Pasadena ghost kitchen pioneer Kitchen United will operate one of its Mix format kitchen centers in a Ralphs in Westwood under a new deal that will see the “future of takeout & delivery” introduced to grocery shoppers.
Kitchen United’s ghost kitchens are food preparation centers where food preparers from different restaurants share a common space, equipment and storage to cost-efficiently prepare medals for takeout or delivery.
In just four years, Kitchen United has grown to be among the largest American ghost kitchen operators with locations across the country.
The off-premise restaurant kitchen opened after Ralphs’ parent company, The Kroger Co., and Kitchen United announced their partnership in August 2021 and is the first such location..
According to Kroger Co., the new kitchen would bring restaurant-quality meals from popular restaurant brands directly to Ralphs shoppers. Customers can place orders from one or more of the participating restaurants at the same time.
Shoppers can choose to mix and match their meals from Fresh Brothers, Bushi by Jinya, Sajj Mediterranean, Doghaus and more. Customers can place their orders from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. They can choose to mix and match their meals from Fresh Brothers, Bushi by Jinya, Sajj Mediterranean, Doghaus and others.
The original Kitchen United Mix Pasadena location, at 55 S. Madison Ave. was established in 2017 by founders John Miller and Harry Tsao.
The business evidently grew over the years since 2017. It quickly became popular especially during the pandemic when indoor dining was prohibited and people were forced to stay at home.
According to its website, Kitchen United Mix now operates 13 locations. Four additional locations in Texas and one location in New York are anticipated to open this month.
“We proudly operate successful ghost kitchens across the country and will apply that expertise to reimagine takeout and delivery within Kroger stores,” said Michael Montagano, Chief Executive Officer of Kitchen United.
“Our work together provides millions of Kroger customers access to their favorite restaurant cuisines in a convenient supermarket format, while providing Kitchen United and our restaurant partners a high-touch, interactive storefront. We are excited to bring this creative solution to the Westwood community.”
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2 thoughts on “Pasadena-Based “Ghost Kitchen” Offers Fresh Restaurant-Brand Meals to Shoppers In Ralphs Market”
Why is this article in Pasadena Now if the service isn’t available in any of the Pasadena Ralph’s?
Because the story is about the Pasadena company which is contracting with Ralphs to operate the kitchen, a company which, headquartered in Pasadena, is now considered to be the leading “ghost kitchen” operator in the United States. (PS.: The concept isn’t limited to Westwood. If it goes well there, we expect to see the idea implemented in at least one local Ralphs in Pasadena soon.)