The future for hospitality is dark

News of Deliveroo opening a second dark kitchen in Sydney is a harbinger of things to come. A centrally located kitchen that is leased out to brands wishing to capitalise on the food delivery market may be a welcome way to expand a business without the burden and costs of leasing a new venue but it may have ramifications for our food culture that have yet to emerge.

Picture this. If a huge multinational food enterprise wants to set up shop in Australia it has historically had to open some bricks and mortar venues, establish a market and then expand in relation to their success. With the advent of the dark kitchen model what is to stop an overseas brand simply forgoing the bricks and mortar option, putting that money into a massive advertising campaign and shipping everything out through a leased kitchen.

Consumer loyalty, with is tantamount to their business, used to be fought on the ground. Amazon has shown the world that this model in dead. The retail sector has been turned on its head over the last 10 years. Is hospitality next?

Sheridan Randall, 25^th September 2018