Sandwich chain Capriotti's Sandwich Shop is partnering with REEF's Neighborhood Kitchens, known for transforming underutilized urban spaces into neighborhood hubs and kitchens, to continue expanding its brand by launching a ghost kitchen space.

Parent Brinker International revealed plans to expand It's Just Wing's reach and to digitize more of the Chili's experience.

Brinker plans to double down on its virtual brand It's Just Wings by selling its menu items for takeout at Chili's restaurants, which would circumvent third-party commission fees for delivery and drive more of those sales to the bottom line, Brinker CEO Wyman Roberts said.

Coolgreens is giving the Orlando community a taste of food that “feeds your life” through its first-ever virtual kitchen.

Eyeing a multichannel future, Outback’s parent is expanding a virtual chicken brand and taking Aussie Grill virtual as well.

Muscle Maker announced the addition of Burger Joe’s to its non-traditional portfolio. The company plans to launch four additional brands that showcase prominent menu categories throughout 2021.

BurgerFi expects to open between 30 and 35 company-run and franchised locations in 2021, or annual growth of roughly 30 percent.

Mealco raised $7 million in seed funding. The round was led by Rucker Park Capital with participation from FJLabs, which also invested in Uber, Postmates, Slice, Delivery Hero, and Chowbus. Reshape, 2048.vc, and Oceans Ventures joined the round, together with angel investors including Jonathan Zabusky, former CEO of Seamless.

Takeout and delivery-only restaurant Farm Birds is based out of Farm Burger’s Buckhead location serving a menu of Southern fried chicken sandwiches.

Cloud kitchen and store-front operator, Kitch, has officially launched in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, after privately raising $15 million.

Grab has finally launched its first GrabKitchen in Malaysia which offers several restaurant options under one roof. This allows customers to order food from multiple restaurants with just one delivery fee and it also allows businesses and independent brands to grow and expand more efficiently.

MrBeast Burger, a virtual concept tied to YouTube star Jimmy Donaldson, launched in nearly 300 locations across 35 states on Dec. 21. Thanks to his legion of subscribers, restaurants quickly sold out of his “Beast Style” burgers and fries. The MrBeast Burger app vaulted to No. 1 in the Apple Store. And restaurateur Robert Earl gained a few more gray hairs.

Prices for ghost kitchens are soaring, and restaurant operators are uncertain about the long-term viability of the model.

The direction a robotics startup chooses will impact their ability scale, an especially important factor if they take VC money. Primarily, it’s an issue of workload and focus.

Joan Creative worked on the new look for Zuul, which aims to capture the feel of a busy restaurant. “Zuul really loves chefs and restaurants, not just tech. So when people think of Zuul, we want them to think of the true character of a classic NYC restaurant,” said Jaime Robinson, co-founder and chief creative officer at JOAN.

It has been quite the year for the foodservice industry. Restaurants are struggling trying to adhere to the ever-changing guidelines. Some unfortunately have shuttered; and many have reimagined their concepts to fit the new normal.