Chuck Eats KC - December 12, 2023

Ghost Kitchens at a Crossroads

You may have ordered from a ghost kitchen without knowing it. That’s not a bad thing, but with many people ordering food for delivery since the pandemic started, there is a good chance you’ve had food from a ghost kitchen (or virtual kitchen).

What is a ghost kitchen? They are a format that started in the late 2010s and took off when the pandemic forced most people to stop dining in restaurants. They primarily service delivery drivers and sometimes, take out orders. They are often a collection of kitchens run by various businesses. Some of them provide prep support for food trucks. Some are new concepts by existing restaurants while many are fronts for corporations branching out into different food from what they are known for.

My take on the trend is mixed. On the plus side, ghost kitchens provide support for the increased demand for home delivery. They also provide options for mom-and-pop restaurants who want to try out new ideas or service a new area of a city. As I mentioned earlier, they support food trucks (and catering operations).

On the negative side, corporate chains can use ghost kitchens to flood delivery apps with multiple front restaurants with the same food but different names. This can confuse consumers and swamp independent restaurants with unfair competition. This was documented in one popular Youtube video by Eddie Burback this year: “The Deceptive World of Ghost Kitchens.”

But consumers are having a change of mind. A recent CNN article explains:

It turns out the ghost kitchen concept puzzled many customers, who could not find the restaurants on a map, drop by in person to see where their food was prepared, or report problems with their orders. Some customers felt “fooled” and “catfished” when they learned that they ordered from what they thought was a small restaurant that instead turned out to be a big chain using ghost kitchen techniques.

As people began returning to restaurants, the “mystery meal world of virtual restaurants wasn’t as necessary,” said Stephen Zagor, a restaurant industry consultant and adjunct professor at Columbia Business School. “We care a lot about what my restaurant is about, and how fresh and delicious the food is.”

While people are happy to order off delivery apps, they want to eat from restaurants — not technology companies they don’t recognize selling food, he said.

People have returned to eating at restaurants in person and ordering at drive-thru, and delivery growth has stalled from its pandemic heights. Additionally, many consumers are pulling back on meal delivery because of higher prices and delivery fees.

This bodes well for both restaurant owners and consumers. People crave quality restaurant experiences. They want to see where their food comes from. They want to talk to restaurant owners, chefs, and workers. If you are worried about bricks-and-mortar restaurants closing, expect a surge in new options in coming years.

Review: Spice N Rice

Spice N Rice is an Indian restaurant on 119th Street in Overland Park, across the street from the former Sprint campus. This was the third time I’ve had food from Spice N Rice, although the first time dining in for lunch. My first visit was before the pandemic, when I picked up something to go. They have a special area for take out. Two years ago, another Twitch streamer ordered food via Treatstream to be delivered to me. I have a standing order for Daal Makhani (black lentil cooked with onion and spices) set up on Treatstream.

My father instigated our recent visit. He had talked to somebody about his interest in finding dishes with goat meat and they directed him to Spice N Rice. He asked me to have lunch with him and we had a good time.

My father got the goat curry and rice and said that it really satisfied his craving for goat. Spice N Rice has 12 goat dishes on their menu.

I went with one of my favorite Indian vegetarian dishes: Chana Masala. Chickpeas in tomato sauce. Good stuff. Also got an order of the Basic Naan, which was some of the tastiest naan I’ve had in the past decade.

The staff were attentive and friendly.

6537 W 119th St, Overland Park, KS 66209
http://www.spicenriceks.com/

Openings and Closings

• Mesob is opening a new location on December 2nd at 5225 NW 64th Street in North Kansas City.
• The Lemon Cake Bakery is opening soon in Mission Farms in Leawood (10683 Mission Rd). The bakery was originally a project of Café Europa in Brookside, KCMO.
• The Kansas City Current have announced that Martin City Brewing Company will be a vendor in their new stadium which opens in 2024. The restaurant will be serving pizza slices and beer.
• Gianni’s Italian Restaurant has opened at 13135 State Line Road.
• McLean’s Bakery has opened a new location in Stanley at 15102 Travis Street, Overland Park, KS 66223
• Teetasty Foods is a new Nigerian restaurant, bar, and caterer at 3711 SW Trafficway in Kansas City, Missouri.
• The folks behind the Green Dirt Farm are opening a new restaurant and shop in the Crossroads called Green Dirt on Oak. Look for a February opening at 1601 Oak St..
• The former Metro North Shopping Center location in north Kansas City is getting several new restaurants in early 2024 including KPOT Korean BBQ and Hot Pot and Third Street Social.
• The Black Pantry is opening a new location in the 3100 block of Troost in Kansas City, Missouri.
• The Limit Pub & Grub has opened at 523 E. Red Bridge Road.
• Roscoe's BBQ in Edwardsville, Kansas is re-opening next year. The sons of the previous owner are re-opening in the original location, which had closed in 2022.
• Abarrotes Segura is a Mexican restaurant that opened this week in downtown Grandview, Missouri. 712 Main St.
• Nico & Ana's is an Italian restaurant that opened in 2022 at 6541 W 119th St. in Leawood.
• Community Groceries is a new grocery store at the corner of Troost Avenue and Armour Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri.

Photo of the Week

Calendar

The events calendar on the website has been greatly expanded. You can find it here.

Youtube

I’m working on new videos for my Youtube channel. Have you subscribed? Subscriptions are free and really help me out.

TikTok and Instagram

I’m also posting short videos to TikTok and Instagram. You can follow me on TikTok at @chuckeatskc. Instagram: @chuckeatskc

Support Us Via Ko-Fi

You can support this project on Ko-Fi. This is an independent project about Kansas City area restaurants and food. We take nothing in exchange from local restaurants, so everything comes out of our own pockets.

Mastodon and Fediverse

You can find regular posts from Chuck and Chuck Eats KC on Mastodon at @chuckmunson@kibitz.cloud.

Chuck Eats KC Blog and Website

This newsletter is part of my blog and website. Please bookmark and share it.

Chuck Eats KC is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

###