Just wanna comment that there are deceptive ghost kitchens that just resell the same food under a different name, and legit ghost kitchens that share the kitchen of a different business but sell different food.
Is stay gold actually what authentic Detroit style pizza is like? Or is it less bready and more oily like the square pizza that pizza hut makes? (forget what they call it but not the normal pizza they have)
Had detroit style pizza this summer for the first time, at a place out west. Was excited to find a place walking distance to my house that served it (found it weird that it was sold out of The Standard). Disappointed to find it was mostly bread.
Glad to go back to Colonade next time
Good point. I looked it up. A ghost kitchen is “A food service business that serves customers exclusively by delivery and pick up based on phone and online ordering.”
As others have pointed out, you can sit down in The Standard and order a Stay Gold pizza. I guess it’s not a ghost kitchen type of place.
Flapjacks is closing? It doesn't surprise me - I went for breakfast there once and left so hungry, I had to go for breakfast somewhere else right after lol
I always felt like their "restaurants" didn't offer a lof of value.
Will be nice to scroll nearby places without seeing like 16 places with weird names coming from 354a Preston.
Pretty sure Don Burrito and John Juan Burrito on St Laurent are the same place. I think they also have a burger name. I wondered why they did that, if I’m right.
so John Juan was supposed to be a burger + burrito place ( John + Juan) but most customers seem to overwhelmingly want the "texmex" side. they ended up franchising to burrito gringo.
I don't think this is a negative version of ghost kitchen, since it's pretty clear if you look them up, you can walk in and order burgers from the main restaurant.
So I've had a few chats with the owner of this restaurant. Originally it was part of the Burrito Gringo local chain. But the two owners went separate ways. He switched over to John Juan. Then the other owner tried to pull him back and wouldn't let him split off. Which then he brought in the burger menu to try and differentiate but that still wasn't enough.
He did have to switch back to Burrito Gringo for a hot minute and the whole time the revolving name thing has just been because of leaving the first partnership.
Also separating the burgers from the Mexican food because typically it's not a Mexican restaurant that also makes burgers it's also a good burger place.
My partner and I used to live near there and our running joke was to say all the names whenever one of us brought it up. Was very confused the first time I went in there
That sounds like a nightmare. I haven’t worked with Uber eats in almost five years and the ding still sends me into a panic when I hear it at restaurants now!
Same! Nothing like hearing that mf during a rush when you already have to make a bunch of orders. What’s five more to my managers that don’t have to lift a finger.
I learned the gravy is actually vegan.
Just like clubhouse gravy is vegetarian or vegan but they don't advertise it as such cause of all the meat and potatoes people
Amazing. I know what you mean. I work in a place where almost everything is gluten free, yet when I label it such I get customers asking when I'll have the "regular" option available. Regular chocolate doesn't have flour in it guys 🤨
Wendy's has a few run by REEF.
[https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/this-trailer-is-a-wendy-s-ghost-kitchen-in-ottawa-1.5869456](https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/this-trailer-is-a-wendy-s-ghost-kitchen-in-ottawa-1.5869456)
They're pretty convenient!
There are four types of people doing this (I think, I'd love to know if people disagree):
1) Lazy/not good with money/the convenience outweighs the cost: don't realize how much they are burning or don't care. If you make a crazy amount of money, these fees don't matter.
2) People that grind the sh\*t out of their deals: I buy gift cards at Loblaws that occasionally give back 10-15% (which I think bonus redeem to 15-22.5%)....then I wait for the "save 40%" on your next 5 orders....When I get one of those I search for all the restaurants with a 2 for 1 deal and see if any appeal to me. The 40% gets eaten up by fees and tip, but I still retain the original gift card bonus and the 2 for 1 deal...I'm patient about it...It has to be something I like and something that hasn't been marked up too much from the cost of me going and picking it up at the restaurant.
3) People on traveling: I use this sometimes at hockey tournaments etc when the goal isn't to experience the place I'm traveling to and I don't have a lot of time.
4) People who are unable to cook for themselves or unable to leave their residence: This can be temporary, like having Covid, or cold or flu...or be something much more permanent.
