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 – 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 Food’s partner Abby’s California Kitchen added a breakfast concept to the menu, it led to a significant boost in profit margins. “Working 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,” 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 can’t handle the extra workload. Assess your restaurant’s 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 you’ve settled on starting a virtual restaurant brand, it’s 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 you’re crystal clear on each platform’s 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 today’s virtual restaurant world. Get familiar with in-app ad campaigns and promotions to reach even more clients. If digital advertising isn’t your cup of tea, leave the promotional management to us! When you partner with a provider like Future Foods, we’ll 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, you’ll 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 – if you decide to partner with Future Foods, we will handle everything from optimizing your menu, branding, and operations streamlining. All you’ll 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, you’ll 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 restaurant’s data and identifying demand through forecasting. Future Foods helps partners implement Otter’s optimized systems that make managing multiple concepts in one kitchen a breeze.

Maintain quality control: Implement regular quality checks on your brand’s packaging to ensure food arrives in optimal condition. It’s easy enough to test – 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

Don’t 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, you’re 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.