• Longtime Round Table Pizza franchisee Leticia Vasquez began operating a ghost kitchen location in Los Angeles on April 20 as part of a planned expansion for the brand.
• As more customers turn to delivery and carryout, Vasquez said, the concept will allow her to “bring Round Table Pizza to a larger customer base.”

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Global Franchise Group (GFG) has partnered with CloudKitchens to open a remote Round Table Pizza location for pickup and delivery only in Los Angeles, marking GFG’s first ghost kitchen concept.

The location will be operated by Leticia Vasquez, a longtime Round Table franchisee with an additional restaurant in Culver City. The ghost kitchen will offer an abbreviated menu focusing on large and personal-size pizzas in addition to the brand’s popular Garlic Parmesan Twists.

The location is the first of a planned brand expansion in the Los Angeles area, including both traditional and non-traditional spaces. Currently, Round Table Pizza has more than 415 locations across the country. With about 200 franchise agreements in the development pipeline, the brand footprint is expected to reach 500 locations in the next two years.

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“Global Franchise Group is proud to introduce our first ghost kitchen location—the first of what we hope will be many for our family of brands,” said Paul Damico, CEO of GFG. “Our organization is committed to innovation and technology, and we are constantly making investments to support the success of our franchisees and brands for years to come. The ghost kitchen concept is incredibly popular and perfect for Round Table Pizza.”

Ghost kitchens operate entirely as a vehicle for pickup and delivery services and allow brands to expand their footprint while dramatically reducing overhead costs. As the COVID-19 pandemic forced restaurant closures across the country and dramatically reduced in-store dining capacities, ghost kitchens have proven a cost-effective alternative to brick-and-mortar build-outs for a variety of quick-serve and fast-casual restaurant brands.

“We’ve seen a significant shift in consumer dining trends since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as more customers begin to rely on takeout and delivery options,” Vasquez said. “Now, with the opening of our first ghost kitchen, we can bring Round Table Pizza to a larger customer base, and I see huge potential for the continued growth of the brand.”