DJ Khaled wasn’t joking around in his 2010 hit “All I Do is Win.” The three-time Grammy-award winning artist has taken on a new business venture — opening a global chicken wing restaurant. The “Wild Thoughts” mastermind has kept to his brand of doing everything big by partnering with the largest operator of delivery restaurants in North America, REEF, for the biggest restaurant launch in history.
Another Wing launched 150 locations across three continents, five countries, and 18 states in November making it the only restaurant to launch in three continents on the same day.
While the scope of the project is clearly impressive, the most interesting part of the whole thing is the concept. Another Wing is not your standard, dine-in restaurant. In fact, you can’t dine in at all!
Let’s look at what makes Another Wing “da best” and how DJ Khaled’s partnership with REEF could totally change what we’ve come to expect from typical restaurant kitchens.
Delivery Kitchen
Delivery kitchens, sometimes also referred to as virtual kitchens, dark kitchens, or ghost kitchens, are revolutionizing the restaurant industry by creating restaurants that are, as the name suggests, delivery only. By placing these kitchens in city centers around the world, people can order and receive their meal faster and fresher than ever before.
Some delivery kitchens are purpose-build and can be set up in parking lots and other open urban spaces in order to repurpose unused spaces and connect neighborhoods. Just like a standard restaurant, they contain fully-equipped commercial kitchens and staff, the only difference is that there is no seats for customers to dine-in.
Not only is this business model great for the consumer, but it also really benefits the business. In the example of DJ Khaled, by partnering with REEF, the busy hit-maker doesn’t have to worry about managing day-to-day operations at any of his 150 restaurant locations. While the DJ was busy perfecting his menu of bone-in and boneless wings with his personal chef, Melissa Zuniga, REEF was taking care of all the details from staffing and setup to marketing and operating the restaurant. Let’s just say, this partnership was a real “No Brainer.”
The Impact on the Restaurant Industry
When the COVID-19 pandemic took the world by storm, several industries, including the restaurant industry, had to adapt to the times in order to save their businesses. That’s when delivery kitchens started to become increasingly popular.
Even now as global lockdowns have started to lift and dine-in options are becoming possible again, the shift to a more virtual world hasn’t gone away. The convenience and ease that people got used to over the past two years has created a push in many industries to continue with a virtual, or at least hybrid, model for their business.
While many still enjoy the in-person experience of the traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant, delivery kitchens are allowing businesses to expand their reach and increase their revenue. Additionally, with less overhead costs, there is less risk in opening a new restaurant meaning you don’t have to be a world-renowned DJ in order to launch a successful delivery kitchen — any aspiring restaurant owners can now take a stab at achieving their dreams.