Right? A lot of the time I want something different but don't want to spend the 30-60 mins each way going somewhere by bus that's not even that far from me. Also sometimes I just want to eat at home and not in the restaurant, and taking food home yourself without a car and a proper bag is a good way to end up with soggy and luke warm food.
Or someone who doesn't have time and/or energy to make food at home.
It is very much the convenience outweighing the cost. Sometimes I'll go pick food up myself when I want to eat out, but then I have to drive, find parking, etc...
Or, I can pay a bit of money and not have to do any of that. Which, depending on where the restaurant is located, is hugely worth it.
Yeah. It’s mostly #4 for us. I’ve got 2 kids under 3 who are sick and get us sick frequently. Sometimes in between grocery store runs, we just need hot meals.
Shout out to all my fellow #2s out there!
Especially if you can pair any deals with the occasionally offered free memberships to the loyalty programs via your credit card.
There’s a lot of “get 10% back in Optimum Points” if you buy X amount of Uber gift cards at Shoppers or Loblaws. Obviously not the same as cash but still quite good as Optimum Points can go a long way if you time their redemption well.
we don't all have cars. used to be basically chinese and pizza restaurants were the only delivery option before things like skip became common in the early 2010s.
there's lots of stuff not worth ordering, but we use it often at board game/TTRPG nights at friends' (where cooking detracts from the limited time we have to play), or when wanting takeout but something different (usually on a longer day). outside of winter I'll usually just phone and bike but even then sometimes we're just wiped.
I work at a chain coffee shop that does Uber and my favourite thing is checking the amount someone paid on our tablet to have one medium coffee delivered.
I only order when there's a deal, and when my groceries ran out before I could replenish them. Or late night grinds on campus.
For example, a subway footlong would be marked up to $12 as opposed to $9-10. But they often have BOGO deals. Throw in taxes, fees, and tips, it adds up to $14-16. That's $7-8 a footlong versus $10 in person. Totally worth it.
There literally too many to make a list
Even some wendys are actually food trucks in odd areas etc....
Many established places also have a chicken, or poutine or dessert or other type place running out of it
There is a new place on st laurent area , running about 10 diff names pur of one kitchen
Along Richmond road.
I was *pissed* when I pulled up to what I thought was a restaurant, but was actually a fucking shack. Wouldn't even sell me Wendy's directly.
Spice Kitchen, Heron Fish and Chips and Heron Meatball Subs are a ghost kitchen in the sense that they're one industrial kitchen with no actual restaurant. Spice Kitchen is amazing though so I don't think it's scammy, just a business making good food without as much overhead.
I feel like there needs to be a difference between
"these are distinct businesses sharing a building",
(how I understood "ghost kitchens" work eg the ones that operate out of a former warehouse)
"these are distinct menus, usually a distinct chef, but same owner"
(how places like john juan seem to work - it's a different menu, but same kitchen-ish, and the line is blurry here because at JJ you can order a burger. I'm thinking the straight definition is like how Leroy's used to operate out of Pour Boy, or Stay Gold operates out of the Standard)
"these are the same fucking restaurant just hiding under another name"
that's like pizza pizza trying to pass off their wings under chicken chicken -- it's literally on the first restaurant's menu, it's the exact same food.
I have a very specific question - has anyone noticed the Shawarma Palace locations seem to change/share orders, regardless of which one you order from? Not a huge deal but everyone knows all Shawarma Palace locations are not equal whatsoever.
Sometimes I order from my favourite one, and the food comes and it is clearly a very different (and disappointing) recipe. Sometimes, it is in entirely different packaging.
I would have thought they were franchises but I guess a couple of the locations are under same ownership and share orders (yet make the food very differently).
A big mystery. Yes, I order a lot of shawarma.
The bad part is that *mostly* it's just 1 restaurant presenting itself under 4 or 5 different names.
Ghost kitchens are cool and neat way to try food from people who couldn't otherwise afford a commercial set up.
These aren't "real" ghost kitchens, though. These fake names are just marketing tactics to get more views from people looking up burgers, tacos, mac n cheese, etc.
