Knowledge
Two brands from one kitchen: how it works and what is allowed
Anyone who orders regularly on delivery platforms has probably noticed it: two restaurants with completely different names, different logos and different menus — but the same delivery time, the same driver and, if you look closely, the same address. That is not a glitch in the app. Those are two virtual brands from one kitchen.
The short answer: a hospitality business may operate several brands from the same kitchen. What is registered and inspected is not the brand but the premises. It is permitted as long as it remains recognisable who actually prepares the food, and as long as every brand meets the labelling obligations — in particular allergens, additives and the name of the responsible food business operator.
What a virtual brand actually is
A virtual brand is a delivery restaurant that only exists online. It has a name, a logo, its own menu and its own listing on the delivery platform — but no premises of its own. The cooking happens in an existing kitchen that is running anyway. The difference to a ghost kitchen: a ghost kitchen is a location without a dining room that produces exclusively for delivery. A virtual brand is a public identity. The two can coincide, but they do not have to — most virtual brands in Germany run in ordinary restaurants, takeaways and pizzerias that also serve their own guests alongside.
Why operators do it
Not because of the brand. Because of the category. On a delivery platform practically nobody searches for a restaurant name. People search for burger, pizza, chicken, sushi. Whoever has one listing appears in one category and competes there with everyone else. Whoever has two listings appears in two categories and is found by two searches.
On top of that comes capacity utilisation. The most expensive hours of a hospitality business are the ones in which nothing happens: rent, electricity and staff keep running, the stove does not. A second brand fills exactly those gaps — at lunchtime when the main business is in the evening, midweek when the weekend carries the month, and in winter when the terrace is closed. Because kitchen, equipment and staff are already there, hardly any additional fixed costs arise.
Is this allowed?
Yes — with conditions that all come back to one principle: the guest must be able to recognise who prepared their food.
Registration
Under European food law every food business must be registered with the competent food safety authority. What is registered is the premises — the kitchen — not the brand name. Anyone running a second brand out of an already registered kitchen is not registering a second business.
Trade registration
If the activity stays the same — preparing and delivering food — at the same premises and by the same company, an additional trade registration is usually not required. No new trade is added, only a further sales channel for an existing one. As soon as the legal form changes, a second location is added or alcohol is involved, the picture is different. The competent trade office will answer this in a few minutes on the phone.
Labelling
For delivery, legally distance selling, the mandatory information must be available before the guest orders, not only on the box. This includes allergens, additives subject to labelling and the name of the responsible food business operator. Every brand needs this information in its own platform listing. Copying the menu and forgetting the allergens produces the industry's most common complaint.
Transparency
Consumer advocates and industry associations have criticised for years that with virtual brands guests often cannot tell who actually cooks. The criticism does not target the model but the concealment. Anyone who states clearly in the platform listing and the imprint which company stands behind the brand is on the right side and removes the biggest reputational risk at the same time.
This is an orientation, not legal advice. For your own location, the competent food safety authority or the chamber of commerce provides binding information — both free of charge.
How to set up a second brand in practice
- 01
Choose a concept that fits the kitchen (a fryer can do chicken, a grill can do burgers; a concept that requires new equipment is not additional business but an investment).
- 02
Build the brand, menu and images (its own name, its own logo, its own photos — a brand that looks like a copy of the first one will be recognised as such by platform and guest).
- 03
Create the listing on the delivery platform (this runs through the operator account; the platform checks the address and business data).
- 04
Transfer the labelling properly (allergens, additives, company details — per brand, not once for both).
- 05
Bed the brand into the kitchen (additional ingredients into purchasing, run through preparation with the team, packaging into storage).
Realistically this takes a few days if the concept and menu are ready — and weeks if you have to develop both yourself.
The mistakes you see
- The same menu under two names — listing identical dishes twice does not win a new category, it cannibalises the business and risks trouble with the platform.
- Too many brands at once — every brand means its own ingredients, its own packaging, its own routines; two run alongside each other, five need organisation.
- Quality only for the main brand — the ratings of the second brand hang on the same kitchen, and a poor average drags down the ranking of your own brand over time.
- Labelling copied instead of checked — the most common and most expensive mistake.
Building your own or taking a ready-made concept
You can develop a virtual brand yourself. That means positioning, name, logo, photography, costing, packaging, platform maintenance and ongoing marketing — all alongside the actual business. The alternative is to take on a ready-made concept. Then brand, menu, recipes, packaging design and marketing come from outside, and the kitchen stays with the business. At somaFood there are no entry costs for this; the share is based on the revenue of the brand. Each brand is awarded only once per territory.
On request we will tell you which concepts are still available in your territory.
- No obligation — your message commits you to nothing.
- A personal reply from our team.
- We check right away whether your area is still available.
May I operate two restaurants at the same address?
Yes. Under food law it is the premises that are registered, not the brand name. Several brands from one registered kitchen are permitted as long as every brand meets the labelling obligations and it remains recognisable which company prepares the food.
Do I need a new trade registration for a second brand?
Usually not. If the activity stays the same, at the same place, by the same company, no new trade is added. The competent trade office gives binding information.
How many brands can one kitchen handle?
Two run alongside each other without difficulty in practice. From three onwards you need clear routines, separate storage space for packaging and a team that keeps the menus apart.
Can guests see that both brands come from the same kitchen?
If they look closely, yes — address and delivery time are identical. That is also as it should be: concealing who cooks risks complaints and trust.
Does the second brand compete with my own restaurant?
Only if both offer the same thing. A chicken concept next to a pizzeria occupies a category in which the pizzeria would not be found anyway.