Controversy My neighbor is a ghost kitchen
Dipak cuts the salmon with a huge sushi knife;
Michael Angelo Pérez orders the products with which he makes the hot dogs;
Harka Bahadur Thapa sauté the spinach
in a large casserole surrounded by curry
, turmeric and coriander.
Entering a ghost kitchen is like entering a
small tower of Babel
where chefs of many nationalities gather and where all kinds of smells and flavors mix.
We are in the kitchens of Deliveroo, a pioneer company in bringing to Spain in 2018 the concept of kitchens
only for home delivery
.
They are located in two spaces with six kitchens each, located in the Atocha area to serve the south of Madrid and in the Tetuán district for the north area.
These are two small places with discreet fireplaces and a large patio so that the delivery men can introduce the motorcycles and collect the orders without having to park on the sidewalks
or disturb the residents
.
This model has nothing to do with other ghost kitchens that have raised the indignation of the neighbors, such as Cokukin, who has installed four fireplaces in front of the Miguel de Unamuno public school in the Delicias neighborhood.
In fact, the
Madrid City Council
will bring
a new regulation
to the
Governing Board
this week to
limit the activity of these kitchens in residential areas and
reduce the maximum surface area
they can occupy.
In addition, it will require that the loading and unloading be done inside the establishments and its installation in industrial areas will prevail.
Lower costs
Héctor Maiolino is one of the entrepreneurs who operates in Deliveroo's kitchens.
In August 2020, it dared to open the Distrito Ceviche restaurant despite the difficulties of the pandemic, and it
already has two other locations
, in addition to the
dark kitchen
.
"This system helps us to invoice,
increase the volume of orders
and expand. Operating costs are lower and times improve a lot. Every month we grow 30 or 40%", explains this businessman.
The orders that are made by the application arrive at a small terminal where what the client requests is shown.
Then, the race against time begins because speed is the key to success: at Maolino's restaurant they have achieved the odyssey of preparing an order of ceviche
in just 10 minutes
.
The delivery man waits at the door of the premises and collects the food to make it arrive as soon as possible.
A cook prepares a hot dog.BERNARDO DÍAZ
Deliveroo rents these stores to brands at
no cost
, but in exchange, charges them a commission for each order.
The company is in charge of the management and maintenance of the establishment, while the restaurants have their own kitchen equipment and their raw materials.
In the facilities on Andrés Torrejón street, the Mayura, Greek and Shop, Only Sushi restaurants and the Pescanova and Campofrío home brands coexist, which are Pezcado Capital, Napoletta and The Hot Dog Corner.
In this kitchen, Michael Angelo Pérez as soon as he prepares hot dogs as if they were churros
like fish and chips
, one of the most popular products.
"We start at 12:00 and we are until 4:00 pm; we reopen at 7:30 pm until 11:30 pm. At the weekend the orders go up. We have clients who on fixed days ask us for
10 hot dogs"
, says Valentín Chaile, the in charge of the kitchen.
Most restaurateurs prefer the flavor of face-to-face business to home delivery.
"In a restaurant you live the experience and the customer repeats.
In the delivery it costs us more to retain loyalty
. Sometimes we distribute the disassembled tacos so that the customer can assemble them himself and have the experience," says Maiolino.
However, this type of kitchen was a lifesaver for many during confinement, since it was the only place they could keep open.
"I started the trantrán, but during the confinement we worked very well.
It is a matter of efficiency
, but you have to do the numbers very well. It is not a panacea," argues Raquel López, owner of López & López pizzerias.
This businesswoman assures that the ghost kitchen in which she works is like a small family.
"There is a very good atmosphere and coexistence with the neighbors is good. It is necessary to find a balance between these businesses and the residents. It must be regulated because
the legislator is already running late," he
concludes.
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