Do you know which restaurant cooked the meal
you just had delivered? Increasingly, it can be
hard to tell.
Delivery-only brands — cooked in another brand’s
kitchen and often delivered by third parties like
Uber Eats — were proliferating even before
the pandemic. They’re an inexpensive way for
restaurants to try a new concept or fill a need in
the community; a burger place might try making
tacos under a different name, for example.
But over the last year, delivery-only brands
have seen explosive growth as the pandemic
made delivery a more popular option. Big
restaurant chains are now joining the fray,
hoping to win new customers as traffic in their
dining rooms dwindles.
Applebee’s is launching Cosmic Wings, a delivery-
only brand that specializes in chicken wings and
Cheetos-flavored dipping sauce. Uber Eats will
deliver the brand from 1,300 Applebee’s kitchens.