How the hyped-up ghost kitchen trend fizzled out

Ghost kitchens were seen as the savior of the restaurant industry in the pandemic. Investors pumped over $3B into the group and companies like Wendy’s and Ruby Tuesday joined in opening their own ghost kitchens. But, Americans appetite shifted back to brick-and-mortar restaurants and ghost kitchens saw a sharp pullback in 2023, marred by mass closures and consumer backlash. Now the industry’s future is in limbo as the once favored business model sinks.