- Courier handoff
- Cleaning & maintenance
- Safety & health inspections
- Delivery logistics
- Extraction & ventilation
- On-site support staff
- Delivery software
*Level of service dependent on facility
Equipment
- 3 compartment sink
- Prep sink
- Hand sink
- Commercial hood
- Tablet
- Grease-trap/interceptor
Utilities
- Gas points
- Power outlets
- High power lighting
- Cold & hot water lines
- Gas/fire safety system
- WiFi
- Trash / recycle
- Ethernet connections
- Grease/trap cleaning
- Hood/flue cleaning
- Pest control
The golden age of food delivery has arrived. And with that, comes 54M delivery app users and a market estimated to reach a net worth of $1.65T by 2027. Ghost kitchens are providing restaurateurs with a lower-risk alternative to a traditional brick and mortar by cutting labor costs and the overall upfront investment to get started.
With dedicated kitchen space built for delivery, these lower cost, tech-enabled locations set you and your restaurant up for delivery success, making it easy to get up and running in less time.
With over 8,000 ghost kitchen locations in the US alone, chances are there is a ghost kitchen in your neighborhood. At CloudKitchens, we find the best possible ghost kitchen location that captures the most delivery demand, at the lowest cost.
As more hungry customers turn to delivery for their next meal, it is becoming even more vital to have a delivery strategy in place for your restaurant business.
Unlock new trends emerging in food delivery, new AI tech to take advantage of, and how to tap into this booming industry with our latest trend guide.
1 ghost kitchen location
Our Washington DC facility is located in the heart of delivery demand, providing you with exclusive access to more online customers.
50 total ghost kitchens
Our Washington DC facilities are equipped with a variety of kitchen layouts to best fit your restaurant needs.
~200 sq ft cooking spaces
Choose from a variety of kitchen spaces or open up multiple kitchens to test out new concepts.
Delivery and pickup in high traffic areas
With prime locations near high concentrations of delivery demand in Washington DC, you're able to easily drive more pickup and delivery business to your restaurant.
As restaurant owners or professionals in the food industry, you’re likely familiar with the limited seating for customers, high overhead, and slow growth typical of brick-and-mortar restaurants. A DC ghost kitchen is an easy alternative for restaurant owners. Affordable and high-tech, our takeout and delivery kitchens help you realize your food business dreams without the hassle, headache, or high costs of doing it all yourself.
Sit-down restaurants can take months, sometimes years, to open. With CloudKitchens, you can get started in weeks, and for much less startup capital. With a DC ghost restaurant, just about everything is all set for you, and we make it easy to secure the equipment you need for a fully operational kitchen space.
With our centrally located kitchens, your food can land on countless customers' tables each night—more than any restaurant could possibly fit. You can also operate multiple menus at once—that means doubling your order volume without doubling your expenses when having a virtual kitchen.
Now, you can toss the unpredictable overhead costs and complicated budgets out with the scraps. With CloudKitchens, your payment includes essential services like cleaning, security, and order fulfillment support. It’s hard to find a more affordable space than a DC ghost kitchen.
Ghost restaurants are the future—and so is our proprietary technology, installed in every virtual restaurant. From a fully integrated platform, you can manage all incoming orders, outgoing deliveries, and menu updates, plus receive data reports on your kitchen’s performance. It’s the ultimate tool for success in a fast-paced delivery market.
Our innovative and inexpensive business model is designed for your success, whether you’re launching a niche pop-up or expanding your national chain. Ready to take your business into the future? Learn more about licensing a Washington DC ghost kitchen now.
Washington DC ghost kitchens
Questions? We’re here to help
What is a ghost kitchen?
Ghost kitchens, also known as dark kitchens or virtual kitchens, are commissary kitchens built for food delivery. They’re located within the delivery radius of a high volume of online customers, rather than high foot traffic areas. With ghost kitchens, there’s no physical storefront or dining area, so you only need a few back-of-house staff members to fulfill online orders.
How does a ghost kitchen work?
In a ghost kitchen, your restaurant is focused on delivery rather than dine-in. When eaters order your food online, you’ll prepare it from your ghost kitchen, and hand it off to a fulfillment team to get the order over to the right delivery driver. This gives restaurateurs a low cost, high efficiency model to get the most out of delivery.
Are ghost kitchens profitable?
Yes, ghost kitchens can be profitable. Ghost kitchens allow restaurateurs to increase profitability by maintaining the essential elements of a restaurant while cutting costs on labor, overhead, and wasted food while reaching a higher volume of customers ordering online. Plus, you can run multiple virtual brands out of a single ghost kitchen to increase revenue without the extra overhead.
Why are ghost kitchens so popular?
Ghost kitchens are rising in popularity because they’re a lower cost alternative to operating a traditional restaurant. They’re also focused on delivery, which has grown 300% faster than dine-in since 2014. That means restaurateurs are using ghost kitchens to future-proof their business and accelerate growth.
How does a ghost kitchen help your restaurant grow?
Ghost kitchens help restaurateurs grow their business by doing delivery right. The way we dine has changed, and ghost kitchens allow restaurant operators to capture food delivery demand without sacrificing their bottom line. They’re also a great way to expand to new markets without spending time and money on a traditional restaurant buildout. You can easily expand your restaurant brand to different cities across the country such as Los Angeles or New York.
How much do ghost kitchens cost?
The cost of ghost kitchens varies by market, space, and services. Compared to a traditional restaurant, they’re a much lower cost alternative on both upfront capital and ongoing operating costs. You can get started in a ghost kitchen with as little as $30K, instead of $1M+ for brick and mortar buildout.
What are the requirements to set up a ghost kitchen in Washington DC?
To set up a ghost kitchen DC will love, start with a kitchen space that meets local regulations and accommodates industry-grade equipment, including various sinks, a hood, a tablet, and more. A successful Washington, DC, ghost kitchen also depends on the people who run it. Supercharge your Washington DC CloudKitchens operations with a small support staff that knows all about local ingredients and food delivery networks. With seamless integration with various food delivery service platforms, we take the guesswork out of logistics so you can focus on the food.
Start cooking with us today
CloudKitchens locations