Muscle Maker, Inc. announced that it has opened its first delivery-only ghost kitchen in the Chicago market. Located at 3517 N. Spaulding Ave the kitchen will showcase menus from Muscle Maker Grill, Healthy Joe’s and Muscle Maker Grill’s new Meal Plan concept – Meal Plan AF. Guests can order healthier for you dishes from any of the three concepts through third party delivery platforms providing ease of ordering and the option for contactless delivery. Ordering platforms include: DoorDash, GrubHub, UberEats, Postmates, ChowNow and Caviar. As the demand for delivery increases due to social distancing, many restaurant concepts are looking toward ghost kitchens to expand quickly while meeting the growing need for fast options.
The new Spaulding delivery-only ghost kitchen is the first to open and is part of a 10-location agreement signed by the brand earlier this year. Locations two, three and four are under construction and will also open in Chicago throughout the summer. The brand is zeroing in on a few key metropolitan markets for the remaining five locations in the agreement.
Low build out costs, reduced overhead and waste, and the ability to expand quickly are what make delivery-only ghost kitchens attractive to restaurant brands. Concepts can enter a new market rapidly while growing their brand recognition and affinity. The warehouse style kitchens are efficient in their operational production and promote sustainability and corporate responsibility. Muscle Maker, Inc will be operating three distinct concepts out of one ghost kitchen, further optimizing the low build out costs of each kitchen.
Mike Roper, CEO of Muscle Maker Grill, comments, “We’re kicking off our first delivery-only ghost kitchen and think local Chicago residents will love all of the healthier for you dishes we have to offer. Meal Plan AF is a brand new concept for Muscle Maker Grill that features 20+ meal plan options that guests can buy in packs of 5,10,15 or 20. We can literally provide meals for the entire week eliminating the need to go anywhere! In the Midst of COIVD-19, we’re still able to expand our concepts through ghost kitchens and other non-traditional opportunities. The low cost of entry, quick to market capabilities and opportunity to drive brand recognition makes the delivery-only ghost kitchen model very attractive to our brands. We’re looking forward to opening the next nine locations and building our non-traditional portfolio!”
