Restaurant owners happy with ‘cloud’ kitchens during COVID-19

Amid the business blues courtesy of the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘cloud’ kitchens are finding increasing favour at restaurants in Vietnam’s two major cities.

The fact that many restaurants were forced to close in Hanoi due to COVID-19 made many white-collar workers like Ninh Quang Hai try online food delivery apps. Ordering food has gradually become a habit of Hai and his colleagues.

Cloud kitchens help lower costs, as they can be located outside of high-rent locations. They also help established restaurants with dining-in services, to expand their delivery operations without adding stress to the existing kitchen, free up parking space taken by delivery vehicles, and expand users’ reach to new neighbourhoods.

Industry insiders said COVID-19 has been a catalyst for a transition from traditional bricks and mortar kitchens to cloud kitchens.

According to analysts, cloud kitchens are also suitable for small-scale outlets, helping them compete and gain a foothold in the context of major food chains occupying a huge market share not only in Vietnam but also in many countries around the world./.

VNA