The restaurant industry has been one of the hardest-hit industries during the pandemic. Inside dining has been tightly regulated, and in some cases, completely eliminated. As a matter of fact, Bloomberg reported in December 2020 that over 110,000 restaurants have closed due to the devastating impact of the pandemic. It hasn’t been easy, but many restaurants have adapted to a new business model to survive.
Ghost kitchens are restaurants that exist with no physical location. The food is prepared in a kitchen space, and orders are placed online. Then, customers can either pick up their food, or they can choose to have the food delivered to them. These ghost kitchens have no inside dining or physical restaurant space, hence the name “ghost” kitchen.
On this episode of our podcast, we spoke with Ralph and Caroline Walde, founders of Aymara Peruvian Ghost Kitchen. This is a ghost kitchen based in Lincoln Heights, CA, and serves the surrounding Los Angeles area. We asked them about why they wanted to start a ghost kitchen, the economics of taking orders through delivery apps, and how to progress from a cook to a chef. This is an episode you won’t want to miss as we cover an industry that has exploded as a result of the pandemic.
#ghostkitchen #cloudkitchen #peruvianfood #entrepreneurship #businessinterview #resturants #LosAngeles
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Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
1:05 About Aymara Peruvian Kitchen
2:12 What made you decide to open a ghost kitchen?
4:57 What is the hardest part about opening a ghost kitchen?
7:45 Where do you get most of your orders?
8:28 How delivery apps hurt businesses
11:07 Was creating a ghost kitchen less expensive than building a traditional restaurant?
12:39 Do you plan on opening a physical location for Aymara?
13:45 What are your thoughts on the exclusivity with regards to higher-end restaurants?
16:30 Inca Kola – A traditional Peruvian soft drink
16:56 Ghost kitchens are a great way to test the market
17:47 The Peruvian Lomo and other iconic Peruvian dishes
20:49 What does Aymara mean to you?
22:07 Why did you choose Lincoln Heights as your location?
23:56 How does your lease work?
24:26 Innovative ways to serve food to people
26:09 What do you recommend people order at Aymara?
26:49 What was the transition like going from cooks to chefs?
29:49 What new dishes are on the horizon?
30:45 Where you can order Aymara