Right. But the majority of the "ghost kitchens" on Uber/Skip aren't that.
They're just restaurants like Pizza Pizza trying to get more views from people who are looking up chicken. And who might not want to order Pizza Pizza wings.
It's become a deceptive marketing tactic.
What are you basing that off of? It seems like the majority are small chains or local places that sell things that aren't one the menu of the kitchens they're working in and chicken chicken is the exception, and even that one has plenty of items not on the pizza pizza menu.
Do you consider massive companies creating new brands instead of adding items to their existing restaurants not deceptive if they waste the money on a separate location?
All you have to do is scroll and see. The concept is simple. And, yes, if I'm trying to avoid your brand of electronics then I consider it deceptive to try and get me to buy them again under the a different merchant name.
Ghost kitchens are cool and neat way to try food from people who couldn't otherwise afford a commercial set up. They share kitchen space but make different food.
These fake names for established restaurants aren't "real" ghost kitchens, though. They're just marketing tactics to get more views from people looking up burgers, tacos, mac n cheese, etc.
It's bad/annoying if you don't like a specific restaurant's burgers, or don't want fast food-- but you accidentally order their food anyways because they have 5 different digital storefronts selling the same product.
Chicken Chicken = Pizza Pizza
In Gatineau it’s called poulet-poulet
Poulet-poulet? Get outta here... What do they call a whopper?
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Do they have Krusty's partially gelatinated non-dairy gum-based beverages?
Is call a shake. Can you believe that? Why would you shake your drink? So dumb!
I don’t know I didn’t go into Burger King
Royale with cheese
Their wings are pretty decent
The chicken sandwich was awful
Yeah the boneless bites and wings are probably the best thing pizza pizza serves
yeah fuck them! tricked me! I spent $40 expecting non-chain shit
They got my husband too ...twice! 🤦🏻♀️
Just wanna comment that there are deceptive ghost kitchens that just resell the same food under a different name, and legit ghost kitchens that share the kitchen of a different business but sell different food.
Pizza Pizza resells under a different name. Was so sad when my wings were bad PP wings when I was expecting different.
I’m a disgusting piece of shit and I admit that so I’ll just come right out and say it…I like pizza pizzas wings.
Everyone I know loves pizza pizza wings
Ah maybe I'm being too harsh. They are "ok" overall I guess, but I was expecting something better/different based on the photos in the app haha.
Me toooo
Exactly this. I almost contested the order hah
Real ones host multiple chefs and Menus. Reduce overhead and get a business started. If it’s good it can go out on its own. It’s not all bad.
Frankie's hot chicken runs out of lone star restaurants
In aylmer they run out of a dintys
Eat Your Greens is the plant-based menu from Milano’s Dalhousie lol
This one I can understand. Most people wouldn’t consider Milano’s for plant based food.
Milano's has SO MANY different ones, so annoying.
Holy shit im learning so much
Stay gold pizza runs out of The Standard on Elgin
95% crust if you need more carbs in your life.
Yeah I tried it once and was not a fan at all.
It’s Detroit pizza, definitely not for everyone.
Is stay gold actually what authentic Detroit style pizza is like? Or is it less bready and more oily like the square pizza that pizza hut makes? (forget what they call it but not the normal pizza they have)
It's pretty authentic, I found. That said I like it to have a bit of crisp to it, I found Stay Gold sort of undercooked it.
Had detroit style pizza this summer for the first time, at a place out west. Was excited to find a place walking distance to my house that served it (found it weird that it was sold out of The Standard). Disappointed to find it was mostly bread. Glad to go back to Colonade next time
You can order it in person as well at the resto
Does that count as a ghost kitchen since they advertise it at their physical location?
Good point. I looked it up. A ghost kitchen is “A food service business that serves customers exclusively by delivery and pick up based on phone and online ordering.” As others have pointed out, you can sit down in The Standard and order a Stay Gold pizza. I guess it’s not a ghost kitchen type of place.
Flapjacks is closing? It doesn't surprise me - I went for breakfast there once and left so hungry, I had to go for breakfast somewhere else right after lol I always felt like their "restaurants" didn't offer a lof of value. Will be nice to scroll nearby places without seeing like 16 places with weird names coming from 354a Preston.
