5 Menu Ideas that Are Perfect for a Rented Commercial Kitchen

In the dynamic world of ghost kitchens, where culinary creativity meets digital convenience, crafting a captivating menu is essential for standing out in a crowded marketplace. Whether you're launching a new virtual restaurant or seeking to revitalize your existing offerings, an innovative but simple menu is a critical pillar of your overall marketing strategy.

Here at ŌN Kitchens, we don’t only help make it easy by providing fully certified, ready-to-use kitchens, but we also want to share some of our learnings along the way in working with other food entrepreneurs — no matter where you might be in the process of starting your food business. Here are a few ideas to get the wheels turning if you’re still in the exploration phase of opening your food business – whether that’s a ghost kitchen, meal prep business, catering, or anything else!

1. Street Food-Inspired: Always a Hit for Ghost Kitchens

Street food is a broad enough category that let’s you draw inspiration from so many places around the globe. Food entrepreneurs often use a source of inspiration from their travel, heritage, or family to fuel their menu and cook with passion. A common theme in street food is that it’s a handheld which often makes for a great delivery item from your ghost kitchen. Think tacos, skewers, empanadas, and wraps – all of which are perfect for on-the-go dining or sharing with friends.

Another popular move within this category is fusion. Taking one of those delicious street food ideas and fusing it with another local or global favorite to give the people something they’ve never heard of before. Embrace the eclectic flavors of the world by offering a menu that combines elements from various culinary traditions. From Korean BBQ tacos to Thai-inspired pizza, the possibilities are endless when it comes to fusion cuisine. Experiment with unexpected ingredient pairings and cultural influences to create dishes that are both familiar and exciting, appealing to adventurous foodies seeking new taste sensations.

2. Prepared Meals: Perfect for a Commercial Kitchen

As national brands like HelloFresh and BlueApron continue to grow, there’s an expanding audience of people that are looking for something freshly prepared, healthy, and delivered to them. A commercial kitchen is the perfect place to launch a business serving prepared meals or move into when you’ve outgrown running the business from your home kitchen.

The menu opportunities are endless and provide a wide array of flexibility. For example, you could choose to focus on seasonal menus for a few months at a time that highlight local ingredients. Many meal prep businesses will also make slight adjustments to be able to meet different dietary needs often in ways that some of the larger brands (mentioned before) cannot. This could mean a menu with alternative proteins and plant-based substitutes.

While it can be tempting to try a lot of different things, be sure to have a common thread throughout your offerings so that people can understand what it is that makes you special. It could be the type of food you serve, of course, but it could also just be in the structure of your menu: 1 entree, 2 sides, and a dessert. As with anything (especially in the foodservice business), start with what you do best and then start expanding. Take time to test new menu items and get direct feedback before making a large commitment to them.

3. Gourmet Comfort Foods: A Catering or Ghost Kitchen Go-To

Indulge customers' cravings for comforting, timeless classics like fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, BBQ, and burgers. These highly familiar products are sought after by consumers on a daily basis – making things much more competitive. Make these classics your own by adding unique spins or ingredients. It could be unique sauces, toppings, or sides that make it something the customer can’t get anywhere other than your ghost kitchen or catering business.

This type of menu can be the perfect time to incorporate your story as a food entrepreneur or chef and why you got in the business. Perhaps your heritage is the reason you chose specific ingredients or your childhood is why you chose to focus on these specific items. Whatever it might be, use everything you can to make these familiar comfort foods something new and unique that people want to try. 

4. Unique Sweets: Satisfy the Sweet Tooth

Don’t underestimate the power of a sweet tooth. From decadent cakes and gourmet cookies to artisanal ice cream sandwiches and creative dessert hybrids, dessert offerings provide the perfect opportunity to satisfy customers' cravings for something sweet. 

If desserts are your area of expertise, experiment with unique flavor combinations, creative presentations, and Instagram-worthy desserts that are sure to delight customers and give them plenty to talk about online. Keep in mind the packaging that you will be using as well knowing it could limit your creations or their ability to travel.

Lastly, think about how your desserts could be offered for different occasions which are a driving force for the dessert business. Whether it’s a birthday surprise or an office pick-me-up, make sure that your menu can meet the need of larger groups so you can benefit from the revenue.

5. Interactive DIY Kits: Be More than a Meal

Engage customers in the culinary experience by offering interactive DIY meal kits that allow them to recreate their favorite restaurant dishes at home. These kits are the perfect blend of entertainment and food and let you do the heavy lifting in a commercial kitchen so the guest can cook with ease. Think of a pizza kit, complete with freshly made dough, vibrant toppings, and a sprinkle of cheese, ready to be assembled into a personalized masterpiece. Or a build-your-own taco bar complete with marinated proteins, fresh toppings, and one-of-a-kind salsas. There are countless options that you could come up with and the more creative the better! 

You could appeal more to health-conscious diners by featuring a selection of nutritious and wholesome menu items. From vibrant salad kits to grain bowl bars along with lean protein options and gluten-free alternatives. Prominently display nutritional information and help customers make informed choices and customize to their dietary needs or preferences.

The novelty in these offerings is that it’s something different from what the customer is used to and there are creative ways to insert your brand into the experience and help the customer know why the process is special. It becomes a memorable experience that people love to talk about with their friends.

Your Menu is Your #1 Marketing Tool

All aspects of the food business can be competitive whether you’re a ghost kitchen, caterer, or meal prep business. Your menu is what will help you stand out from the crowd. It can change and evolve over time but what you start with in the beginning should feel unique to you, something you feel passionate about, all while being relatively to execute. So, get creative, experiment with new ideas, and let your culinary imagination run wild as you set off on your foodservice adventure!

Got a menu? Getting a kitchen is the easy part. ŌN Kitchens fully certified kitchens are available to rent now!