CANADA – As major transformations continue to disrupt the food industry, Canada has joined the the next global culinary phenomenon with the launch of the country’s first virtual food hall, the Kitchen Hub – based in Toronto.

Virtual food halls also known as ghost kitchens are strategically located hubs consisting of multiple restaurants that offer delivery and takeout only.

A virtual food hall offers restaurants a dedicated turnkey kitchen space with all necessary equipment and is fully optimized for takeout and delivery.

Canada’s first vitual food hall, the Kitchen Hub, will deliver to customers through some of the leading delivery partners including SkipTheDishes – the country’s largest food delivery network.

“Like most industries, shifts in consumer preferences and behavior are driving rapid innovation in the food category,” said Kitchen Hub CEO and Co-Founder Adam Armeland.

“It is abundantly clear that delivery accounts for a staggering percentage of overall food consumption and is growing faster than the in-restaurant category.

“The question everyone was asking themselves was: How can we address off-premises diners more effectively?”

Kitchen Hub Co-Founder and COO, Oren Borovitch explains that the platform will cater for logistics, operations, infrastructure and equipment hence addressing some of the most challenging hurdles that the food delivery industry faces.

“Under the Kitchen Hub model, restaurants can do what they do best, cook great food,” Borovitch says adding that the model allows restaurants to expand their footprint into high-demand areas quickly and without prohibitive infrastructure costs.

Kitchen Hub has already caught the attention of major restaurants with notable brands including Pai Northern Thai Kitchen, The Carbon Bar, Blondies Pizza, and Cheesecake Factory Bakery being amongst the first to join Kitchen Hub.

Yannick Bigourdan, owner of The Carbon Bar noted: “Our strategic partnership with Kitchen Hub enables us to reach more people while never compromising on the quality that our guests expect from us.

“The Carbon Bar is now in a position to meet the growing demand that we previously could not meet.”

According to its founders, Kitchen Hub has integrated several unique concepts under one roof, allowing customers to choose and order from one or all of the restaurants, giving them more variety in one order. 

The ghost kitchen also delivers convenience items including a selection of chips, candy, pop, and other snacks.

Kitchen Hub is located in Etobicoke and is set to be the first of several planned locations across the country. The platform has partnered with food delivery companies including SkipTheDishes, Uber Eats, Ritual, foodora, and DoorDash. 

“Dedicated food delivery as a business model is only going to grow and become a more regular part of people’s lives,” said CEO Armeland.

“This is a business that is growing rapidly and exponentially every year and we are proud to be the first in Canada with Kitchen Hub.”