wownao edited Wow Bao opens ghost kitchen in Trussville– what you need to know — Wow Bao’s specialty is bao buns, steamed buns filled with sweet or savory flavors. (Wow Bao on Facebook)

Wow Bao has opened a new virtual kitchen in the Trussville area. The Chicago-based chain is now serving up steamed buns, potstickers, fried rice and more.

Keep reading to learn more about how Wow Bao’s “ghost kitchen” business model works.

What is a ghost kitchen?

A virtual kitchen or “ghost kitchen” is a business model in which restaurants operate out of an existing kitchen location and only make orders for delivery through third-party apps like DoorDash, UberEats and GrubHub.

A result of the COVID-19 pandemic, this model eliminates the option of dining-in which cuts cost on restaurant expenses like front-of-house staffing, dining room space and rent. Essentially, with the ghost kitchen model, multiple businesses can operate out of one kitchen to maximize profit.

Amid the pandemic, dining-in plummeted as food delivery rates soared. According to a restaurant data report from Zippia, online food ordering now accounts for 40% of total restaurant sales.

About Wow Bao

According to the Trussville Tribune, Wow Bao CEO Geoff Alexander opened their first ghost kitchen in 2019 and never expected how quickly it would grow. Wow Bao already has two Alabama locations in Prattville and Alexander City and over 600 locations in the U.S. and Canada.

Their new Trussville location will operate out of the kitchen of Wing It On at The Shoppes at Deerfoot. Want to try it for yourself? Here’s a look at some of the items featured on Wow Bao’s menu: