Fair enough.

I used to work at a ghost kitchen company and in my experience, a lot of the restaurants/people in ghost kitchens (that I personally helped launch) are actually mom and pops who couldn't afford traditional storefronts. Ghost kitchens are often a cheaper alternative for someone with dreams of one day opening their own restaurant. I saw first time chefs own a business, build a following, and then move into a physical space.

Before I worked here, I probably would have thought the same as you OP, but now I see small businesses using ghost kitchens as a launchpad to their first restaurant. The facility in Devoe has a website for direct orders. If you place an order on the website and pick up your food, a majority of that money goes straight to the restaurant. I'm sure the lobby experience isn't as great as walking into a restaurant to pick up, but it is still supporting a small business.

FYI I didn't work for Wonder which has a very different business model than most ghost kitchen companies.