Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri Opens 'Ghost Kitchens' Throughout CT

CONNECTICUT — Celebrity Chef Guy Fieri is not only bringing his signature "real-deal flavors" to Connecticut, he's bringing them straight to your door.

The Food Network star, who already had a restaurant in the Foxwoods Casino, has opened five delivery-only Flavortown "ghost kitchens" throughout Connecticut.

Four of the five Connecticut ghost kitchens are in Bertucci's locations in Avon, Darien, Glastonbury and Newington. The fifth of Fieri's Connecticut ghost kitchen is in West Hartford in the Westfarms Mall.

Customers place orders online, through the smartphone app, or via UberEats, Grubhub, DoorDash or one of the other national food delivery apps. Meals are delivery only; there is no in-person dining, and no curbside pickup.

Amy Sadowsky, a spokesperson for Fieri, did not immediately reply to a message seeking comment about the Connecticut launch.

The menu features 19 of Fieri's popular Southern-style comfort foods, such as Bourbon Brown Sugar BBQ Wings ($13.99); Bacon Mac N Cheese Burger ($12.99); and Cajun Chicken Alfredo ($14.99), among others.

Fieri teamed up with Virtual Dining Concepts, experts in the growing ghost kitchen industry, to launch Flavortown Kitchens in more than 20 states, writes Food & Wine.

Virtual Dining Concepts, which was co-founded by former Hard Rock Cafe CEO Robert Earl, bills itself as the "largest virtual dining restaurant group in the world," and has not only partnered with Fieri, but also with other celebrities and bricks-and-mortar restaurants. It's motto, "Same kitchen. More profits. Zero upfront fees."

Deadline magazine writes that ghost kitchens are a booming business at present, obviously helped by restaurant shut-downs around the country during the coronavirus pandemic.

For example, a $10 food order through a ghost kitchen could see a profit of $3 to $4, writes The Washington Post, compared to a $1.50 profit on a $10 order inside a restaurant.