Across the country, more people are turning to prepared meals, expecting their food to be ready when they are. For many meal prep businesses, the biggest challenge isn’t cooking, but finding the right place to do it. 

With delivery growing 300% faster than dine-in since 2014, operators are seeking faster, more affordable ways to grow and meet demand—without the overhead of a traditional restaurant. That’s where CloudKitchens comes in.

As a ghost kitchen provider, the company offers private kitchen units in facilities designed specifically for food production and delivery. There’s no front-of-house or dining room, just commercial kitchen space with built-in utilities, shared storage, and delivery logistics ready to go.

This setup gives meal prep brands the structure they need to focus on what they do best—preparing great food—while CloudKitchens handles the rest.

Inside the Units Meal Prep Operators Rely On

Meal prep businesses are fundamentally different from traditional restaurants. Instead of cooking dishes one at a time for seated guests, they prepare hundreds of meals in advance, portion them individually, and seal them for pickup or delivery. To do that well, they need plenty of storage, room to work, and a reliable setup they can count on every day.

Each CloudKitchens unit comes with essential utilities such as gas lines, electrical outlets, plumbing, and commercial-grade ventilation. Operators are responsible for bringing their own cooking equipment and food safety tools, which allows each business to customize the space to its unique needs.

Beyond the kitchen itself, operations have access to refrigerators, freezers, dry goods storage, and cleaning stations. Facilities are located in delivery-dense neighborhoods, which means food can reach customers more quickly. Shorter delivery times help ensure that meals reach customers while still within safe temperature ranges and quality standards.

Why Founders Are Choosing Ghost Kitchens Over Restaurants

Opening a full-service restaurant can take more than a year and cost well over $1 million once construction, permits, furniture, and staffing are factored in. That kind of initial investment is rarely realistic for meal prep brands, which usually operate without hosts, servers, or seating areas.

CloudKitchens gives operators a way to begin production a lot sooner. While the timeline and cost vary by market, the average startup costs around $30,000, and most businesses are able to be up and running within just two months. That gives businesses the chance to fulfill orders while demand is strong, allowing them to start generating revenue faster. 

Many operators work with small teams and maximize their space by running several brands out of one kitchen—offering fitness meals, vegan subscriptions, or specialty baked goods under separate labels.

Supporting Prep Cycles From Start to Finish

Meal prep businesses typically operate on a fixed schedule of early prep, batch cooking, portioning, packing, and scheduled delivery. To manage that process efficiently, they need enough space to prepare food in bulk, store it safely, and maintain consistent quality from order to order.

CloudKitchens facilities are designed with this workflow in mind. Each unit gives operators access to shared resources like walk-in refrigerators, deep freezers, and cleaning stations, while the private kitchen layout helps streamline production. Wash areas are located either inside or near each unit, and CloudKitchens staff handle general facility cleaning and health inspections, helping businesses stay compliant with local and state food safety regulations.

This setup allows teams to prepare large quantities of meals in advance, reduce food waste through portion-controlled packaging, and deliver consistent results. For operators managing rotating menus or subscription plans, having the space and tools to cook efficiently helps them stay on schedule without cutting corners.

Real Stories From Businesses That Scaled Up

Several businesses have already used this model to grow, moving from tight quarters to fully equipped kitchens that can handle higher volumes with ease. Catherine and Kristin, co-founders of The Hive, started their cinnamon roll business in a 100-square-foot basement kitchen in Hoboken, New Jersey. 

Their baked goods became popular with the local community and later received national attention after a shoutout by Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. As demand increased, their small space no longer met the needs of their growing brand, so they decided to expand into a Cloud Kitchens location in Union City. 

Kristin noted how the kitchen was almost entirely move-in ready, saving them thousands of dollars. Catherine added that the availability of walk-in refrigerators and freezer storage was a turning point for their operations, allowing them to ship orders nationwide through Gold Belly. 

