How our Kitchens Got Started…

The launch of Central Kitchen virtual brands was one of the successes of 2020 for John Plew, founder, and CEO of Thirsty Lion Gastropub. He and Executive Chef Keith Castro began fostering the idea of a kitchen focused on takeout and delivery prior to the pandemic. With restaurants mandated to close inside dining, they saw this as the perfect opportunity to pivot and launch the idea that aligned with current consumer demands. Development of the virtual brands went into hyper speed and Central Kitchen, a virtual online food hall, launched in September 2020 at one of the company’s Oregon locations. The virtual food hall fills a need in the restaurant space by providing multiple culinary offerings from one hub. Guests can order the food that everyone in their home is craving under one ticket.