"Maybe ghost kitchens aren't scaring up as much business these days, as Uber founder Travis Kalanick just shut down a ghost kitchen that his new megabucks startup Cloudkitchens opened there five years ago. We first became aware of this concept called ghost kitchens" just before the pandemic hit, as websites were promoting "restaurants" on DoorDash and Grubhub that were actually just ramshackle trailers with half-ass kitchens in them and maybe a porta-potty outside."
"But as the tech industry does, they not only presented these fly-by-night operations as real restaurants, the ghost kitchens also infamously impersonated a couple of local favorites like Kin Khao and Blowfish Sushi in hopes of a few quick, greasy dollars before anyone noticed. After Uber founder Travis Kalanick left that company in disgrace, he decided that ghost kitchens were his way back into the tech game."
Ghost kitchens operated as virtual restaurants from minimal physical facilities and sometimes impersonated local eateries to capture delivery orders. Travis Kalanick founded Cloudkitchens and expanded ghost kitchens across the Bay Area, with many interiors described as prison-like. Cloudkitchens raised about $1.3 billion from investors including Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and Microsoft. A 22,000-square-foot East Oakland property branded Oakland Food Hall housed up to 42 commercial kitchens and was bought in 2019 for $2.75 million. The facility initially hosted semi-respectable names but later drew neighborhood complaints over heavy delivery-driver activity and has now closed.
Read at sfist.com
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