DoorDash Opens Second Virtual Kitchen

DoorDash has opened a second ghost kitchen, this time in San Jose, California. The new location will serve as a hub for six Bay Area and national restaurants.

The new DoorDash Kitchens location offers delivery to San Jose, Saratoga and Campbell, California, as well as pickup orders. It joins the original location in Redwood City, California, which opened in 2019.

The San Jose location will be home to Aria Korean Street Food, Canter’s Deli, Curry Up Now, Milk Bar, The Melt Express and YiFang Taiwan Fruit Tea.

“Through DoorDash Kitchens, Canter’s Deli is able to expand beyond Southern California to bring our West Coast deli experience to the Bay Area,” said Marc Canter, owner of Canter’s Deli, in the DoorDash announcement.

“Customers know about Canter’s Deli beyond Los Angeles, so we knew we wanted to jump at the opportunity to partner with DoorDash to reach more people in new communities,” he said. “We appreciate the flexibility of being able to test new markets without committing to a long-term lease required of a brick-and-mortar location.”

DoorDash has also launched DoorDash Kitchens Full Service, “which provides restaurants operating from a DoorDash Kitchens location with a new way to grow their business without the operational and economic investment of opening a brick-and-mortar store,” according to an announcement.

The new DoorDash Kitchens location “will empower local restaurants to grow their business during this time of recovery, and will also allow San Joséans to order food from a selection of incredible brands from across the U.S. for the first time,” said San José Mayor Sam Liccardo.

DoorDash recently collaborated with plant-based protein company Beyond Meat to offer meat-free grilling kits for July Fourth. The kits included uncooked Beyond Meat patties, a custom mitt and apron, a bottle opener, grilling tools and a recipe guide.

It’s all part of DoorDash’s concerted push to re-establish itself as an essentials delivery service rather than a meal delivery service. The company recently announced a major supermarket partnership with Albertsons promising one-hour delivery.