Nathan’s Famous, Inc., opened its 100th ghost kitchen location since June of last year. The ghost kitchens, which offer both the Nathan’s Famous menu as well as the company’s virtual kitchen concept Wings of New York, are open across the globe, in markets ranging Florida to the UAE. Nathan’s Famous has agreements to open an additional 45 locations in the coming months, including in Canada and Ireland.
The Brooklyn ghost kitchen, which opened at the independent restaurant The Black Iron Burger, provides customers both Nathan’s Famous and Wings of New York menus, which are also available through third-party delivery companies. “Opening virtual kitchens has been part of our overall restaurant strategy for some time, with our first partnership being with Franklin Junction in 2020. Our goal with these ghost kitchens is not just to grow our brand around the world but also help other restaurants by providing them additional business during these turbulent times for the industry,” says James Walker, senior vice president, restaurants.
In addition to its plan to grow with independents, Nathan’s Famous also partnered with REEF in 2020 to expand across the U.S. With locations running from the tri-state area to Kentucky and Florida, Nathan’s plans call for opening locations in Pennsylvania and California. Both brands have also recently opened kitchens in Ireland and Dubai.