Dozens of eateries found on food delivery apps may sound like locally-owned establishments but are really ghost kitchens operated by major restaurant chains. Unless you’ve done some serious research, you would never know that the food you ordered from that restaurant you’ve never heard of is actually coming from places like Hooter’s or Ruby Tuesday’s. A ghost kitchen is a delivery-only “restaurant” that doesn’t have its own kitchen, The Charlotte Observer reported. It is a collection of food service entities that use the kitchens of popular chain restaurants to prepare online food orders.
Not all ghost kitchens belong to chain restaurants, of course. There are several in Charlotte whose kitchens are leased to small business owners who may not yet have the means — yet — to open a brick-and-mortar. These spots — considered a new type of virtual food court, whether owned by small businesses or big chains — are also sometimes known as “digital,” “dark,” cloud” or “virtual” kitchens.
Here are 37 examples of chain restaurants operating under different aliases in Charlotte (and the chain restaurants that host them): Killer Wings (American Deli) Just Wing It (American Deli) Chickwich (American Deli) Greasy Goods (American Deli) Cupid’s Wings (American Deli) ASAP Burger (American Deli) Thick Chick (American Deli) Smashmouth Burger (American Deli) Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings (Chuck E. Cheese’s) It’s Just Wings (Chili’s and Maggiano’s) Maggiano’s Italian Classics (Chili’s — owned by same parent company of Maggiano’s Little Italy) Wow Bao (multiple locations, at least one operated by Ruby Tuesday’s) Libby’s BBQ (Ruby Tuesday’s) Pasta Americana (Ruby Tuesday’s) MrBeast Burger (Red Robin, Ruby Tuesday’s, On the Border, Buca di Beppo) Wing Squad (Buca di Beppo) Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Kitchen (Buca di Beppo) Big Phil’s Cheesesteaks (Charleys Philly Steaks) Philly King (Charleys Philly Steaks) Hootie’s Chicken Tenders (Hooters) Hootie’s Burger Bar (Hooters) Hootie’s Bait & Tackle (Hooters) Conviction Chicken (TGI Fridays) Chicken n’ Biscuits (Cracker Barrel) The Pancake Kitchen (Cracker Barrel) Noodles & Greens (Firebirds) FireBurger (Firebirds) Buster’s American Kitchen (Dave & Buster’s) Wings Out (Dave & Buster’s) The Wing Dept. (Red Robin) Chicken Sammy’s (Red Robin) Tender Shack (Outback) Beauty & the Burger (Sullivan’s Steakhouse) Wild Burger (Buffalo Wild Wings) Chuck’s Cheesesteaks (Big Apple Deli) Brew’s Smash Burgers (Big Apple Deli) Fattie’s Philly Cheesesteaks (Big Apple Deli) For a list of ghost kitchens serving up food from Charlotte’s small, independently owned businesses, check out this list that CharlotteFive published earlier this year.