PepsiCo Introduces New Ghost Kitchen Capability for Foodservice Partners

PepsiCo Foodservice Digital Lab creates a turnkey solution for customers looking to enter the growing ghost kitchen market and plans to unveil beverage and snack-themed kitchens from some of the company's most popular brands

PURCHASE, N.Y., Nov. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo announces a new ghost kitchen capability to help unlock growth opportunities for foodservice partners. The new offering will enable existing and future PepsiCo Foodservice customers to seamlessly enter the bourgeoning ghost kitchen space and leverage PepsiCo's innovative resources and portfolio of iconic brands to optimize off-premise performance. Under this new umbrella offering, PepsiCo will harness learnings from the success of Pep's Place to introduce additional ghost kitchen menus centered around some of PepsiCo's most beloved brands.

Ghost kitchens mark a strategic expansion for PepsiCo Foodservice Digital Lab. Launched in 2019, Digital Lab is a consultancy that melds digital and technology partners with proprietary in-house innovation to provide resources and solutions for PepsiCo Foodservice customers. The consultancy offers a suite of capabilities to connect customers with the companies, services, and insights best suited for their specific digital and online needs. With the ghost kitchen market forecasted to reach $71.4B by 2027¹, this new Digital Lab service is aimed to aid growing off-premise needs of restaurant operators and empower them to capture the 54% of adults who view food takeout or delivery as essential to the way they live². The combination of PepsiCo's industry-leading digital capabilities, paired with its culinary know-how and beloved portfolio of brands make this an unmatched offering.

"Ghost kitchens offer foodservice operators an efficient, proven, and cost-effective way to improve kitchen profitability and overall supply-chain utilization without the burden of additional overhead and front of house operations typically associated with launching a new restaurant," said André Moraes, senior director of marketing at PepsiCo Foodservice. "PepsiCo Foodservice leads with innovation; we are constantly seeking new opportunities to learn and modernize to bring our customers cutting-edge capabilities to fuel their growth and drive success. Digital Lab provides new and existing partners with a one-stop-shop to enter the space so they can focus on what they do best: creating delicious meals that delight consumers."

The PepsiCo Foodservice Digital Lab's new ghost kitchen offering is designed to also create a turnkey, scalable solution for customers looking to bring their flavors to new or existing markets, grow their off-premise footprint, and drive revenue.  PepsiCo makes the process seamless for customers by packaging up best-in-class digital marketing concepts while also providing expertise on culinary creations, menu optimization, media, launch strategies and more. Current and future customers are also invited to harness the power of PepsiCo's vast portfolio of beverages and snacks such as Pepsi®, MTN DEW®, Doritos® and Cheetos® that draw in fans, to create uniquely branded menu items and virtual experiences that will keep consumers craving more.

The roll out of PepsiCo Digital Lab's ghost kitchen offering follows previously launched virtual brand experience, Pep's Place. Pep's Place – the first initiative under the award winning "Better with Pepsi" campaign, served as an inventive "fast beverage" ghost kitchen that paired Pepsi varieties with a flavorful menu of burgers, buffalo wings, sandwiches, salads and more. The virtual brand came to life in partnership with Famous Dave's® and in just one month of operations, welcomed more than three million guests through its virtual doors, demonstrating high consumer demand for new and exciting food delivery experiences.

To learn more about PepsiCo Digital Lab's ghost kitchen and virtual brand offerings, visit: PepsiCo Digital Lab | Virtual Brands.

About PepsiCo
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $79 billion in net revenue in 2021, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay's, Doritos, Cheetos, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, Quaker, and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
 
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with PepsiCo Positive (pep+). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.

Media Contacts
Christina Panta, [email protected]   
Rena Daum, [email protected]   

¹ Hospitality Technology
² National Restaurant Association 2022 State of the Industry Report

SOURCE PepsiCo