Picture this: You’re shopping for takeout on DoorDash, only to stumble upon a restaurant you’ve never heard of before. Confused, you click on its address — only to be directed to a totally different, (seemingly) unaffiliated eatery.
Don’t worry, you’re not going crazy. You’ve just stumbled upon a ghost kitchen.
These so-called “virtual restaurants” exist only on delivery apps such as DoorDash and operate from a shared kitchen space, usually within another restaurant. They’ve been around since the COVID-19 pandemic, when restaurants were forced to pivot away from dine-in services.
But while this model can be a lifeline for local eateries, ethics are dicier for national corporations. Takeout isn’t cheap, and no one wants to spend $40 on a brand they wouldn’t knowingly support. If it happens to you, it’s natural to feel disappointed — both in your own gullibility and the horrors of late-stage capitalism.
“The average hungry Grubhub user will see The Meltdown — a grilled cheese restaurant, with an interesting menu and good prices — as a great lunch option,” said CDN food contributor Mark Saleeb. “They may assume that they just haven’t heard of this new, no doubt locally owned restaurant. Unfortunately for this civic-minded citizen, they just ordered Denny’s.”
This explanation leaves questions, including: How many ghost kitchens are in Bellingham? Who operates them? Is pizza from Red Robin — dare I say it — actually good?
To find out, I dug deep on Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats. I Googled countless addresses. I showed up at Buffalo Wild Wings. And yes, I even ordered Denny’s.
Background on Bellingham’s ghost kitchens
During their pandemic heyday, ghost kitchens were predicted to revolutionize the restaurant industry. Euromonitor once predicted the virtual restaurant market to be valued at $1 trillion by 2030, and brands jumped at the chance to reach diverse markets without increased overhead costs.
At best, the ghost kitchen model helps independent businesses stay afloat — but it’s also faced criticism for being deceptive, and customers have been less than enthusiastic. According to the National Restaurant Association’s annual forecast, only one in five ghost kitchen operators believe they’ll become more common in 2024. And in November 2023, “ghost kitchen pioneer” Kitchen United announced its decision to offload or sell its units just one year after raising $100 million to fund expansions.
Even so, the virtual restaurant model still doesn’t seem to be vanishing any time soon. I counted more than a dozen ghost restaurants currently listed on Bellingham Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats, though the precise number may vary. (I had issues receiving orders from multiple restaurants with live listings — more on that later.)
Across Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats, 161 Meridian St. (aka Denny’s Diner) has the most ghost kitchens: The Meltdown, The Burger Den, Banda Burrito, Tori-Yoshi Japanese Fried Chicken and Nathan’s Famous. This makes sense given how, according to the Food Institute, Denny’s recently signed a 250-unit deal with “ghost kitchen specialist” Franklin Junction.
Other ghost restaurants, like Donatos Pizza, occupy a middle ground. Like Nathan’s Famous, Donatos has brick-and-mortars elsewhere — but since its Bellingham iteration operates out of a Red Robin, I’m counting them anyway. Then there are listings like Deli on 5th, which is less a restaurant and more an attempt to rebrand impulse-buying Ben & Jerry’s at midnight from a gas station.
Buffalo Wild Wings has two “virtual brands,” Wild Burger and Bird Dawgs. Despite offering items available on the normal menu, both have unique DoorDash pages. Assistant Manager Tiffanie Quiding said kitchen staff can’t tell the difference between orders from Buffalo Wild Wings and its ghost restaurants, though the latter orders are more customizable: “There’s a ton of modifications to all of their items, which is kind of fun, because then you’re like, ‘OK, yeah, six sauces on this burger!’”
And while ghost kitchens are most often associated with national chains, corporations weren’t the only ones to jump on the trend. Dupree Brar said his Bellingham pizza restaurant, Sliced, once operated up to “six or seven” ghost restaurants. One of the current ones, Maclovin, is under the same business license as Sliced and serves similar food. The other, Pasta Glory, is an entirely different brand developed and sold by a company called Otter.
Due to management changes, Sliced is now operating fewer ghost kitchens — but only temporarily. “We’ll probably go back up to like five or six again,” Brar said.
Ultimately, ghost kitchens are a matter of strategy — businesses appearing on delivery apps multiple times have a higher likelihood of receiving orders.
Ghost kitchen taste test
Writing a story on ghost kitchens would feel incomplete without actually placing an order (or five). As such, I set aside a lunch break to sample some of Bellingham’s delivery-only offerings. Expectations weren’t high — but nothing could have prepared me for the chaos that would ensue.
