Delineating the geography of dark kitchens in Brussel's capital region

Abstract

Dark kitchens are cooking outlets without dine-in areas that exclusively provide dishes through an online virtual platform. By setting up shared kitchen plots they try to economize space and resources (Shapiro, 2022). Since they are exclusively accessible through technological devices and the dishes are usually delivered to the customer’s desired place, they are difficult to be noticed in the urban spectrum. Therefore, the study aims to delineate and comprehend their geography in Brussels-Capital Region (city-wide and micro-scale), and asses their activities’ impact on the urban.

The research was developed through an abductive approach to a case study that combined qualitative and quantitative methods. Following Manter & Ketokivi (2012), the abductive approach enables the research to continually evolve testing and updating the state-of-the-art theory, data collection, and data analysis. Moreover, the abductive approach is usually aimed at developing an understanding of a “new” phenomenon (Alvesson and Skoldberg, 1994). Quantitative data points to the number, location, and characteristics of dark kitchens. These have been collected and compiled in an Excel spreadsheet and visualized in a map using QGIS. In this process, data is gathered simultaneously for theory building (Taylor et al., 2022), following a “back and forth” mechanism between theory and empirical study (Dubois and Gadde, 2002). For theory, different conceptual frameworks are being considered: shared economy (Martin, 2016; Lobel, 2016), platformization (Ecker & Struver, 2022; Evans, 2003), platform urbanism (Caprotti et al, 2022), neoliberal city (Harvey, 2006) as well as the BCR retail landscape (Wayens et al. 2020). Furthermore, the study advances with qualitative methods by conducting semi-structured interviews and email exchanges with dark kitchen stakeholders.

Preliminary results show that dark kitchens located in BCR are currently validated by checking if they correspond to retail location rules referring to PRAS (hub.brussels, 2022). Nonetheless, following the PRAS’ glossary, their “retail” status could be questioned deliberating their visibility/accessibility circumstances (a precondition for retail). All in all, the study has found different business models within the traced dark kitchens, socio-demographic features of the communes where these are located, site selection criteria, a gap in the institutional framework related to the activity, and possible urban inconveniences. Finally, all these factors have helped to delineate the stakeholders involved in the activity as well as the establishments’ geography in the city.