Entering the Houston dining scene has never been easier

They say everything’s bigger in Texas, but your startup bill is the exception. While the cost of opening a commercial kitchen in Houston varies, you can typically get started for less than $30K.

Compare that to the price of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant—which can easily reach $1 million (including kitchen equipment)—and you’ll see why more and more chefs and entrepreneurs are turning to CloudKitchens.

A ghost kitchen is a full-scale commercial kitchen specifically designed for delivery only. Unlike a traditional restaurant, a ghost kitchen doesn’t have a traditional food service area (tables or chairs). What it does have is everything you’ll need to make and deliver tasty food: a professional-grade kitchen, a dedicated team on-site to clean and maintain the space, and technology solutions that facilitate order-taking and deliveries.

Yes! In fact, that’s one of the biggest appeals of securing a commercial kitchen space with CloudKitchens.

Maybe you want to see how your out-of-state restaurant performs in Texas. Maybe you’re already committed to expanding your empire. Either way, you can set up a ghost kitchen to bring your food to a new market without ever setting foot in it.

Thanks to their comparatively low overhead, commercial kitchens have the potential to turn an incredible profit. A commercial kitchen’s profitability depends on several factors, like the location, branding, and operating systems at play.

Operating a commercial kitchen concept and business model allows restaurant owners to serve a wider clientele while minimizing overhead. Commercial kitchens also give you the flexibility to try out new menus or even new restaurants, all within one commercial kitchen space. Our facilities can accommodate many different types of kitchen equipment (ice machines, heat lamps, blast chillers, etc) that fit in your private space in our shared facility.

The cost of opening and operating a commercial kitchen will vary. When you work with CloudKitchens, you can get your ghost kitchen up and running with an investment as low as $30k (compared to the average $1 million for a brick-and-mortar, traditional restaurant + restaurant equipment).

Launching a commercial kitchen space in Houston will vary in cost depending on local permitting, regulations and the location of the facility itself. Depending on your restaurant concept and cuisine type, the cost of your commercial kitchen space will vary. Here are a few important factors to keep in mind: 

• Opening a commercial kitchen in Houston can range anywhere from $30K to $1M, depending on the size of the kitchen space, and whether you will be leasing or buying the space. You must also factor in costs like cooking equipment, equipment installation, equipment repair, and planned maintenance.
• Local permitting and regulations will need to be adhered to in whichever Houston neighborhood you select for your commercial kitchen.

Every modern restaurant owner should consider streamlining food preparation and delivery services with a commercial kitchen in Houston by setting up convenient locations that are strategically placed to maximize reach and revenue. In order to start a successful commercial kitchen in Houston, you’ll want to ensure your Food Handlers Cards and Permits are secured, in addition to a number of steps prior to officially opening your kitchen space. We have a few simple steps to get started: Ensuring your entire BOH staff has their licenses and permits up to date will set your restaurant up for success before you officially open your Houston commercial kitchen. 

• Depending on the commercial kitchen equipment you need for your space, you’ll want to ensure budget is allocated accordingly before securing the items you need. Commercial kitchen equipment can be bought used or new depending on the price point you’re looking for. 
• In order to set your food business apart from the rest, you’ll want to begin by securing photos of your best dishes and building your online menu, in addition to setting your restaurant brand up on top delivery apps such as Grubhub and Doordash to set you apart from the competition.

Houston commercial kitchens (similar to commissary kitchens) require about 3 to 5 back of house staff members, depending on the number of orders being prepped and the size of the commercial kitchen space itself. We’ve bottled down to a few different reasons why you need less staff: 

• When you launch a Houston commercial kitchen for your restaurant, the presence of your restaurant is online, eliminating the need for a front of house component, meaning less staff and less overall overhead for your Houston food business. 
• Overall, with less staff at your Houston commercial kitchen space, there should be more opportunity for budget to be allocated to digital marketing, which is one of the most vital components that will lead to a successful Houston commercial kitchen.