Abstract:

This study aims to evaluate the ghost kitchen initiative, which continues to rise as a new phenomenon, from the perspective of restaurant business owners and managers. In this context, Gaziantep province, which was included in the creative cities network by UNESCO in 2015, was determined as the universe of the research. Of the 23 restaurant businesses operating in the destination with tourism operation certificate, 18 accepted to participate in the study and formed the sample of the research. In-depth interviews were conducted with the owners and managers of the business on 6 open-ended questions. The results obtained in the study showed that the fact that the ghost kitchen is independent from the physical space contains important weaknesses in terms of authenticity and producer-consumer communication. Another weakness is that the perception of quality regarding the whole process is shaped on timely and complete delivery. Access to the consumer, advertising, motivation for institutionalization and the advantage of physical investment are considered as the strengths of the system.

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