Operations
Torchy's testing ghost kitchen in Ohio
March 17, 2021
Torchy's Tacos has chosen Columbus, Ohio, as the home of its first ghost kitchen, opening this spring in partnership with CloudKitchens, a real estate company that provides smart kitchens for carryout- and delivery-only restaurants.
Located at 1282 Essex Ave., which is also home to Ava's Taste Of The Caribbean and Mario Fazio's, the kitchen will serve guests ordering online for pick-up and delivery at Torchys.com and through the DoorDash app.
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| Torchy's CMO CMO Scott Hudler |
"While our 'traditional' footprint that offers dine-in, takeout and delivery service will continue to be our primary focus, this current environment has shown a significant percentage of our business shift to off-premise, and we think the timing is right to test this option for us," Torchy's CMO Scott Hudler told FastCasual.
Although the Columbus kitchen will be Torchy's first touchpoint in Ohio, the Austin-based brand is exploring other opportunities as well.
"We think Columbus is the perfect home for us to introduce this off-premise format while also exploring opportunities to bring our full Torchy's experience to the state," Hudler said. "In Columbus specifically, there is healthy opportunity for this type of model given population density, a large college student base and a growing demand for pick-up and delivery."
Columbus may not be the only city in Torchy's long-term ghost kitchen plans.
"We'll look to learn from this opening to help us determine our longer-term approach to digital kitchens," Hudler said.
Torchy's was founded in 2006 and has over 80 locations.
