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Meet the virtual restaurant brand players

From celebrity-endorsed delivery-only restaurants to at-home eatertainment concepts, delivery-only concepts are the hottest investment in a post-COVID world

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

September 17, 2020

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In the year leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, ghost kitchens and virtual restaurants were the buzzwords of the moment — though not everyone was convinced the trend would catch on.

But after the pandemic-related closure of restaurant dining rooms in March, offering delivery was the must-have tool to survive and virtual restaurant brands became a prized avenue for growth.

Even as indoor dining began to slowly get back up to speed, virtual restaurant players like C3 — a ghost kitchen division of hospitality company SBE — and Miami-based The Local Culinary, which now has 25 virtual brands under its umbrella, are growing in reach and popularity as traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants falter.

Whether they are using commissary kitchens or partnering with pre-existing restaurants to operate concepts for delivery only, there’s more than one way to stand out in the increasingly crowded virtual space.

We’ve rounded up six stand out virtual restaurant groups that are churning out new independent concepts and expanding rapidly, helping to shape this new niche that many see as the industry’s salvation.

Contact Joanna Fantozzi at [email protected]

About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

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