PepsiCo Debuts Ghost Kitchen Capability
PepsiCo announces a new ghost kitchen capability to help unlock growth opportunities for foodservice partners. The new offering will enable existing and future PepsiCo Foodservice customers to seamlessly enter the ghost kitchen space and leverage PepsiCo's resources and portfolio of brands to optimize off-premise performance.
Under this new umbrella offering, PepsiCo will harness learnings from the success of Pep's Place to introduce additional ghost kitchen menus centered around some of PepsiCo's most beloved brands.
Ghost Kitchens Heat Up
Genghis Grill, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, HOA Brands, Muscle Maker Grill, Fazoli's, Brinker International, Nathan's Famous, Chuck E. Cheese and Dog Haus have launched virtual brands as demand for off-premises dining soared. At MURTEC '22, Wow Bao, REEF, Kitchen United and Salt Partners shared their secret sauce for success behind their ghost and dark kitchen brands.
For PepsiCo Foodservice Digital Lab, ghost kitchens mark a strategic expansion. Launched in 2019, Digital Lab is a consultancy that melds digital and technology partners with proprietary in-house innovation to provide resources and solutions for PepsiCo Foodservice customers. The consultancy offers a suite of capabilities to connect customers with the companies, services, and insights best suited for their specific digital and online needs. With the ghost kitchen market forecasted to reach $71.4B by 20271, this new Digital Lab service is aimed to aid growing off-premise needs of restaurant operators and empower them to capture the 54% of adults who view food takeout or delivery as essential to the way they live2. The combination of PepsiCo's industry-leading digital capabilities, paired with its culinary know-how and beloved portfolio of brands make this an unmatched offering.
"Ghost kitchens offer foodservice operators an efficient, proven, and cost-effective way to improve kitchen profitability and overall supply-chain utilization without the burden of additional overhead and front of house operations typically associated with launching a new restaurant," said André Moraes, senior director of marketing at PepsiCo Foodservice. "PepsiCo Foodservice leads with innovation; we are constantly seeking new opportunities to learn and modernize to bring our customers cutting-edge capabilities to fuel their growth and drive success. Digital Lab provides new and existing partners with a one-stop-shop to enter the space so they can focus on what they do best: creating delicious meals that delight consumers."
The PepsiCo Foodservice Digital Lab's new ghost kitchen offering is designed to also create a turnkey, scalable solution for customers looking to bring their flavors to new or existing markets, grow their off-premise footprint, and drive revenue. PepsiCo makes the process seamless for customers by packaging up best-in-class digital marketing concepts while also providing expertise on culinary creations, menu optimization, media, launch strategies and more. Current and future customers are also invited to harness the power of PepsiCo's vast portfolio of beverages and snacks such as Pepsi®, MTN DEW®, Doritos and Cheetos® that draw in fans, to create uniquely branded menu items and virtual experiences that will keep consumers craving more.
The roll out of PepsiCo Digital Lab's ghost kitchen offering follows previously launched virtual brand experience, Pep's Place. Pep's Place – the first initiative under the award winning "Better with Pepsi" campaign, served as an inventive "fast beverage" ghost kitchen that paired Pepsi varieties with a flavorful menu of burgers, buffalo wings, sandwiches, salads and more. The virtual brand came to life in partnership with Famous Dave's and in just one month of operations, welcomed more than three million guests through its virtual doors, demonstrating high consumer demand for new and exciting food delivery experiences.