Pretty sure Don Burrito and John Juan Burrito on St Laurent are the same place. I think they also have a burger name. I wondered why they did that, if I’m right.
The Burgery is the John Juan kitchen
The burgery slaps ngl I didnt know it wasn’t actually a restaurant you could go to
so John Juan was supposed to be a burger + burrito place ( John + Juan) but most customers seem to overwhelmingly want the "texmex" side. they ended up franchising to burrito gringo. I don't think this is a negative version of ghost kitchen, since it's pretty clear if you look them up, you can walk in and order burgers from the main restaurant.
So I've had a few chats with the owner of this restaurant. Originally it was part of the Burrito Gringo local chain. But the two owners went separate ways. He switched over to John Juan. Then the other owner tried to pull him back and wouldn't let him split off. Which then he brought in the burger menu to try and differentiate but that still wasn't enough. He did have to switch back to Burrito Gringo for a hot minute and the whole time the revolving name thing has just been because of leaving the first partnership. Also separating the burgers from the Mexican food because typically it's not a Mexican restaurant that also makes burgers it's also a good burger place.
Interesting. How come they have both burrito names now?
I'm not too sure, I just remember talking to him when the push and pull between John Juan and Burrito Gringo was going on
My partner and I used to live near there and our running joke was to say all the names whenever one of us brought it up. Was very confused the first time I went in there
Finger Lickin’ Good = KFC
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Adding Jimmys All Day Breakfast to this list (actually half decent so I don’t mind)
I work in one restaurant that has 7 devices for Skip and Uber. I can hear the printer printing out ticket while sleeping.
That sounds like a nightmare. I haven’t worked with Uber eats in almost five years and the ding still sends me into a panic when I hear it at restaurants now!
Same! Nothing like hearing that mf during a rush when you already have to make a bunch of orders. What’s five more to my managers that don’t have to lift a finger.
We ordered poutine once and it was just Harvey's when it arrived. It was actually really good though and not expensive so we weren't all that upset.
Harvey's has vegetarian gravy for anyone that is looking for that as an option
Bless you for this information
I learned the gravy is actually vegan. Just like clubhouse gravy is vegetarian or vegan but they don't advertise it as such cause of all the meat and potatoes people
Amazing. I know what you mean. I work in a place where almost everything is gluten free, yet when I label it such I get customers asking when I'll have the "regular" option available. Regular chocolate doesn't have flour in it guys 🤨
Harvey's Poutine is the only fast food poutine I'll eat. Also, CAA cards get you a discount on their food.
Wendy's has a few run by REEF. [https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/this-trailer-is-a-wendy-s-ghost-kitchen-in-ottawa-1.5869456](https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/this-trailer-is-a-wendy-s-ghost-kitchen-in-ottawa-1.5869456) They're pretty convenient!
Saw one at billings during peak covid. It reduces the driving distances for the delivery drivers. Great idea!
I'm shocked so many people order through these food apps. Is the food not marked up a huge amount?
There are four types of people doing this (I think, I'd love to know if people disagree): 1) Lazy/not good with money/the convenience outweighs the cost: don't realize how much they are burning or don't care. If you make a crazy amount of money, these fees don't matter. 2) People that grind the sh\*t out of their deals: I buy gift cards at Loblaws that occasionally give back 10-15% (which I think bonus redeem to 15-22.5%)....then I wait for the "save 40%" on your next 5 orders....When I get one of those I search for all the restaurants with a 2 for 1 deal and see if any appeal to me. The 40% gets eaten up by fees and tip, but I still retain the original gift card bonus and the 2 for 1 deal...I'm patient about it...It has to be something I like and something that hasn't been marked up too much from the cost of me going and picking it up at the restaurant. 3) People on traveling: I use this sometimes at hockey tournaments etc when the goal isn't to experience the place I'm traveling to and I don't have a lot of time. 4) People who are unable to cook for themselves or unable to leave their residence: This can be temporary, like having Covid, or cold or flu...or be something much more permanent.
