Despite a litany of forces working against them, American consumers spent a record amount of money during the 2021 holiday season. Shaking off supply chain woes, inflation concerns and a surge in Covid cases like a Taylor Swift song, consumers not only returned to physical stores but continued to shop online for their holiday gifts.

A dark kitchen is not where we end up in search of a midnight snack. Rather, it’s a concept for restaurants, especially in bigger cities, that eliminates the front-of-house aspect of a restaurant (dining room, tables, chairs, waitstaff) to leave only food preparation tasks. Basically, it’s a restaurant that exists only to serve carry-out or delivery orders for customers.