New York-based ghost kitchen operator, Zuul Kitchens, has secured $9 million in fresh funding to expand its ghost-kitchen operation throughout New York City. Zuul opened its first multi-tenant kitchen facility in 2019 and temporarily closed it at the start of the pandemic, as many restaurants struggled in the midtown and downtown business districts of Manhattan.
The company currently operates its flagship location at 30 Vandam Street, and services brands that deliver to both residential and commercial customers throughout downtown Manhattan. Zuul will deploy its new capital to expand its footprint across high-demand areas of the surrounding five boroughs.
Zuul’s kitchens are optimized for delivery-only operations, with the concept enabling brands to expand their market share without the high risk and structural costs of investing in real estate and front-of-house overhead. The company offers clients what it calls a plug-and-play infrastructure that includes onsite support and a proprietary digital marketplace to generate demand for its tenants.
“By raising this additional capital, Zuul can continue to play a central role in the restaurant industry’s accelerating shift toward delivery while addressing the challenges this shift presents,” said Corey Manicone, co-founder and CEO of Zuul. “We partner with restaurants to improve the experience end-to-end. As Zuul expands, so, too, can our members dynamically scale and drive attractive incremental unit economics.”
Zuus Co-founder and CBO Sean Fitzgibbons said the company already has a “waiting list of brands” committed to partnering with Zuul at future locations in New York City.
