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Imagine a successful burger business with hundreds of loyal customers, yet thereâs no dining room, no host stand, and no physical storefront to be found. This isn't a hypothetical situation anymore. It's how modern-day virtual restaurants operate.
A virtual brand is a delivery-only restaurant concept that runs out of a pre-existing brick-and-mortar kitchen. If you own an Italian restaurant but want to offer fresh salads too, a virtual restaurant lets you deliver salads without opening a new establishment. You maximize your existing space by running a different, delivery-only menu alongside your traditional offerings, operating multiple businesses under one roof!
As deliveryâs popularity continues to grow, virtual restaurants offer a practical strategy to expand and adapt in today's competitive market. At Future Foods, we partner with local restaurants to bring our time-tested virtual brands to life. Using proven concepts, we help owners tap into existing demand and generate additional revenue without the overhead of physical locations. While our brands may be virtual, everything else is real â the kitchen, the food, the carefully crafted recipes, and most importantly, the customers enjoying every bite.
Benefits of a virtual restaurant
Each day, an increasing number of entrepreneurs and restaurant owners adopt their own delivery-only side restaurants. The advantages that come with a virtual brand are significant, including:
Increased revenue: Running a new brand out of your existing kitchen requires little to no operational costs, a simple and efficient way to scale.
Future Foods works like a matchmaker â pairing your current restaurant with one of our virtual brands. The best matches require minimal startup costs. And since everything is takeout and delivery, you can serve more customers without needing extra dining space.
New customers: With a virtual brand distinct from your brick-and-mortar audience, you can reach a new base of customers quickly and seamlessly. Future Foods collaborates with a team of specialists to develop menus that customers love, and provide you with all the branding, high-quality photos, and visibility needed to succeed.
Menu flexibility: The virtual model makes it easier to experiment with new cuisines or concepts. You can test market demand for different menu items without a complete restaurant overhaul, allowing you to pivot quickly based on customer preferences.
Maximized resources: During slow periods for your primary restaurant, leverage your existing staff, kitchen equipment, and ingredients by fulfilling virtual restaurant orders. This virtual restaurant concept ensures consistent productivity and revenue generation throughout the day.
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When Future Foodâs partner Abbyâs California Kitchen added a breakfast concept to the menu, it led to a significant boost in profit margins. âWorking with Sunny & Fine's is one of the greatest opportunities that have been given to me in my business. It increased my sales 100% which has kept me afloat,â says restaurateur Angel.
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A guide to launching a virtual restaurant
Ready to dive into the virtual restaurant world? Here is a step-by-step guide to help you navigate the process with ease.
1. Define your target audience
Start by identifying the customers you want to attract. Where do they live, where do they work, and what are they eating? At the same time, look into delivery trends in your area and understand what cuisine gaps exist in your market. You might even want to survey your existing customers about their food delivery preferences and what foods they wish were more readily available. Are they looking for something like pizza? Or something more general, like late-night eats? Homing in on your ideal customer and their preferences will set the foundation for your virtual restaurant.
2. Develop your concept
The next step is to craft a unique menu and brand identity that resonates with your preferred customer persona but can also be seamlessly executed within your existing kitchen setup. The best virtual brand will complement your current operations, requiring little to no new equipment or ingredients. So, if you own a burger restaurant, a Peruvian concept might not be the right choice. An American breakfast menu, however, could complement your current restaurant business well. Not sure which concept is best for you? Get started with this questionnaire and let Future Foods determine a potential culinary match!
3. Optimize your kitchen setup
Finding your customers and the perfect menu means nothing if your kitchen canât handle the extra workload. Assess your restaurantâs workflow to make sure the kitchen staff have the bandwidth for additional orders without disruption to your main business. Consider how prep stations, cooking areas, and packaging zones will accommodate both your brick-and-mortar location and your delivery service simultaneously. Efficiency in preparation and packaging is key to delivering a great customer experience.
4. Set up on delivery platforms
Once youâve settled on starting a virtual restaurant brand, itâs time to integrate your new menu with popular third-party delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub. Make sure everyone involved, from remote management to front-of-house staff, are comfortable with how these platforms operate. When youâre crystal clear on each platformâs policies and fee structures, create menu listings with high-quality images, compelling descriptions, and competitive pricing to attract hungry customers. A benefit of partnering with Future Foods is that we handle every aspect of the platform set up, from start to finish.
