We might forget this someday, but ghost kitchens and virtual restaurant concepts were not a product of the COVID-19 pandemic. No, operators have been kicking the tires of the virtual marketplace’s potential really since the dawn of the delivery era, which seems like eons ago but was somewhere around 2012–2013.
Still, the pandemic was the fuel to ghost kitchens’ fire, thrusting millions more Americans into the digital sphere and delivery to the top of the service priority list. The potential suddenly seemed limitless; the combination of infinite virtual real estate with very little overhead was potent.
Now there are thousands of virtual, delivery-only concepts out in the ether, quickly spreading with the help of ghost kitchens, host kitchens, commercial kitchens—really any kitchen that can muster the space and resources. Here’s a look at the 57 virtual restaurant brands that we think are the most exciting—whether in their branding, their menu, or their growth potential—and that stand a good chance at hanging around even after we’ve all started to go back into restaurant dining rooms.
Note: If viewing on desktop, click photo in arrow to continue the story. Online food hall slides showcase multiple virtual concepts. Data is current as of May.
MrBeast Burger
One of YouTube’s most popular creators, Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast) partnered with Virtual Dining Concepts to launch this burger joint in 30 markets simultaneously on December 30. With burgers and sandwiches inspired by Donaldson’s friends (and developed by VDC’s chef Eric Greenspan), MrBeast Burger immediately became one of the most popular and buzzed-about virtual concepts—literally an overnight success.
Menu theme: Burgers and sandwiches
Locations: 300+
Growth partners: Host kitchens
Owner/developer: Virtual Dining Concepts
Tyga Bites
The chicken-wing market is pretty cornered, but what about chicken nuggets? That’s the market Tyga Bites is after, as the brand—named after the hip-hop star Tyga—offers chicken “bites” in three flavors and a range of sauces, with tots for a side.
Menu theme: Chicken
Locations: N/A
Growth partners: Host kitchens
Owner/developer: Virtual Dining Concepts
Chef Bill Kim’s Pizza & Parm Shop
Chef Bill Kim is no stranger to Chicagoans, as he’s built a name for himself with Asian flavors at his Wicker Park restaurant Urbanbelly. But with this virtual concept, Kim is diving into Italian cuisine, offering Detroit-style pizzas like the Double Smoked Pork & Pineapple and a Chicken Parm Sandwich.
Menu theme: Pizza and Italian sandwiches
Locations: 2
Growth partners: N/A
Owner/developer: Cornerstone Restaurant Group
Sarah’s Hot Chicken
Not quite what you’d expect to see from a seafood company, Sarah’s Hot Chicken was developed by one of Fish City Grill’s franchisees as a way to broaden that brand’s clientele and drive sales during the pandemic. It’s been so successful that Fish City Grill is working to roll it out to the remaining 17 locations.
Menu theme: Nashville hot chicken
Locations: 3
Growth partners: Fish City Grill brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Fish City Grill
Citizens
C3 has quickly become a leader in the virtual-brand space, developing successful concepts that are operated out of ghost kitchens, like REEF, as well as hotel kitchen facilities, like Graduate Hotels. To take the experience one step beyond its three-and-soon-more virtual brands, C3 developed Citizens Go with tech developer Lunchbox as a central ordering experience for its portfolio, which includes brick-and-mortar concepts Umami Burger and EllaMia. The result is a virtual food hall that lets customers pick and choose from multiple concepts without any hidden fees.
Owner/developer: C3
Growth partners: Ghost and host kitchens
Locations: 100+
Virtual brands:
- Krispy Rice: Sushi concept with rolls, nigiri, and its signature grilled sushi rice with a variety of toppings
- Plant Nation: Plant-based ingredients paired with globally inspired flavors and modern culinary techniques in vegan pizzas, bowls, sandwiches, and pastas.
- Sam’s Crispy Chicken: Based on Umami Burger’s chicken sandwich, Sam’s serves hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken, salads, and sandwiches as well as plant-based chicken substitutes.
Bad Mutha Clucka
Developed as part of fast casual Dog Haus’s virtual Absolute Brands portfolio, Bad Mutha Clucka highlights that chain’s chicken-sandwich offerings, as well as tenders and wings, all made with 100 percent all-natural, vegetarian fed, and antibiotic-free chicken.
