Virtual restaurant Two Hens embraces the franchise model

Setting up a virtual restaurant just got a bit easier. Virtual Restaurant Consulting, a Los Angeles-based consultancy in the cloud restaurant space, announced it would be offering a license for Two Hens, a delivery-only, all-day breakfast brand.

Virtual Restaurant Consulting (VRC) had been operating for about two years training restaurants on the ins and outs of starting a virtual restaurant, such as creating and pricing a menu, promoting the restaurant, and working with delivery partners. But what VRC kept hearing was, "Can't you just do this for us?" according to Paul Kalms, a partner with VRC.

Two Hens is their response to such inquiries. Kalms envisions operators setting up Ten Hens in established restaurant kitchens, although the concept would aslo work in a ghost kitchen. VRC expects to have additional brands to offer restaurants this year.

A monthly license for Two Hens will cost $249. Each licensee makes a one-time marketing payment of $199, which goes towards the restaurant launch, said VRC. Each licensee also gives VRC a temporary 18% split of sales during the first six months of service.

Services include access to VRC's training program, licensing of the Two Hens menu, creation of websites and social media pages, marketing and promotions for six months and establishing the brand on third-party delivery marketplaces.

Related:What’s the difference between a ‘ghost kitchen’ and a ‘virtual restaurant’?

"By offering a traditional restaurant license for one of our successful delivery-only brands combined with the added support of a package of professional consulting services, we allow restaurateurs to focus on cooking during the critical launch period of their new business, while we manage everything else," said Alan Moore, another partner at VRC, in a news release.

This specific brand works well as a virtual restaurant, according to Kalms. Two Hens’ menu is made for delivery and very flexible. The menu can be served all day, so a restaurant can customize when it is offered. “The beauty of the platform is you can set your hours, ” he said.

The brand is what Kalms calls an “elevated” and “fun” concept that still “meets cost requirements” for restaurants and customers.

The first 15 to 20 locations will open in California in the next 30 to 60 days, said Kalms, with plans to open in additional states soon. There will be a protected delivery area, so Two Hens locations can't operate in close proximity to each other. In California, the protected delivery area is four miles.

VRC suggests restaurants get on all delivery platforms available in their locations to gain customers and awareness. "We'll look into deals [with third-party marketplaces] in the future, Kalms said.

A quick primer on virtual restaurants: The terms virtual restaurant, delivery-only restaurant or cloud restaurant are fairly interchangeable. A virtual restaurant can be housed in an established traditional restaurant or housed in a dark/ghost/virtual/ cloud kitchen. The term virtual restaurant has also been used to refer to a delivery-only brand, such as when an established restaurant spins off a new brand and menu for delivery or pick up only. So, another way to describe the brand explicitly is as a 'virtual brand,' 'delivery-only brand' or a 'digital restaurant brand.' 

Contact Gloria Dawson at [email protected]

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