Inside the 'ghost kitchen' phenomenon

So-called "ghost kitchens" have seen a spike in popularity amid restrictions to indoor dining. A ghost kitchen is a delivery-only restaurant. Orders are made in one location and picked up by a delivery driver. The operations save money because there’s no physical space for customers. While the pandemic sparked a surge in food deliveries, many restaurant experts expect ghost kitchens to follow the industry’s “80/20 rule” – 80 percent will fail and 20 percent will succeed.

Class discussion: Do you and your family often eat restaurant take-out or delivery orders? When indoor dining at restaurants is no longer restricted, do you expect most of these ghost kitchen operations to go out of business? Why or why not? Are you looking forward to going out to restaurants without worrying about the coronavirus pandemic? Are ghost kitchens more likely to replace traditional dine-in restaurants or cooking at home? How has restaurant food changed the diet of Americans?