ghost kitchen

American  

[gohst kich-uhn] / ˈgoʊst ˌkɪtʃ ən /

noun

1. a commercial facility that prepares and cooks restaurant-style food for delivery directly to customers or to one or more dine-in restaurants.

   Your order may have been cooked in a low-grade, or even totally unregulated, ghost kitchen.

---

Etymology

Origin of ghost kitchen

First recorded in 2015–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ghost kitchen

Charlie opens a ghost kitchen and insists on being called “chef,” his apron knotted tight like he’s about to sear duck breast instead of, say, boil milksteak.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2025

Another solution presented by Soto-Martínez would use geofencing technology to immediately keep drivers at least 1,000 feet from the ghost kitchen, prohibiting drivers from loitering on the block while they wait to claim a delivery.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2025

The result was an explosion in the growth of the so-called ghost kitchen and its close cousin, the virtual brand, or a restaurant that has no physical space and operates online only.

From New York Times ● Apr. 12, 2024

He’s installed a Wow Bao ghost kitchen, which packages pot stickers, bao buns and bowls for delivery but allows sit-down diners to order the dishes, too.

From Washington Post ● May 23, 2022

“What seems to be lacking is a very clear banking and financial layer to support the ... ghost kitchen industry,” said Meyer.

From Reuters ● Apr. 5, 2022