Menu theme: Chicken
Locations: 36
Growth partners: Ghost kitchens, Dog Haus brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Dog Haus
Bad Ass Breakfast Burritos
Another brand under Dog Haus’s virtual portfolio, Bad Ass Breakfast Burritos stuffs flour tortillas with premium meats and ingredients like crispy potatoes, cheese, and eggs, with sauces for pairing.
Menu theme: Breakfast
Locations: 35
Growth partners: Ghost kitchens, Dog Haus brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Dog Haus
Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen
There are few more recognizable faces in food than Guy Fieri, and through a partnership with Robert Earl’s Virtual Dining Concepts, millions more Americans will have access to Fieri’s signature bold flavors and items like the Bacon Mac ‘N Cheeseburger and Flavortown Fries.
Menu theme: American fare
Locations: N/A
Growth partners: Host kitchens
Owner/developer: Virtual Dining Concepts
@Pizza
Want to know the real power of pairing the virtual-brand movement with viral social media marketing? Look no further than @Pizza. Developed by virtual restaurant company RaaS, which partnered with Uber Eats and Instagram account F*ckJerry, @Pizza teamed with hundreds of independent pizza shops around the country to serve its pies, leveraging the collective presence of each platform to draw attention to operators in need.
Menu theme: Pizza
Locations: 200+
Growth partners: Host kitchens
Owner/developer: Lawrence Valva
Livy’s Plant Based Foods
Philadelphia chef Jose Garces was inspired by his teenage daughter, Olivia, to launch this plant-based concept that leans heavily vegan. The menu boasts burgers with Impossible or black-bean patties, and sides like fries, tots, “chorizo” mac ’n’ cheese, “chorizo” chili, and more.
Menu theme: Plant-based
Locations: 1
Growth partners: N/A
Owner/developer: Chef Jose Garces
Central Kitchen Online Food Hall
Thirsty Lion parent Concept Entertainment Group had founded Central Kitchen as a brick-and-mortar food hall before the pandemic. But COVID-19 has since driven them to consider the concept as a virtual option, and has leveraged Thirsty Lion kitchens to prove it can work. Now it’s looking to expand into ghost and host kitchens, with potential to service airports and corporate and college campuses as well.
Owner/developer: Concept Entertainment Group
Growth partners: Ghost and host kitchens
Locations: 10
Virtual brands:
- Soy Joy: Asian specialties are on tap at Soy Joy, including Pork Belly Ramen, Ahi Poke, and Gochujang Korean BBQ Pork.
- Southern Jewel: This one’s got all the Southern staples, from pork sandwiches to mac ’n’ cheese and hush puppies.
- Killer Wings: There’s wings, of course, but Killer Wings also has munchies like garlic truffle fries and beer-battered onion rings, plus salads for the more discerning.
- Pizza & Spice: A range of 10-inch pizzas are available at Pizza & Spice, plus salads and starters like Hush Puppy Corn Fritters, Cheese Curds, and Freakin’ Good Pickles.
Moonbowls
Moonbowls represents the virtual-brand trend coming full circle. What started as a delivery-only virtual concept has since made the leap into brick-and-mortar locations and even CPG. Developed by restaurant group Salted, Moonbowls offers “feel-good,” sustainable, Korean-inspired bowls via all the major delivery platforms, but also through its own app and website.
Menu theme: Korean bowls
Locations: 17
Growth partners: N/A
Owner/developer: Salted
Sous Vide Kitchen
Sous Vide Kitchen was way out in front of the virtual food hall trend, having launched in New York City three years ago. The idea was to create an efficient kitchen operation that churns out multiple concepts with limited labor, using the sous vide method to cook meats and erase the need for hoods. Guests order can order via delivery channels or Sous Vide Kitchen’s website, or they can drop in to the physical space to order on a kiosk. The company sees potential in continuing to develop more concepts and potentially spin some off for separate ghost kitchens.
Owner/developer: Sous Vide Kitchen
Growth partners: Ghost and host kitchens
Locations: 1
Virtual brands:
- ESO Latin: Customizable, Latin-inspired bowls and wraps.
- D.G.B.: The acronym says it all: “Damn Good Bowls.”
- BONMi: Get your Vietnamese sandwich and bowl fix here.
- Veg 23: Those who are inclined can get plant-based bowls or a falafel wrap or sub.
- Pulled & Chopped: Pork, beef, and chicken get gussied up in sandwiches and bowls.
- Vindy Indian Inspired Eats: For fans of standard Indian fare like tandoori chicken or tikka masala.
