Coolgreens Heats Up Expansion with Ghost Kitchen

Coolgreens is set to open its first virtual kitchen in Orlando next month.

Coolgreens CEO Robert Lee said the brand has executed a franchise agreement with Humza and Fariha Idrees to open two Coolgreens in Orlando. The first will open in a virtual kitchen space in October, and then a brick-and-mortar restaurant will follow in 2021.

Ghost kitchens are projected to reach a $1 trillion global market by 2030, according to Euromonitor research, making them an attractive concept for operators even after dine-in restrictions are lifted. According to the National Restaurant Association, 2020 State of the Industry Report, 75% of restaurant operators now consider off-premise dining to be their best growth opportunity. 

Located in Central Orlando, Coolgreens will operate in a multi-functional shared kitchen facility and will work with five major third-party delivery partners to serve a 20-mile radius.

Humza Idrees said, “...Right now, consumers want to eat their favorite restaurant food, but many feel most comfortable doing it in their own homes. We feel we can fill this need by offering Coolgreens for delivery through a virtual kitchen."

After serving as director of marketing and operations for Tesla in Minneapolis, Idrees started looking into other businesses that aligned with his personal goals of living a healthy life. He and Fariha moved to Orlando in early 2020 and sought out Coolgreens. Idrees said his forte is reading trends and understanding what drives consumer behavior. Because Coolgreens has stayed ahead of the business curve, he saw a promising future for the brand.

Though businesses will continue to see peaks and troughs for the remainder of this year, Idrees said he is confident of success by getting started now.

“As an entrepreneur, I know there is a special opportunity here even during a pandemic,” Idrees said. “There is a need for Coolgreens’ nutritious, chef-inspired menu in Orlando. My wife and I are excited to become part of Coolgreens and encourage our new community to join us in leading a healthy lifestyle.”