Toronto, Canada-based Ghost Kitchen Brands, headed by George Kottas, is expanding internationally and rebranding under the name, Ghost Kitchens International, Nation’s Restaurant News learned exclusively.
As part of this company rebrand, Ghost Kitchens International will spin off a subsidiary called Ghost Kitchen EU, headquartered in Athens, Greece, and headed by Demetrios Mallios. GK EU will be making its debut in Greece with two locations opening shortly and plans to expand to other European countries, including The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, and more.
Founded in 2015, Ghost Kitchen Brands differentiated itself from the many virtual restaurant companies that exploded in popularity during the pandemic by operating its virtual brands onsite, rather than leasing space to other operators. In 2019, the company began partnering with national chains like Cinnabon and Ben & Jerry’s. Then, in 2021, the company opened its first Walmart location and by 2023, was opening ghost kitchens in Walmart locations across North America.
Under the slogan “all your favorite brands in one order,” Ghost Kitchen Brands, now Ghost Kitchens International, offers customers menus from Nathan’s, Wow Bao, Jamba, Donato’s Pizza, and more. Now, the company is looking to set its sights beyond the North American continent.
“[We are expanding internationally] because of the overwhelming interest of investors wanting to partner with us, and because of the staggering number of requests from many brands who want to expand in Europe and other continents,” Kottas said.
This doesn’t mean that the company is hitting pause on U.S. expansion, however. Last year, Ghost Kitchens International launched franchising, and new locations are now opening in Georgia, Illinois, Nevada, Texas, and New York, as well as additional locations in Canada. In the U.S., 30-40 GKI locations are scheduled to open in 2024, with the Dawsonville Ga. Location (which opened earlier in June) utilizing “Adam the Robot” from RichTech Robotics to prepare coffee and beverages for customers. The Rockford, Ill. location will also “employ” Adam the Robot, as well as Wingman, a robotic fryer from Nala Robotics.
“I believe it as much as I did when I started Ghost Kitchen Brands eight years ago and maybe even more now — the industry is still evolving, but I believe that we are getting closer to where it needs to be,” Kottas said. “I am a strong advocate for automation and robotics, not as a substitute for labor but to assist our staff and empower them to do a better job and provide better hospitality to our guests.”
Kottas has an ambitious growth plan in place for Ghost Kitchens International. After this year, he plans to 200+ units in 2025, and more than 400 in 2026.
Contact Joanna at [email protected]