- Rotisserie Joe’s: Comfort foods like rotisserie chicken, cornbread, and mac ’n’ cheese star.
- Mediterranean Pure Foods: Mediterranean-inspired bowls, platters, and salads.
Chicken Scratch
Developed by James Beard Award–winning restaurateur Stephen Starr and chef Peter Serpico, Chicken Scratch operates out of the latter’s eponymous Philadelphia-based restaurant as a way to keep staff employed during the pandemic and provide families with comforting meals.
Menu theme: Rotisserie chicken
Locations: 1
Growth partners: N/A
Owner/developer: Starr Restaurants
Stay’d
Newly opened this spring, St. Paul, Minnesota–based Stay’d offers classic comfort dishes (think Shepherd’s Pie, Roast Salmon, and Meatloaf) with thoughtfully selected ingredients and packaging to ensure quality by the time it reaches the dinner table.
Menu theme: Modern twists on classic home cooking
Locations: 1
Growth partners: Ghost and host kitchens
Owner/developer: Maadaadizi Investments
Smokeheads BBQ
Smokeheads, which offers full-slab Memphis-style ribs along with smoked brisket and chicken and a selection of sides. The concept aims to grow regionally in suburban and second-tier markets across the Midwest.
Menu theme: Barbecue
Locations: 7
Growth partners: Host kitchens
Owner/developer: Foodhaul
Dough Daddy’s
Chicago chef Noah Zamler uses his five-year-old sourdough starter for Detroit-style pizzas served exclusively through Grubhub. The high-quality pies include options like the Whatcha Ndujin topped with Nduja, lemon ricotta, blistered tomato, and basil pesto, and the A Perfect Pear, topped with butternut squash, pear, pancetta, and gouda.
Menu theme: Pizza
Locations: 1
Growth partners: Ghost kitchens
Owner/developer: The Press Room
Pete’s Place
Claiming to be “kinda Korean” like its Korea-born, Italian-American chef Peter Serpico, Pete’s serves homemade, seasonal noodles, rice, and soups, with a slight bent toward Korean flavors. The concept has operated out of the chef’s Philadelphia restaurant Serpico to support the business during the pandemic.
Menu theme: Noodles
Locations: 1
Growth partners: N/A
Owner/developer: Starr Restaurants
Crispy Chicken Shop
The beauty to Melt Shop’s virtual-brand strategy is that they’re tied to that brand’s native digital experience, meaning guests on Melt Shop’s app or online platform have access to its virtual concepts in a one-stop-shop location. For those disinclined to grab a melted sandwich, they can head to Crispy Chicken Shop for chicken tenders and sandwiches.
Menu theme: Crispy chicken
Locations: 3
Growth partners: Melt Shop brick-and-mortars, franchisees
Owner/developer: Melt Shop
Jackass Burrito
Starr Restaurants are known for their sophistication, but Jackass Burrito is all about “letting loose” and “indulging in messy, enormous, gluttonous, comforting, unpretentious food,” according to the company. The brand is served out of Starr’s El Vez in New York and El Rey in Philadelphia.
Menu theme: Burritos
Locations: 2
Growth partners: N/A
Owner/developer: Starr Restaurants
Mac Shop
New York–based sandwich chain Melt Shop first developed a virtual wings concept at the start of the pandemic, before branching into additional virtual brands that it plans to grow through Melt Shop units and possibly as standalones. Mac Shop offers a range of mac ’n’ cheeses, including Hot Honey Mac, Pimento Mac, and Cheeseburger & Fries Mac.
Menu theme: Mac ’n’ cheese
Locations: 3
Growth partners: Melt Shop brick-and-mortars, franchisees
Owner/developer: Melt Shop
Rustika Pollo a la Brasa
Garces embraces his meatier side with Rustika, where chicken is cooked in the traditional Peruvian style, spending 72 hours being brined, marinated, dried, and roasted on a rotisserie. The menu is filled out with street-style chicken dishes and a variety of traditional Latin sides, like empanadas and charred corn.
Menu theme: Peruvian rotisserie
Locations: 1
Growth partners: N/A
Owner/developer: Chef Jose Garces
Mojos&
Shakey’s Pizza launched the chicken-centric Mojos& as a way to keep staff employed in the pandemic. With branding that celebrated all things Los Angeles, Mojos& has been so successful that Shakey’s is considering partnering with breweries and festivals and maybe launching a food truck.
