How do you start a ghost kitchen business in 2027?

Honest 5/10 baseline.

Startup costs: $15K-$100K. Either rent a stall in a shared ghost kitchen facility (CloudKitchens, Reef, Kitchen United - typically $2K-$5K/mo plus revenue share) or build out a small commissary space. Equipment (fryers, ovens, prep), POS/KDS, packaging, branding for 1-3 virtual brands, initial marketing on delivery platforms.

Permits/licenses: Business license, health dept permit, food handler/manager cert, commercial kitchen certification, sales tax permit. No dine-in CO needed which is the whole point. Each virtual brand may need its own DBA.

Customer acquisition: Almost entirely DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grubhub. Paid placement on platforms, sponsored listings, photography that converts, multi-brand strategy targeting different cuisines from same kitchen, occasional Google ads.

Revenue model: Order-based, but platforms take 15-30% commission. Average ticket $20-$45.

Realistic year-1: $100K-$400K revenue per brand if it lands. Margins thin (5-15%) due to platform fees. Many fail because demand never matches the kitchen lease.