Dive Brief:
- Pressed Juicery has partnered with CloudKitchens to expand the brand into 27 delivery-centric locations by the end of the summer, according to an emailed press release.
- CloudKitchens will allow Pressed to boost its online ordering and delivery operations. CloudKitchens has 90 facilities across the country that are typically located in or near large metro regions, according to its website.
- Pressed, which has about 100 company-owned locations across the country, has been expanding its presence beyond traditional brick and mortar. It now sells its products in roughly 10,000 grocery, retail, hospitality and foodservice locations nationally, and wholesale generates a majority of its sales, per the press release.
Dive Insight:
Pressed’s CloudKitchens partnership bucks a growing industry trend away from ghost kitchens. While delivery-only operations were common in the early years following the pandemic, many chains wound down virtual brand and ghost kitchen partnerships due to inefficient kitchens and lackluster profitability. Wendy’s, for example, shut down its delivery-only Reef locations, and ghost kitchen facilitator KitchenUnited ceased operations altogether.
There are still some restaurant brands, like Roti, that continue to expand through delivery-only models, however, as these can allow concepts to test consumer interest in new markets before opening a larger physical location. Food hall owner Wonder is also expanding into new locations and adding restaurant concepts.
Because of its strong production model for wholesale retail, Pressed likely won’t have to create juices on site, reducing labor needs and food costs. Pressed products will also be available through Picnic, CloudKitchens’ office lunch delivery platform, allowing the brand to expand into workplace catering and bulk ordering, according to the press release.
“Our partnership with CloudKitchens allows us to expand access to Pressed in an entirely new way,” said Justin Nedelman, CEO of Pressed, in a statement. “As consumer behavior continues to shift toward digital ordering and on-demand delivery, we’re meeting people where they are — bringing Pressed beyond our traditional standalone stores and making our clean, functional nutrition more accessible than ever.”
In addition to expanding its CPG business, the chain added refreshers to its menu last year, offering five flavors with various vitamins, according to a separate press release. The company hasn’t focused on growing its store base, however, instead working to optimize its current locations and focus on its wholesale business, Nedelman told Restaurant Dive in 2023.
