When workers return to the office, ghost kitchens want to be there to serve them lunch.

Global Franchise Group, the strategic brand management company and franchisor of Round Table Pizza, Great American Cookies, Hot Dog on a Stick, Marble Slab Creamery, and Pretzelmaker, announced the debut of its first ghost kitchen concept.

Ghost kitchens and virtual restaurants have been the buzzwords in the U.S. (and global) restaurant industry over the last two years. The pandemic has driven an explosion in new business models, as the industry grapples with building a delivery-centric future that is financially sustainable for all stakeholders.

The restaurant industry has been struggling mightily during the pandemic, but all is not as bleak as it would seem.

These takeout- and delivery-only restaurants are suddenly everywhere, which is good news for some struggling food businesses and ominous for others.

Restaurants were already adopting new digital tools before the pandemic. But COVID-19 forced years’ worth of innovation into a few months.

Brad Reynolds left the ghost kitchen industry for fast-casual, a beleaguered restaurant segment he believes is poised for a comeback, he told CFO Dive.

Even after the pandemic ends, restaurant analysts predict that demand for food delivery will only grow.

As a restaurant operator, or someone wanting to get into the restaurant business during this pandemic, you may be thinking about starting up a virtual restaurant rather than a ghost kitchen. To help you decide which, you’ll need to understand the difference between the two.