You try Googling some of the unfamiliar names to see if they're legit, but the search leaves you more confused. No storefronts, no dine-in options, nothing. Turns out, you've stumbled upon the hidden underbelly of Montreal's dining scene: ghost kitchens.
That's exactly what happened to me this past weekend. As I was exploring takeout options, I became intrigued by a handful of "restaurants" in my area that had no real presence outside of food delivery apps.
Some used stock photos (or photos from other establishments) on their menus and shared a common address with various eateries.
The first spot that had me raising an eyebrow was called Fry Sea Food. A little taken aback by the generic-sounding name, I decided to do a little digging. While something about it seemed a little fishy (pun very much intended), it did have its own logo, along with a large variety of seafood dishes for sale.
Who knows? Maybe this was just some mom-and-pop shop that had no interest in building an online presence...
It was not.
I soon found two more fried seafood joints — Gamba & Co and Fried Paradise — operating out of the same address on Monkland. Their menus and photos were almost identical to Fry Sea Food's, but with slightly different prices. For instance, an identical-looking calamari plate ranged anywhere from $20 to $29, depending on which establishment you ordered from.
Virtually identicle products from two restaurants can have different price points despite operating out of the same kitchen.Uber Eats, Uber Eats
Looking through Uber, it's apparent that the address housing the fish joints is also the location of two smashburger brands. The building was previously occupied by a restaurant called BBQ Moonshine. However, according to a sign on the front door, it belongs to a Mr. Cajun franchise.
In an effort to find answers, I reached out to Mr. Cajun — a Quebec-based seafood restaurant franchise — on social media for answers, and they pointed me in the direction of the franchise's co-owner Zouhaire El Matar.
Speaking with MTL Blog, El Matar confirmed that he runs over 20 ghost kitchen brands, with many operating out of his Mr. Cajun restaurant on Monkland.
As for the food, he says, "some of these [brands] have menus similar to our original Mr. Cajun concept, while others offer completely different menus. This isn't the only spot hosting multiple food delivery spots, though."
Other locations across the city also appear to be hosting a slew of different eateries within the same location, with dozens of brands operating out of the following addresses:
- 208 Rue Migneron
- 6241 Boulevard Léger
- 325 Boulevard Crémazie Ouest
- 1429 Rue Atateken
So, what's the deal with these places?
As it turns out, many of them are so-called "ghost kitchens." Also known as virtual, cloud or dark kitchens, these "restaurants" don't have charming patios, neon signs or even dining rooms. They exist solely on delivery apps like Uber Eats, DoorDash and Skip, cranking out food exclusively for online orders.
For someone who's just starting out, or for a business that wants to test something new without making a huge investment, this model can be a lifesaver. And during the pandemic, it was — since a lot of restaurants needed to pivot fast just to stay afloat. According to Canadian restaurant news outlet Restobiz, ghost kitchens exploded in popularity during the pandemic, raising over $3 billion in venture financing between 2020 and 2022.
In an email exchange with MTL Blog, Bilal Jazaeri, founder of Nosh Box, a baked-to-order cookie service operating out of a ghost kitchen, said he launched his business back in 2021 in order to "navigate the challenges of the pandemic." He now has six "delivery-focused" restaurants (operating out of one location) that rely heavily on online orders.
In Montreal, companies like Food Factory and Hungry Ghost have jumped on this ghost kitchen trend, offering fully equipped kitchen spaces where aspiring restaurateurs can whip up their creations without worrying about large overhead costs. Food Factory, for example, provides kitchen stations with everything you need to get started, while Hungry Ghost focuses on delivery and takeout setups.
But here's the catch: not everyone is using this system the way it was intended. While some businesses are genuinely trying out cool new culinary ideas or getting their concepts off the ground, others are just using the model to flood apps with a slew of identical brands or bury bad reviews under a pile of fresh new listings. It's a system with good intentions, but it definitely has its loopholes.
In fact, the New York Times reported that Uber Eats removed more than 8,000 virtual restaurants from its platform in 2023 due to issues like poor food quality, inaccurate orders, and duplicate listings where multiple similar restaurants operated from the same location.
So, is this legal? And even if it is, is it fair to consumers?
According to Uber Eats' own guidelines, ghost kitchens must offer menus that are at least 60% different from any other virtual restaurant operating from the same location. They even have a handy guide on their website to help restaurateurs start their own virtual brands. But like in most systems, some people take advantage of it.
In an email shared with MTL Blog, an Uber spokesperson acknowledged the potential for abuse:
"We've heard feedback from consumers that they want to see consistently high-quality options, and from restaurants that they want to make sure they have a fair shot in the marketplace. At the same time, we want to set a level playing field that promotes quality over quantity to provide the best options for consumers."
Still, when multiple companies offer the exact same dishes at different price points — all coming from the same address — it leaves some consumers feeling misled.
So, how can you tell if you're ordering from a ghost kitchen? Here are a few telltale signs.
- Check the address: If multiple different "restaurants" share the same address, it's a good sign they're operating out of a ghost kitchen facility.
- Look for generic names and menus: Virtual kitchens often use broad, descriptive names like "Fried Seafood" or "Burger House" and have menus that cover a wide range of dishes.
- Reverse image search the photos: If the menu photos look overly polished or familiar, try doing a reverse image search. Often, ghost kitchens will use stock photos or repurpose images from other establishments.
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