If it seems there’s been an influx of virtual restaurants in Chicago — that is, takeout and/or delivery-focused restaurants without an actual dining room — it’s because there has been. Dine-in capacity restrictions, concerns about the health and safety of patrons and restaurant staff, as well as general interest in comfort foods are all fueling the rise of virtual restaurants during the pandemic. And both chefs with existing physical restaurants as well as home cooks are cashing in on Chicagoans staying home.
Not only can virtual restaurateurs squash COVID-19 safety concerns associated with dining out, they can also better manage operations with fewer labor, rent and even food costs when offering a streamlined menu. Chef Will Schlaeger (Next, Saison, Blackbird), who recently opened virtual sandwich shop Cat-Su Sando, says virtual restaurants are “the only way to open a restaurant with basically no money,” with co-owner chef Shawn Clendening (Oriole, Saison, Blackbird) adding, “The pivot to a cloud kitchen seemed like the most intelligent move for us given our budget and the current social climate.”
