What's Inside New Hybrid Ghost Kitchens

Ghost kitchens are now part of the vernacular, as delivery became
the go-to for restaurants during the pandemic. Those trends,
coupled with the lack of commercial kitchen spaces for food
startups, led Camilla Opperman and Samantha Slager to
launch Nimbus, a hybrid between a traditional commissary
kitchen and a ghost kitchen. The Main Course host
Barbara Castiglia spoke to them about the concept and the future
of ghost kitchens.


Opperman explained the business. “We offer premium commercial
kitchens for lease. We have ghost kitchens dedicated to delivery
options. We also have shared spaces that are rentable by the hour
or day.”


Their space, located in NYC’s lower east side, also has a front
of house perfect for dinner parties and studio kitchens to create
content.


The idea for the concept came to Opperman when she searched for a
kitchen to start a concept. “None of the solutions were
appropriate, so I pivoted to solve the problem.”


Opperman met Slager through a mutual friend, and her background
in sales and marketing made the pair a great team. “I was blown
away by the idea and opportunity,” she added.


They opened the kitchen during the pandemic, which turned out
rather well. Slager said, “People came to us who had lost their
spaces as well as operators that were figuring out delivery and
needed to expand to new markets.”


Besides providing the facility and infrastructure, Nimbus also
connects members to preferred partners to help with marketing,
ingredient procurement, and labor.


In discussing the future of the segment, Opperman believes things
look bright. “Ghost kitchens like Nimbus are the future. The old
restaurant infrastructure isn’t set up for delivery. With
in-dining experiences coming back, restaurants will need space to
facilitate delivery. Our front of house is also designed for
events. Its’ the best of both worlds.”