Ghost kitchens are vanishing due to mounting criticism and demand

The big picture: Ghost kitchens sprang to life as a temporary solution to help restaurants stay afloat during the pandemic. Now that Covid has subsided and life as we know it has more or less returned to normal, ghost kitchens are falling out of favor with operators and consumers.

Ghost kitchens, sometimes called cloud kitchens, are food service businesses that exist virtually. They don't have their own storefront but rather, operate out of existing restaurant kitchens under an entirely different brand and are available only for online ordering.

It's easy to see how the concept became popular. During the pandemic when dine-in restaurants shut down, many turned to delivery. Others eager to generate revenue leased out space in their kitchens for delivery-focused startups.

With dine-in restaurants back to entertaining guests in person, fewer people are utilizing delivery services. It also became more difficult for restaurants to split time ...