Red Lobster opens its first ‘ghost kitchen’

Red Lobster has joined one of the restaurant industry’s fastest-growing trends.
 
The national seafood chain announced the opening of its first “ghost kitchen,” in downtown Chicago’s South Loop area. The delivery-only location will enable Red Lobster to evolve its off-premise capabilities, including touchless delivery, and also expand its presence in urban areas in the U.S. and around the world.  

Red Lobster said the kitchen will allow it to reach new customers who are not currently served by its existing brick-and-mortar restaurants. Orders will be delivered using Red Lobster’s third-party delivery partners, including Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats and Postmates. The kitchen will accept orders all week, from 10:30 am to 10:30 pm

"Off-premise is a huge priority for Red Lobster,” said Kim Lopdrup, CEO, Red Lobster. “We tripled our off-premise sales in the two years before COVID-19 began, and we've tripled them again over the last eight months. Opening a ghost kitchen is a natural next step in expanding our off-premise business. It will allow us to reach new customers who want great seafood with a touchless off-premise experience.”