Off-premises sales skyrocketed these past two years as takeout and delivery options became the industry’s primary focus. This upward trend has given birth to ghost kitchens – a delivery-only service that exists entirely online.

Also referred to as cloud or dark kitchens, ghost kitchens do not have a restaurant attached to them. Without the brick-and-mortar overhead costs, businesses have less upfront investment. This makes it easier to take the risk and experiment with their offerings, especially their menu.

The variety and quality of your food are where you shine as a ghost kitchen. It is also essential that your menu is optimised for delivery. Just like a traditional restaurant, your menu is a large part of the dining experience, but since there is no actual dine-in experience – ambience and wait staff – your food had better be good!

So, if you are looking to maximise your business’ impact in the restaurant industry, we have put together a list of helpful tips for designing a solid ghost kitchen menu.

Prioritise Items That Can Be Prepared Quickly And Easily

When it comes to menu planning, you’ll want to focus on items that can be prepared as quickly as possible – speed is a key factor for most ghost kitchens. Consider dishes that can be cooked in one or two steps and do not require many ingredients.

This ensures that your food costs are minimised, and your orders can be fulfilled on time. People do not like waiting for their food, so do not test your customers’ patience with time-consuming and complex recipes just to provide something out of the ordinary.

Popular choices for solid ghost kitchen menus are food that you can meal prep beforehand, such as burgers, pizzas, pasta dishes, and salads, so that you can create an efficient assembly line for most of your dishes.

You can still highlight your quality and versatility by brainstorming and testing ways to prepare quick and easy dishes in a way that is different from the rest.

Provide Options – But Not Too Many

More is not always better, especially when it comes to creating a ghost kitchen menu. Too many options overwhelm customers and hinder the decision-making process altogether. This leads them to default to an item they have had before or not choose anything at all.

Complex menus are also harder to manage and are simply more expensive. Instead, create a focused menu that is easy to manage, cheap to offer, and a breeze to prepare. If you cannot limit your menu, try rotating your dishes, have specials, or save them for a pop-up event. This way, you can also retain your customers’ interest in your menu.

Remember to Quench the Thirst

Having a variety of beverages may seem pointless, especially when you are trying to limit the number of items on your ghost kitchen menu. However, beverages are easy to boost your business’ profits while offering your customers something unique. They are, after all, easy, quick, and inexpensive to whip up.

Include house-made drinks – such as fresh juices and milkshakes – locally-sourced homemade drinks, and a variety of your standard beverages – such as sodas, mineral water bottles, and so on. Better yet, make them part of a set on your menu so that customers may feel that they are purchasing a whole meal for a bargain.

You should avoid selling alcoholic beverages unless your business already has a liquor license. This is because the costs of selling alcohol are usually not profitable for ghost kitchens. Purchasing further permits, licenses, and legal fees beats the purpose of you minimising your overhead costs.

In addition, there are usually heavy restrictions when it comes to the sale and delivery of alcoholic beverages, so it is best to avoid it altogether to save your business the headache and trouble of sorting through that.

Think Beyond Your Food Selection

Food is not the only thing that makes up a solid ghost kitchen menu. Since your business lacks the service that a physical restaurant provides, you must think beyond your food selection on how you can make your business stand out from the rest.

Consider crafting a menu that highlights your most unique items. Design is your best friend here – make them big, bright, and bold. The crowd-favourite item should be a primary feature on your ghost menu.

While you are at it, invest in a reliable café POS system that supports online ordering to easily integrate your ghost kitchen menu across multiple food delivery apps. This not only ensures seamless management of your business, but it also offers you the option to further refine your brand using your menu.

Since there is no physical restaurant, your brand representation may seem limited – no matter how good your food is, if it is not marketed well, your business will not get the reach it deserves. The technology of a POS system allows you to customise your ghost kitchen menu beyond the confinements of a traditional digital menu.

Include a short quip about your business, reviews, and maybe some fun facts about menu items. All these contribute to the wow factor and will make your ghost kitchen menu more unique and aesthetically pleasing.

Offer a Visual Treat

Good quality images make a huge difference to a menu, especially a ghost kitchen’s menu. You may not have a physical location or ambience to upsell, but you can entice your customers with real-life photos of your dishes and personalised names and descriptions.

This significantly impacts your customers’ decision-making when browsing your menu – good quality food images sell well on social media.

Experiment With Your Ghost Kitchen Menu

The highlight of a ghost kitchen is the versatility and creative freedom it offers to business owners. So, do not be afraid to experiment with your menu while considering our tips. At the same time, keep track of your business operation effectively with a secure tablet POS system that doubles as a menu optimisation tool. Update your menu as you grow with just the click of a button, and changes will automatically be synced to all relevant platforms immediately. Ultimately, with the right strategy and a touch of individuality, you will be able to create a solid ghost kitchen menu that will successfully maximise your profits!