5. Boost visibility with promotions & branding
A strong online presence is paramount in todayâs virtual restaurant world. Get familiar with in-app ad campaigns and promotions to reach even more clients. If digital advertising isnât your cup of tea, leave the promotional management to us! When you partner with a provider like Future Foods, weâll take charge of running the most effective ads while you go ahead and run your restaurant. We will make sure your menu stands out by planning targeted promotions on and off food delivery apps. As a result, youâll see more customers and enjoy a strong reputation for your virtual restaurant.
Best practices for running a successful virtual restaurant
Does running a virtual restaurant sound up your alley? Here are a few best practices that guarantee long-term success to your latest business model. By the way â if you decide to partner with Future Foods, we will handle everything from optimizing your menu, branding, and operations streamlining. All youâll need to focus on is quality control!
Optimize your menu: Focus on popular, delivery-friendly foods that travel well and maintain quality during transit. Identify your top-performing online ordering items with performance analysis and remove any that consistently underperform. Industry research suggests that menus which feature fewer, well-executed options typically outperform extensive menus, especially in the delivery space where customers often prefer quick decision-making.
Invest in branding: Professional photography and compelling descriptions are a crucial piece of the sales puzzle, especially when it comes to delivery apps and social media. To make sure your dishes sell, get some appetizing photos that capture your dishes at their most decadent. Beyond Instagram, youâll need brand-consistent packaging to build a sense of trust with diners.
Restaurants that partner with Future Foods receive custom-branded photography. This helps virtual brands stand out on delivery apps and in our national marketing campaigns, significantly boosting visibility and brand recognition.
Streamline operations: The only way to properly staff and stock for busy periods is by analyzing your virtual restaurantâs data and identifying demand through forecasting. Future Foods helps partners implement Otterâs optimized systems that make managing multiple concepts in one kitchen a breeze.
Maintain quality control: Implement regular quality checks on your brandâs packaging to ensure food arrives in optimal condition. Itâs easy enough to test â just order each item to your home, just as a customer would. To encourage repeat orders, consider adding special touches like branded stickers or thank you notes to enhance the delivery experience.
FAQs
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What is the difference between a virtual restaurant and a ghost kitchen?
A virtual restaurant operates out of an existing brick-and-mortar restaurant's kitchen, using the same staff and equipment to create a separate menu for delivery only. A ghost kitchen is a dedicated commercial kitchen space without a storefront, built specifically to fulfill delivery orders for multiple restaurant concepts. While both are delivery-only models, virtual restaurants leverage existing restaurant resources, whereas ghost kitchens require separately dedicated facilities.
What equipment do I need to start a virtual restaurant?
The beauty of a virtual restaurant is that you can use your existing kitchen equipment. Future Foods works with your current setup to select a virtual brand that requires minimal-to-no additional tools or ingredients. The goal is to maximize what you already have and minimize additional overhead costs.
Can I convert my existing restaurant into a virtual restaurant?
Rather than converting entirely, the optimal approach is to run both simultaneously. Your physical restaurant will continue to serve dine-in customers while your virtual brand serves delivery or takeout customers, optimizing your kitchen's revenue potential. Many Future Foods partners operate their original restaurant alongside one additional virtual brand, resulting in multiple revenue streams from one kitchen.
How do I ensure food quality during delivery?
Quality control for delivery requires a few specific strategies:
- Properly insulated packaging that maintains temperature and prevents spills
- Menu items that travel well and withstand delivery time
- Regular testing of the delivery experience as a customer would receive it
Future Foods provides packaging guidance and menus specifically designed for successful delivery.
Future Foods: Your partner for virtual restaurant success
Donât let the idea of launching a virtual restaurant alone overwhelm you. At Future Foods, we provide proven solutions tailored for restaurant operators who want to offer delivery on the side.
As your virtual brand partner, we provide the support you need to run a virtual dining concept out of one kitchen. With Future Foods, youâre guaranteed:
- Seamless integration with major delivery platforms so your brand reaches the widest possible audience
- Optimized kitchen setup for maximum efficiency when managing multiple menus
- Delivery-friendly menus that complement your existing capabilities while appealing to new customer segments
- Marketing services including professional food photography and strategic promotional campaigns
Ready to boost your revenue? Contact Future Foods today for a free consultation and discover which of our proven virtual brands could be the perfect match for your restaurant.