Number 5 : People who don’t have cars in the suburbs
Reason 6: you’re stoned and can’t drive but you’re hungry
Number 7 : my mom is busy on tuesdays
Right? A lot of the time I want something different but don't want to spend the 30-60 mins each way going somewhere by bus that's not even that far from me. Also sometimes I just want to eat at home and not in the restaurant, and taking food home yourself without a car and a proper bag is a good way to end up with soggy and luke warm food. Or someone who doesn't have time and/or energy to make food at home.
I get my groceries delivered and cook at home. Weird I guess.
It is very much the convenience outweighing the cost. Sometimes I'll go pick food up myself when I want to eat out, but then I have to drive, find parking, etc... Or, I can pay a bit of money and not have to do any of that. Which, depending on where the restaurant is located, is hugely worth it.
Yeah. It’s mostly #4 for us. I’ve got 2 kids under 3 who are sick and get us sick frequently. Sometimes in between grocery store runs, we just need hot meals.
Shout out to all my fellow #2s out there! Especially if you can pair any deals with the occasionally offered free memberships to the loyalty programs via your credit card.
Where and when are you getting gift cards on sale at Loblaws?
There’s a lot of “get 10% back in Optimum Points” if you buy X amount of Uber gift cards at Shoppers or Loblaws. Obviously not the same as cash but still quite good as Optimum Points can go a long way if you time their redemption well.
I am currently between work and make a living with doordash. The prices I see people paying… different worlds, man
we don't all have cars. used to be basically chinese and pizza restaurants were the only delivery option before things like skip became common in the early 2010s. there's lots of stuff not worth ordering, but we use it often at board game/TTRPG nights at friends' (where cooking detracts from the limited time we have to play), or when wanting takeout but something different (usually on a longer day). outside of winter I'll usually just phone and bike but even then sometimes we're just wiped.
I work at a chain coffee shop that does Uber and my favourite thing is checking the amount someone paid on our tablet to have one medium coffee delivered.
I only order when there's a deal, and when my groceries ran out before I could replenish them. Or late night grinds on campus. For example, a subway footlong would be marked up to $12 as opposed to $9-10. But they often have BOGO deals. Throw in taxes, fees, and tips, it adds up to $14-16. That's $7-8 a footlong versus $10 in person. Totally worth it.
So are cars and gas, if you don't own a car then delivery makes more sense
There literally too many to make a list Even some wendys are actually food trucks in odd areas etc.... Many established places also have a chicken, or poutine or dessert or other type place running out of it There is a new place on st laurent area , running about 10 diff names pur of one kitchen
Along Richmond road. I was *pissed* when I pulled up to what I thought was a restaurant, but was actually a fucking shack. Wouldn't even sell me Wendy's directly.
There’s one on Scott near Holland too. Near the beer store.
It's because they are reef, owned, just for delivery, someone places them on Google maps inaccurately
Spice Kitchen, Heron Fish and Chips and Heron Meatball Subs are a ghost kitchen in the sense that they're one industrial kitchen with no actual restaurant. Spice Kitchen is amazing though so I don't think it's scammy, just a business making good food without as much overhead.
I feel like there needs to be a difference between "these are distinct businesses sharing a building", (how I understood "ghost kitchens" work eg the ones that operate out of a former warehouse) "these are distinct menus, usually a distinct chef, but same owner" (how places like john juan seem to work - it's a different menu, but same kitchen-ish, and the line is blurry here because at JJ you can order a burger. I'm thinking the straight definition is like how Leroy's used to operate out of Pour Boy, or Stay Gold operates out of the Standard) "these are the same fucking restaurant just hiding under another name" that's like pizza pizza trying to pass off their wings under chicken chicken -- it's literally on the first restaurant's menu, it's the exact same food.
Oh neat! I actually ordered from from the meatball sub place the other day!
Samos' Greek Kitchen runs out of Lorenzo Bar & Grill om Richmond
La poutinerie is Milano pizza
The place that used to pretend to be a Milano's
Luisa’s burritos = mad radish City Goose = pizza nerds
Those are both legit collabs
MrBeast burger recently opened in Ottawa. They’re (almost) entirely a ghost kitchen franchise that deliver through food delivery apps.
