In South Africa alone, more than half of restaurants have closed for good since the pandemic began, says Wendy Williams, CEO of South Africa's Restaurant Association. With indoor dining restrictions, delivery quickly became the solitary means for most restaurants to stay afloat. For Proctor-Irwin, survival meant going beyond traditional delivery routes and turning to a trend that actually began well before the pandemic: ghost kitchens. Smart Kitchen Co., which offers a variety of cuisines ranging from burgers and pizza to Hawaiian poke, is one of South Africa's most successful ghost kitchens. Also known as "dark" or "virtual" kitchens, ghost kitchens are commercial facilities that fulfill online orders from delivery apps.

Source: CNN May 14, 2021 10:07 UTC