Kitchen United Closes Ghost Kitchens

Known for its ghost kitchens, Kitchen United has closed its physical locations inside Kroger Co. grocery stores to focus on its software business.  

Kitchen United Mix, its ghost kitchen concept that was located in seven Kroger Co. locations throughout Texas, Central Ohio and Indianapolis, have closed, HT confirmed.  "We are currently looking to pivot back into a software business," Kitchen United stated in an email to HT. "We have closed all of Kitchen United locations operating inside of Kroger. We appreciate their partnership and support over the years."

Kitchen United has already transferred its New York sites to Nimbus Kitchens and its Austin, Texas, location to ChefSuite, according to this report.

Kitchen United's pivot comes as restaurants are evaluating their off-premises strategies as delivery growth slows for some brands. In a  Nov. 21 earnings call with analysts, Jack in the Box CEO Darin Harris, said, “Digital carryout continued its momentum, surpassing digital delivery growth for the third straight quarter. Our first-party channels, which include app and web ordering, outpaced third-party and rose 36% higher than a year ago."

Restaurants: what's your take on ghost kitchens and delivery?  Send HT your thoughts.