It’s joining a crowded market. Denny’s is rolling
out two virtual brands — The Burger Den
and The Meltdown — in the first half of this
year. Chuck E. Cheese started delivery-only
Pasqually’s Pizza and Wings last March. In the
last few months, Chili’s launched It’s Just Wings,
TGI Fridays cooked up Conviction Chicken and
Carrabba’s Italian Grill began delivering Tender
Shack chicken sandwiches.
Celebrities are even getting in on the trend. Tyga
Bites, a chicken nugget brand from rapper Tyga,
and Mariah’s Cookies, backed by singer Mariah
Carey, are among the brands offered by Virtual
Dining Concepts, a new company that sets up
delivery-only brands in restaurant kitchens.
Coming soon: Mario’s Tortas Lopez and Pauly D’s
Italian Subs.
Uber Eats says it has more than 10,000 delivery-
only restaurants on its platform, up from 3,000
in 2019. More than half of that growth has
come from national chains, the company said.
Grubhub and DoorDash won’t say how many
delivery-only brands are on their platforms.
Scott Gladstone, Applebee’s vice president of
strategy and development, said making Cosmic
Wings its own brand lets Applebee’s target
customers it might not reach with its regular menu,
where wings are one of nearly a dozen appetizers.
“This gives it the best chance to stand out on
its own,” Gladstone said.
With dining rooms shuttered in the pandemic,
Applebee’s and other sit-down restaurants had to
quickly shift their emphasis to carryout and delivery.
NPD Group, which tracks U.S. restaurant sales, says
delivery now makes up 11% of restaurant sales, up
86% since the pandemic began.