Camilla Opperman, CEO and Founder of Nimbus, is revolutionizing the concept of dark kitchens by integrating front-of-house infrastructure to enhance customer engagement. Through innovative strategies and a commitment to creating immersive food experiences, