Operations

Why Gwyneth Paltrow-backed Goop Kitchen is adding dine-in to $6.7M delivery empire

Photo: Goop Kitchen

August 31, 2026 by Cherryh Cansler — Publisher, FastCasual.com

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Goop kitchen, the Gwyneth Paltrow-backed brand built on delivery and takeout, is trying something it has never done before: seating guests.

The company opened its first dine-in restaurant this month at One Paseo in Del Mar, California, a 92-seat flagship that marks a new chapter for a brand that has spent five years growing almost entirely as a delivery and pickup concept. It's the 19th goop kitchen location overall — the first 18 have operated as pickup-and-delivery units, commonly known as ghost kitchens — and the first where guests can walk in, sit down and be served.

"We're excited to explore different restaurant formats and new ways for people to experience the brand," Jena Wolfe, VP of Marketing at goop kitchen, said in an interview with FastCasual.com. "Del Mar is our first dine-in restaurant, and it was an exciting challenge to think about how goop kitchen comes to life in a physical space — from the food and design to all the small details that shape the experience."

A brand built on delivery, testing a new format

Goop kitchen launched in 2021 with a straightforward premise: clean, made-to-order food — free of refined sugars, seed oils and processed additives — built for delivery and takeout. That model has scaled to mature units that now average approximately $6.7 million in annual unit volume, according to Wolfe.

Even with a dine-in flagship now open, Wolfe was careful to draw a line between Del Mar and the rest of the brand's footprint.

"I actually wouldn't describe us as traditional fast casual," Wolfe said. "Our core business is delivery and takeout, and we'll always prioritize making that experience exceptional. But as we grow, we're interested in exploring different formats and different ways for guests to experience goop kitchen."

At Del Mar, the ordering model still starts at the counter, but the experience diverges from there.

"You order at the counter, but from there, it feels much more like a proper restaurant: We bring the food to your table, refill your water and take care of you from start to finish," Wolfe said. "We wanted to preserve the ease and flexibility people love about goop kitchen while creating a more elevated, hospitality-driven experience. It's really the best of both worlds."

Entrees at Del Mar range from $16.95 to $29.95.

Why San Diego, why now

Goop kitchen Co-CEO Donald Moore said Del Mar's One Paseo development was a natural first home for the dine-in concept.

"San Diego has always felt like a natural fit for goop kitchen," Moore said in a press release. "It's a community that values great food, an active lifestyle, and meaningful time with family and friends. As we thought about where to open our first dine-in restaurant, One Paseo stood out immediately."

The Del Mar opening is the first step in a broader San Diego expansion, with additional locations planned for La Jolla and downtown San Diego.

Wolfe framed the timing as an evolution rather than a pivot.

"Goop kitchen will always prioritize a best-in-class delivery experience — that's core to who we are and how our guests know us," she said. "But as we grow, we're excited to explore different restaurant formats and new ways for people to experience the brand. It gives us a chance to bring people together around the food while learning what the next evolution of goop kitchen can look like."

Inside the design, curated by Paltrow

The 92-seat restaurant was designed by Michael Hsu Office of Architecture in close collaboration with Paltrow, who is a cofounder of goop kitchen and sits on its board — the company is a joint venture between goop and DFG Ventures, a Los Angeles-based venture group with restaurant operating experience.

Paltrow personally weighed in on details ranging from marble selection to the music. The dining room centers on a veined marble feature wall, paired with walnut millwork, black-and-white tile, sculptural pendant lighting and greenery. Large steel-framed windows bring in natural light and views of the surrounding landscaping, while striped upholstered banquettes and both indoor and outdoor seating round out a space built to work for lunch or dinner.

A menu built for a kitchen, not just a bag

Having a dedicated dine-in kitchen for the first time opened the door to dishes goop kitchen couldn't offer through delivery. Del Mar's menu includes several exclusives, starting with the "Field of Greens," the brand's take on a salad pizza built with pesto, garlic confit, mozzarella and parmesan, then topped with the chain's arugula salad. The location also debuts two new drinks: a strawberry-goji berry Palmer and a passion fruit lemonade.

"It's fresh and vibrant and exactly the kind of dish that's best eaten right out of the kitchen," Wolfe said of the Field of Greens. "We're also working on more dine-in-only dishes that really take advantage of being able to serve food straight from our kitchen to the table."

How the ghost kitchens actually work

Even as it opens its first full-service restaurant, goop kitchen's existing footprint remains built around a hybrid kitchen model.

"Each location has its own dedicated kitchen, where our culinary team prepares and finishes made-to-order dishes using thoughtfully sourced ingredients," Wolfe said. "Additional prep work is provided by a regional core kitchen operated exclusively by goop kitchen."

Ordering at those locations happens primarily online, through goopkitchen.com, the goop kitchen app or third-party delivery apps, including DoorDash and Uber Eats. One exception: the brand's Upper East Side location in New York City has a branded storefront where customers can order in person for takeout.

At Del Mar specifically, Wolfe said the brand built in multiple ways to order.

"The Del Mar location offers a few ways to experience goop kitchen: You can order at the counter and dine in, order takeout in person, or place an order for pickup or delivery through the goop kitchen app or website."

What's next

Despite the new format, goop kitchen isn't rushing to replicate the dine-in model elsewhere just yet.

"As of now, goop kitchen Del Mar will serve as our only dine-in location, however we're still growing our footprint," Wolfe said, pointing to three recent openings in the New York City market, with more on the way.

About Cherryh Cansler

Cherryh Cansler is Publisher of FastCasual.com and Vice President of Connect Food. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

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