ghost kitchen

noun

plural ghost kitchens

: a commercial cooking facility used for the preparation of food consumed off the premises

Ghost kitchens host food establishments, usually fast-casual, that make meals that can be purchased exclusively with a delivery app …

—Jonah Engel Bromwich

Ghost kitchens, which have no storefronts or dining rooms, are the hottest thing going during the pandemic. Some are all-new kitchens created to house multiple companies. Others … are new brands added to existing restaurants that seek additional business.

—Michael Klein

This is what [Eric] Greenspan did with his own ghost kitchen brands—multiple cuisine styles made from the same basic supplies, all from a single location.

—RoamingHunger.com

called also cloud kitchen, dark kitchen

Examples of ghost kitchen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Kaikaku builds robots to scale the next generation of restaurants where repetitive tasks are automated, meanwhile REEF specializes in ghost kitchens. — Alexandra York, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Hangover Noodles Hangover Noodles is a Southeastern Asian fusion ghost kitchen in East Sacramento, serving customers at The Line on 6415 Elvas Ave. — Emma Hall august 5, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026

The ghost kitchen also gives customers a permanent place to find Mariah’s Taco Spot while plans for a standalone restaurant continue to develop. — Evan Moore august 3, Charlotte Observer, 3 Aug. 2026

Elsewhere, Jimmy and the Beef boys begin their new venture and scope out their first ghost kitchen. — Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 26 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

2015, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ghost kitchen

• cowichan
• kitchin