Menu theme: Chicken
Locations: 8
Growth partners: Shakey’s brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Shakey’s Pizza
Pluck’d
Chicken-wing concepts may be a dime a dozen in the virtual marketplace, but Pluck’d offers a chef-crafted approach, as it was created in partnership with chef Dirk Flanigan. The wide range of flavors include everything from New York Buffalo to sweet Korean to blazing hot Carolina Reaper.
Menu theme: Chicken wings
Locations: 10
Growth partners: Host kitchens
Owner/developer: Foodhaul
Toscana by Fabio Viviani
Celebrity chef Fabio Viviani teamed with host-kitchen partner Foodhaul to create this concept centered around his family’s traditional Italian recipes. Based in Chicago, the goal is to expand throughout the Midwest.
Menu theme: Italian
Locations: 7
Growth partners: Host kitchens
Owner/developer: Foodhaul
Honest Pizza
Upscale fast casual Modern Market launched Honest Pizza at the end of 2020, filling the need for high-quality, chef-inspired pizzas. This menu offers artisanal pizzas like the New Mexico with green chili, jalapeno, pulled pork, cilantro, cotija, and lime, and the When Pigs Fly with pepperoni, sausage, bacon, and Mike’s Hot Honey.
Menu theme: Pizza
Locations: 1
Growth partners: Modern Market brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Modern Market Eatery
It’s Just Wings
The name may sell it short. This concept developed by Chili’s parent Brinker International has become one of the virtual marketplace’s most impressive success stories, as the company reported that it was doing about $3 million in sales per week out of 1,000-plus Chili’s locations. Earlier this year, the company rolled out a takeout option as well.
Menu theme: Chicken wings
Locations: 1,000+
Growth partners: Chili’s brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Brinker International
HotBox by Wiz
The hip-hop star Wiz Khalifa teamed with Nextbite on a concept serving his favorite dishes, with input from his fans. The menu includes everything from Blazed Ends (burnt brisket ends smothered in a barbecue sauce) to a Taylor Gang Turkey Burger and the Mac & Yellow (a bowl of extra-cheesy mac ’n’ cheese).
Menu theme: Munchies
Locations: N/A
Growth partners: Ghost kitchens, host kitchens
Owner/developer: Nextbite
Mariah’s Cookies
Legendary singer Mariah Carey lends her likeness to this cookie concept with flavors like Chocolate Chunk, Heath Bar, Lemon Cooler, and Spice Oatmeal Raisin served in dozen or half-dozen boxes.
Menu theme: Cookies
Locations: N/A
Growth partners: Host kitchens
Owner/developer: Virtual Dining Concepts
Fly Bye
Restaurateur Sam Fox jumped into the virtual-brand game late last year with this concept that dishes Detroit-style pan pizzas and crispy chicken. Fly Bye offers takeout and delivery out of Fox’s Phoenix restaurant Culinary Dropout.
Menu theme: Pizza and chicken
Locations: 1
Growth partners: N/A
Owner/developer: Fox Restaurant Concepts
Cosmic Wings
Sure, plenty of brands have chicken wings. But do they have Cheetos-flavored chicken wings? Because Applebee’s sure does, and it’s built a whole virtual brand around them. Cosmic Wings, served exclusively through Uber Eats, also serves wings in other flavors, as well as chicken tenders, waffle fries, and onion rings.
Menu theme: Chicken wings
Locations: 1,300+
Growth partners: Applebee’s brick-and-mortars
The Wing Experience
Casual barbecue chain Smokey Bones initially rolled out this virtual spinoff to limited locations in 2019, then expanded to all units once COVID arrived. It offers jumbo wings in 50 flavors, along with crinkle-cut fries.
Menu theme: Chicken wings
Locations: 61
Growth partners: Ghost kitchens, Smokey Bones’ brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Smokey Bones
Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings
Pasqually’s is Chuck E. Cheese’s pitch to millennial and Gen Z customers, offering a similar pizza product but with a thicker crust, extra sauce, and new blends of cheese and seasonings. Within its first few months in operation, the virtual brand represented about 10 percent of Chuck E. Cheese’s sales.
Menu theme: Pizza
Locations: 400+
Growth partners: Chuck E. Cheese brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Chuck E. Cheese
Tender Shack
Outback Steakhouse parent Bloomin’ Brands quickly revved up Tender Shack to a national presence, serving chicken tenders and sandwiches with six sauces, along with fries, desserts, and drinks.
