Siddhant Sidhwani
Cloud Kitchens, also known as Dark, Ghosts, Virtual Kitchens or Restaurants, have seen a significant increase in success rate over the years, with the delivery only model allowing businesses to profit from the economy, as well as the pandemic. With young India becoming more technologically advanced and having a penchant for food delivery apps to curb their cravings, it creates an ideal environment for cloud kitchens to successfully thrive in the country. The COVID-19 pandemic left citizens with no other choice but to rely on ordering food online, giving cloud kitchens an undeniable advantage.
Cloud kitchens have innumerable advantages that add to their charm, and there are some vital tips and secrets which contribute to it becoming a booming success, few of which I will be highlighting in this article.
- "Take care of your employees and they will take care of your customers." The secret sauce to a successful restaurant is the staff. It is extremely important to make sure that you know what drives your staff, train them for the required skills and empower them. An engaged employee will guarantee customer satisfaction, which is directly proportional to achieving business goals and outcomes.
- Focus on turnaround time (TAT). One of the key factors in the cloud kitchen industry is to see how quickly an order is prepared and rolled out of the kitchen. Enabling swift food production while maintaining optimum quality represents a trustworthy kitchen that foodies will keep coming back to.
- Focus on economies of scale. Invest in things which provide high production with lowered costs. The growth will be the by-product of your investments and is paramount in this industry. Seamless operations that live up to the brand's calibre will bring about profits.
- As an employer, be involved in inventory management and control. As the head chef at It's Cheeky, by sourcing and managing the ingredients at the highest level, while storing it appropriately to control their quality, I maintain the brand's reputation as a premium cloud kitchen. Creating a positive food safety culture encourages a repeat purchase.
- An attractive, functional packaging is important because it captures the attention of customers and creates an appealing brand perception. While serving customers who stay anywhere between 1km to 12km from your location, check that the food is not only packed aesthetically, but also functionally. This will uphold the standards of your restaurant, as well as provide customers with a great culinary experience.
- USP - What makes your business stand out as opposed to your competitors? You need to have a unique differentiating factor for your product to be acknowledged in this competitive industry. Do not try to imitate anybody else in the market, come up with your own innovative and eccentric ideas to thrill and excite masses.
- Performance marketing - Due to having an almost zero physical presence, unlike dine in restaurants which have a storefront, it is essential to have a great and engaging online presence. It is critical to market your brand to the target audience, take customer feedback at its stride and develop good customer relations. Visibility generates sales, so advertisement campaigns will prompt targeted online traffic.
Running a cloud kitchen can be challenging, but it can also be incredibly fun to build your dreams as it comes. Create new benchmarks for your brand, communicate with your customers, engage in the community around you, be creative, and lastly, do not forget to enjoy the process.
Authored Article by Siddhant Sidhwani, Founder & Head Chef, It's Cheeky
It's Cheeky is a premium cloud kitchen based in Mumbai specializing in Neapolitan pizzas, modern plates of pasta and epicurean burgers
