How are dark kitchens perceived by different cultures? A cross-cultural study in Brazil, Poland, and the United Kingdom

Hakim, Marina Piton; Zanetta, Luis D.'Avoglio; Vieira, Julia Veronesi; Weatherall, Oli; Butters, Bobbie; Wiśniewska, Małgorzata Zdzisława; Malinowska, Ewa; Stedefeldt, Elke; Zanin, Laís Mariano; Soon-Sinclair, Jan Mei; da Cunha, Diago Thimoteo

How are dark kitchens perceived by different cultures? A cross-cultural study in Brazil, Poland, and the United Kingdom

2026

This study investigates how consumers from Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Poland perceive and evaluate dark kitchens (DK)—delivery-only food services without physical dining areas. Among 859 surveyed consumers, our study first assessed their knowledge and definitions of DKs, revealing substantial cross-country differences in awareness and perception. While most participants recognized DKs as restaurants operating exclusively online or lacking dine-in space, notable minorities, particularly in Brazil and the UK, associated them with informal or substandard establishments, reflecting ongoing skepticism and unfamiliarity. Familiarity with the concept was highest in Poland. Building on these insights, we modeled the drivers of purchase intention, testing the roles of trust in health surveillance, trust in food delivery apps, perceived food safety, quality control, user experience, and social responsibility. Partial least squares structural equation modeling and multigroup analysis identified that food safety, user experience, and social responsibility are consistent predictors of willingness to buy across countries, while institutional trust and quality control effects are culturally contingent. These findings advance theory by demonstrating how cultural context shapes both conceptual understanding and consumer decision-making about dark kitchens, providing actionable guidance for operators and policymakers across diverse markets.

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