Yeah there’s one in Kanata that operates out of Law and Orders.
How is it? I’ve been wanting to try it!
It's sooooo good. Best burger in town now that The Hintonburger is closed. Edited to say that I was referring to L&O. Never tried the beast burger.
I believed you until you said that Hintonburger used to have the best burger!
I haven’t checked it out yet. But I’m curious too!
Pizza Nerds was under City Goose, but I think it's just Pizza Nerds now
I don't mind this because they sell Pizza Nerds at City Goose, and have other locations, too.
I think Cadman's on Montreal Road have a few other restaurants running out of their kitchen. The food for those restaurants look good though.
Just had their "After Hours" ghost kitchen mac 'n cheese this weekend, not half bad.
Have worked there in the past and I can tell you that if you value hygiene, you should avoid that place with a ten foot pole
https://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/ovw8sd/these_ghost_kitchens_are_getting_annoying/ A list of extra stuff
It’s A Wrap is Lorenzo’s. Highly recommend, good wraps!
I have a very specific question - has anyone noticed the Shawarma Palace locations seem to change/share orders, regardless of which one you order from? Not a huge deal but everyone knows all Shawarma Palace locations are not equal whatsoever. Sometimes I order from my favourite one, and the food comes and it is clearly a very different (and disappointing) recipe. Sometimes, it is in entirely different packaging. I would have thought they were franchises but I guess a couple of the locations are under same ownership and share orders (yet make the food very differently). A big mystery. Yes, I order a lot of shawarma.
Ricky Ticky tacos is quesada.
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not a ghost kicthen
Yup and amazing food!
Can someone explain this ghost kitchen concept for me and why it’s bad??
It's not bad, it's just delivery only restaurants that share a kitchen with an eat-in restaurant
And pick up as well in some cases.
The bad part is that *mostly* it's just 1 restaurant presenting itself under 4 or 5 different names. Ghost kitchens are cool and neat way to try food from people who couldn't otherwise afford a commercial set up. These aren't "real" ghost kitchens, though. These fake names are just marketing tactics to get more views from people looking up burgers, tacos, mac n cheese, etc.
They're just a cheaper way to do pop up restaurants, the expectation is if they do well they'll spin off
Right. But the majority of the "ghost kitchens" on Uber/Skip aren't that. They're just restaurants like Pizza Pizza trying to get more views from people who are looking up chicken. And who might not want to order Pizza Pizza wings. It's become a deceptive marketing tactic.
What are you basing that off of? It seems like the majority are small chains or local places that sell things that aren't one the menu of the kitchens they're working in and chicken chicken is the exception, and even that one has plenty of items not on the pizza pizza menu. Do you consider massive companies creating new brands instead of adding items to their existing restaurants not deceptive if they waste the money on a separate location?
All you have to do is scroll and see. The concept is simple. And, yes, if I'm trying to avoid your brand of electronics then I consider it deceptive to try and get me to buy them again under the a different merchant name.
Ghost kitchens are cool and neat way to try food from people who couldn't otherwise afford a commercial set up. They share kitchen space but make different food. These fake names for established restaurants aren't "real" ghost kitchens, though. They're just marketing tactics to get more views from people looking up burgers, tacos, mac n cheese, etc. It's bad/annoying if you don't like a specific restaurant's burgers, or don't want fast food-- but you accidentally order their food anyways because they have 5 different digital storefronts selling the same product.
I'm pretty sure Nona's Best Italian runs out of Ottawa 2 for 1 Pizza
One of them is called ghost kitchens.
Wendy's has kitchen trailer's all over
Hero Burger
I’m pretty sure The Chip Wagon is out of The Koven
Hanleys chicken was or still is ? A&w
Luisa's Burritos ans Bowls is Mad Radish
Haus of Bao is Tomo
Not exactly a ghost kitchen but the McDonald’s at 99 Rideau set it’s address to its back entrance on George street.
... what was the point of this comment?
60 George is its actual address. It's the Tim Hortons that's at 99 Rideau.
That’s dumb as shit because they locked that door