First on my list was Bird Dawgs, aka Buffalo Wild Wings. They seem to be taking a middle ground with transparency: Orders are delivered in Buffalo Wild Wings packaging, and keen-eyed diners will notice the phrase “by Buffalo Wild Wings” in tiny letters in their DoorDash logo. I ordered Loaded Dawgs, which are essentially chicken tenders in a hotdog bun — not unpleasant, but also not something I’d order sober (which I guess is the whole point).
Next was the Spaghetti and Meatballs from Pasta Glory (aka Sliced), which arrived on my doorstep in a no-frills bag labeled “Spag/Balls.” The dish itself consisted of not-quite-al-dente noodles, tangy marinara sauce and precisely two (oddly sugary) meatballs. Like the Bird Dawgs, this dish would hit the spot after a night out — but given the $31 total price tag with delivery and tip, I would be more inclined to boil noodles myself.
Then there were ghost kitchens that seem to have actually vanished: According to Grubhub, three Indian spots — Vegan Season, Punjabi Tadka and Spice 36 Grills — are located at 3930 Meridian Street. I ordered from Vegan Season and Spice 36, but my Vegan Season order was canceled almost immediately. Fifteen minutes later, a frustrated delivery driver called to inform me that Spice 36 is no longer operating, neither physically nor in spirit. Apparently the owner forgot to take it offline. Case closed?
But while vanishing ghost kitchens are annoying, they were nothing compared to the saga I endured to get a singular sandwich from Denny’s — or, ahem, The Meltdown. Things started normally enough: I placed an order for a Treatin’ Myself Melt, which is essentially just cheesecake squished between slices of pound cake. (It’s also what might result if you asked ChatGPT to create the most aggressively American dessert conceivable.)
Unfortunately, my DoorDasher forgot this order but marked it as “delivered” anyway. After multiple attempted calls and messages, I gave up and placed a new order — but no more than two minutes after it was accepted, the original driver called. She realized her mistake and was en route with my Treatin’ Myself Melt.
I now needed to call off the second order, but couldn’t find a “cancel” button on DoorDash to save my life. (This button does exist, as Google would later inform me, but it’s well hidden.) With 2,640 calories’ worth of Treatin’ Myself Melt due to arrive at any minute, I panicked and did the unthinkable.
I un-suspended my disbelief. I gave up the ghost, if you will. In other words: I broke down and called my local Denny’s.
Not unexpectedly, Denny’s informed me they also couldn’t cancel my order. Instead they suggested I “call The Meltdown,” to which I could only respond, incredulously, “Aren’t you The Meltdown?” They said yes, they technically are — and also, maybe I should just call DoorDash.
But before I could do anything, my first order arrived. Except it wasn’t mine at all: The original driver got confused again, this time grabbing someone else’s food from actual, literal Denny’s. Instead of a Treatin’ Myself Melt, I was left with an even more American meal: hash browns, toast and a substantial amount of pancakes.
My ticket was closed by the time I realized the error, and so I left the pancakes at the CDN office as the world’s stickiest consolation prize. Luckily a second, understandably confused delivery driver dropped off both Treatin’ Myself Melts shortly thereafter. They tasted as you’d expect: exceptionally rich, and also very sticky.
The verdict: When compared to your average takeout order, ghost kitchen food isn’t terrible quality. The issue arises when you think you’re supporting a local business rather than a national chain — or if your order goes awry.
Consumers deserve to know where their food comes from, so if a restaurant sounds unfamiliar, save yourself the headache and Google the address. Otherwise you, too, may end up with chain restaurant food in disguise.
Bellingham’s ghost kitchens revealed
Donatos Pizza: actually Red Robin
Wild Burger and Bird Dawgs: actually Buffalo Wild Wings
Spice 36 Grills, Vegan Season and Punjabi Tadka: unconfirmed, but likely Taste of India based on address (also likely closed)
Dumpling King: actually Hawaii BBQ and Noodle House (though they used to be a brick-and-mortar)
Moonlight Asian Fusion: actually Black Pearl Asian Fusion
Deli on 5th: actually Super V gas station
Cosmic Wings (now closed): actually Applebee’s
Maclovin and Pasta Glory: actually Sliced
The Meltdown, The Burger Den, Tori-Yoshi Japanese Fried Chicken, Nathan’s Famous and Banda Burrito: actually Denny’s
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