Menu theme: Chicken
Locations: 725
Growth partners: Outback Steakhouse/Carrabba’s Italian Grill brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Bloomin’ Brands
Bad Mama’s Chicken
Full-service burger joint Bad Daddy’s hoped Bad Mama’s and its wings, tenders, sides, and milkshakes could support those locations forced to shutter dining rooms during the pandemic. It started in three locations at the end of 2020 and has already expanded to 15.
Menu theme: Chicken
Locations: 15
Growth partners: Bad Daddy’s brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Bad Daddy’s
Jolene’s Wings + Beer
This Lazy Dog spinoff offers wings in eight flavors, along with salads, “TV Dinners” with a variety of entrées paired with sides, and shareable sides like onion rings, coleslaw, sweet potato tots, and fries. And don’t forget to grab a craft beer 4-pack while you’re at it.
Menu theme: American
Locations: 39
Growth partners: Lazy Dog brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Lazy Dog
The Commons
The owner of Philadelphia full-service staples Walnut Street Café, Sunset Social, and The Post spun up a central ordering hub for those concepts when COVID-19 hit. Then founder Branden McRill realized he could add virtual concepts and call it a food hall, which is exactly what he did with The Commons. Now it’s the perfect opportunity to test new concepts, with the plan to ultimately develop 10–12 concepts where some are permanent and some rotate in and out.
Owner/developer: Fine-Drawn Hospitality
Growth partners: N/A
Locations: 1
Virtual brands:
- Ghost Chicken: Whole roast chicken is the star, but there are also entrées like steak frites and a bone-in pork chop, along with fine-dining-level sides, starters, and wines.
- Philadelphia Wing Shop: Guests can order wings in one of 10 flavors, with five sauces to dip and sides like pickle chips, potato wedges, or an iceberg wedge.
- Agea: This Mediterranean concept offers customizable bowls, pita wraps, and platters, along with a variety of sides and wine by the glass.
- Maude & Mabel’s Fine Creamery: To satisfy the sweet tooth, Maude & Mabel’s dishes ice cream, sorbet, and sherbet by the pint.
Cream City Cluckery
Virtual restaurant brands are so popular, even NBA teams are opening them. That’s right, the Milwaukee Bucks are proud papas to this brand, which operates out of its arena. Alas, it’s not venison on the menu but grilled and fried chicken tenders, a chicken sandwich, beer-battered cod, mac ’n’ cheese, tots, biscuits, desserts, and beer.
Menu theme: Chicken
Locations: 1
Growth partners: N/A
Owner/developer: Milwaukee Bucks
ClusterTruck
A sort of jack-of-all-trades in the virtual marketplace, ClusterTruck partners with commercial kitchens to set up a ghost-kitchen facility slinging everything from tacos to pizza to chicken sandwiches to Pad Thai. Last year the company partnered with Kroger to set up ghost kitchens in some of its grocery stores.
Menu theme: A little bit of everything
Locations: 7
Growth partners: Host kitchens
Owner/developer: ClusterTruck
Plant Shop
Los Angeles–based Sweetfin was one of the originators of the U.S. poke boom, and now the concept is innovating with this plant-based concept doing delivery and takeout from Sweetfin shops. The menu is 100 percent gluten-free and vegan, with options like the Brussels Sprouts and Chickpea Chopped Salad and the Chile Ginger Noodle Bowl.
Menu theme: Plant-based
Locations: 9
Growth partners: Sweetfin brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Sweetfin Poke
The Meltdown
Scheduled to launch in more than half of Denny’s domestic locations, The Meltdown features handcrafted melt sandwiches with a range of premium toppings, like the Hot Mess with slow-roasted beef, caramelized onion, and white cheddar, and the Eatin’ Good with mushrooms, eggs, lettuce, tomato, and a creamy herb spread.
Menu theme: Sandwiches
Locations: 800+
Growth partners: Denny’s brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: Denny’s
Slo Roast
BJ’s dishes out classic American fare like prime rib, herb-roasted chicken, and baby-back ribs via this virtual concept which rolled out earlier this year. The menu also includes starters, snacks, salads, treats, a wide variety of sides, and even beer and wine by the bottle.
Menu theme: American
Locations: 13
Growth partners: BJ’s brick-and-mortars
Owner/developer: BJ’s Restaurants
