A current and profitable trend in the food service industry is the addition of delivery service, usually through popular apps like Grubhub, Uber Eats, and DoorDash. But in order for restaurants, bakeries, and cafes to keep up with their current customer demands while also providing quality takeout and delivery, a second commercial kitchen space is often necessary. Enter the ghost kitchen.
Commercial real estate developers are highly supportive of the ghost kitchen food delivery approach, and even encourage the use of vacant shopping mall space as a central hub for ghost kitchen construction. Not only does a ghost kitchen give restaurants the added space and organization needed to meet the demands of their amassing food delivery orders, it allows them to also remain profitable while operating both sides of the business.
If you are restaurant owner in need of extra space for your growing food delivery market, a ghost kitchen might be the answer. Continue reading to learn the top construction costs and considerations for adding a second commercial kitchen location for food delivery, including where to get a free consultation with an esteemed commercial contracting company near you.
Why Shopping Malls?
Shopping malls often have too many vacancies, so they are eager to fill their units and even allow tenant improvements. For this reason, it is common to land a flexible lease at an affordable cost at a shopping mall. Furthermore, shopping malls are generally located in a central area, giving food delivery service an advantage in terms of delivery times and ease of operation.
Top Construction Considerations:
☑ Infrastructure Complexities
When designing a commercial ghost kitchen, there is an automatic need for more power, water, waste, and similar mechanical infrastructure intricacies. This need is not impacted by the size of the space nor business, nor the rate of traffic coming through it. So, when you opt for a vacant space to build a ghost kitchen, be prepared to have to upgrade existing utility lines, such as the ones just mentioned, to properly meet the needs of a food preparation and delivery service.
☑ Layout Constraints
Not all spaces are properly set up for the required water, waste, and gas lines needed to operate a successful commercial kitchen. This means that you might need to reconstruct your space so that the access points to these lines and more are compatible when installing commercial kitchen fixtures, equipment, and other utilities.
☑ Mechanical Fixed Costs
There are certain fixed costs in terms of the mechanical infrastructure of a ghost kitchen; fixed costs that cannot be avoided. So, when looking for a unit for your ghost kitchen, especially if inside a shopping mall, it is beneficial to choose one with a compatible mechanical infrastructure, such as a second generation food service or restaurant space. This will help expedite the construction process, plus lower overall costs, since most water, waste, and gas lines are already set up, as well as, fire suppression systems, hood systems, cook lines, ductwork, and more. However, most of the time, spaces are blank slates that require construction and design.
Central Indiana Restaurant Construction You Can Trust
Contact BAF Corporation at 317-253-0531 to learn how our Indianapolis general contractors can help you achieve your restaurant and food service construction goals. We provide full-service general contracting and restaurant construction building services for commercial, corporate, industrial, and franchise industries in Indianapolis, Indiana and its surrounding districts. Why choose us? We operate as your single source of contact, which reduces your burden, plus ensures clear and concise client-contractor communication, turnkey service, and custom-tailored results. Call our office today to discuss your commercial construction needs, today.