What new ‘ghost restaurant’ means for city’s food scene

THE emergence of “ghost restaurants” in Toowoomba could be “disruptive” to the city’s dining scene, according to experts.

VIRTUAL GRUB: Supreme Leader has opened in Toowoomba, without a traditional shopfront.

THE emergence of ghost restaurants in Toowoomba could be “disruptive” to the city’s dining scene, according to experts.

New fried chicken franchise Supreme Leader, which entered the Toowoomba market this year, is believed to be one of the first in the Garden City to start serving customers without a physical shopfront.

Hungry residents instead order its food through Uber Eats or other delivery apps.

The food is made and sent out from the Pattysmith’s burger shop at Westridge Shopping Centre, which is another franchise owned by company Concept Eight Franchising.

But Supreme Leader itself has no store and, aside from the carry bags, uses only digital branding.

LJ Hooker Commercial real estate agent Markus Eames said the concept of virtual eateries could change how customers ordered and how commercial properties were leased.

“All these outlets and apps are absolute disrupters to property leases,” he said.

“I think it makes absolute sense, because it’s creating an industry inside an industry.

“They’re low-cost in practice and they don’t have to pay for a shopfront, so I think we’re going to see more of them.

“Say they’ve got a vacant shop downtown, why wouldn’t you create a co-working kitchen and you order several different food styles out of one space?”

While Mr Eames said there was no replacing a dining experience, he said the emergence of ghost restaurants put pressure on established eateries to improve.

“It will definitely affect the conventional shops, but it’s just the same thing as online shopping for physical retailers,” he said.

I think it is an absolute disrupter, but there’s nothing like replacing an experience.

“I think it means those conventional guys need to make sure the experience they have is lovely.

“The good ones will survive by leveraging the experience they offer.”

A spokesman for Uber Eats didn’t address the trend, but said the app had created a new business model for restaurants.

“The number of restaurants using online food delivery platforms every day is a vote for this new way for restaurants to connect to new customers,” he said.

Concept Eight Franchising was contacted for comment.

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