In Columbus, Ohio, Nick Penzone used the platform to revive his family’s legacy restaurant. His grandfather had opened Florentine Restaurant in 1945, and it remained a local favorite until rising costs forced it to close in 2016. Nick and his wife began selling the restaurant’s original sauces and recipes during the pandemic and were looking for a way to return to full meal preparation.

Nick said CloudKitchens offered a low-cost way to keep going without reopening a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant. Today, the family’s recipes are once again being served, prepared in a private kitchen and delivered directly to customers across the city.

CloudKitchens Reviews From the People Who Use It

CloudKitchens reviews show that the platform supports food entrepreneurs at all levels, from first-time founders to experienced operators expanding across cities.

Marco J., founder of Wokker, used the platform to launch a smoked meat–meets–Asian fusion concept during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was a lifesaver for us,” he said. “If we have an issue, it’s not just our issue, it’s their issue, too.”

He added that the company provides weekly support and resources, helping him learn how to improve delivery operations and build a loyal customer base.

Reese Scelfo, founder of Brady’s Bakery, used the platform to grow from selling cookies at farmer’s markets to running five kitchen locations across Los Angeles. 

“Ghost kitchens offer a low-risk opportunity to build out and grow a food concept,” he said. “It also provides a safe space to explore recipe creation and brand development, as well as test several different markets.”

Danielle Sanders, founder of Getcha Roll On, built a menu around gourmet egg rolls. After struggling to keep up with rising demand from her home kitchen, she discovered CloudKitchens through a Facebook ad. 

The ghost kitchen model helped her grow her brand, gain hands-on experience, and attract repeat customers. She went from feeling overwhelmed and managing everything on her own to feeling supported and ready to scale. 

“Do it. It works. It saves money, saves time, and cuts down on customer interaction and overhead,” she said. 

In Texas, Michael and Sam—creators of Packin’ Bowls—transitioned from food trucks to delivery-only service. With CloudKitchens, they launched several brands under one roof, expanding to new markets all while lowering their startup costs.

“As we’ve continued to hone in on our formula for success, the ghost kitchen model has continued to be a part of our growth strategy because it allows us to go live in multiple markets quicker and at a lower price,” they said. 

A Single System for Delivery and Planning

Meal prep brands often rely heavily on third-party platforms to reach their customers.  Managing those platforms separately can take time and lead to errors, especially when orders come in through multiple apps with different settings and workflows.

CloudKitchens solves that issue by offering one integrated dashboard that connects all major delivery platforms. Orders from apps like DoorDash, Grubhub, and ChowNow appear on a single tablet. From there, operators can manage their menus, adjust prep times, pause items, or update their availability without switching devices.

The system also tracks key metrics. Businesses can view which meals are selling best, when peak order times are, and how their revenue compares across platforms. Reports can be exported for internal planning, and order history can be reviewed to resolve customer concerns or staffing needs. 

For meal prep operators who offer rotating menus or diet-specific plans, having all of these tools in one convenient place makes it easier to make changes without slowing everything down.

Driving the Future of Meal Prep Brands

CloudKitchens locations aren’t designed for dining in. Instead, they’re built to help get food out the door. Each space is a licensed kitchen connected to delivery support tools like contactless pickup, on-site food runners, and courier handoff zones.

Operators don’t need to worry about a lot of the usual responsibilities that come with maintaining a commercial kitchen, like installing plumbing or setting up the internet. Those tasks are handled by CloudKitchens staff. This behind-the-scenes support lets businesses focus on cooking and packaging, confident that the meals will arrive fresh, accurate, and on time.

Some businesses use CloudKitchens to test new menus in different regions. Others use it to return after closing a physical restaurant. In either case, the model makes it easier to enter delivery-heavy markets without high overhead.

Customers may never visit these kitchens, but for many growing food brands, this is where momentum builds—fueling the consistency and scale it takes to stay competitive.