The State of Takeout Dining and Orbital Kitchens’ Commitment to Excellence


Published on June 13, 2024

The food delivery business is booming in 2024, with “delivery” becoming the buzzword in the food scene. Restaurants from Chick-fil-A to Outback, Carrabba’s, and even Famous Dave’s are turning to virtual kitchens to grow off-premise orders without overburdening their busy store locations.

Takeout is a way of life in New York. Fortunately for New Yorkers (and their bank accounts), the state doesn’t even rank in the top 10 for highest takeout spending. A new study from Betway examines recent takeout trends in America, revealing that nearly 54 million Americans use food delivery apps, with the average consumer spending $3,631 on takeout annually.

However, New York does have a unique takeout distinction. It has the highest concentration of takeout app users in the country. On average, there are about 45 monthly takeout searches for every 1,000 residents in New York.

Despite the popularity of delivery apps, many stakeholders are dissatisfied. Customers feel gouged by high fees, restaurants are strained by hefty commissions, and delivery workers face low wages despite the high-risk nature of their jobs, particularly in cities like New York, where injury rates can exceed those in construction.

Enter Orbital Kitchens, a company addressing these issues by independently contracting its own delivery couriers. This significantly reduces customer fees and costs while ensuring driver safety. Their mission is to make takeout experiences cost-effective and of the same high quality as one would expect from a traditional brick-and-mortar restaurant.

Orbital Kitchens

Virtual kitchens have been around for years but saw a significant boom during the pandemic. As dine-in restaurants closed and online ordering became the primary option, Virtual kitchens were a lifeline for the restaurant industry. Despite more than 70,000 restaurants permanently closing due to the pandemic, Virtual kitchens offered a way to keep the industry afloat.

In this evolving landscape, Orbital Kitchens sets a new standard by delivering premium meals inspired by Michelin-starred fine dining. The founders of Orbital Kitchens, David Richer, Russell Yam, and James Richards, took a deli that was struggling to pay rent and transformed it into a vertically integrated kitchen operating multiple food concepts across diverse cuisines. In a market where convenience often comes at the expense of quality, Orbital Kitchens boasts a full-time R&D team composed of Michelin-starred chefs with extensive fine dining experience.

Orbital Kitchens, a fast-casual virtual restaurant, is dedicated to bringing delicious entrees from around the world directly to customers’ doorsteps. Utilizing just-in-time delivery methods, Orbital Kitchens ensures that tacos, burgers, and ramen are freshly prepared and swiftly delivered, maintaining both taste and quality. These virtual kitchens—commercial kitchens with no dine-in options—fulfill online orders from delivery apps like Grubhub, UberEats, and DoorDash, often without customers knowing they aren’t ordering from a traditional restaurant.

Orbital Kitchens leverages state-of-the-art kitchen technology and a meticulous logistics network to guarantee that each meal is exquisitely prepared and promptly delivered. This innovative approach allows customers to enjoy a dining experience combining the comfort of their home with the sophistication and quality typically reserved for elite dining establishments.

This commitment to excellence is meeting a growing demand for premium takeout options. By seamlessly blending convenience with top-tier cuisine, Orbital Kitchens is at the forefront of a dining revolution. As the landscape of takeout dining continues to evolve, Orbital Kitchens demonstrates that it is possible to offer both exceptional quality and convenience, setting a new benchmark for the industry.

For more information, visit Orbital Kitchens!

Lifestyle Editor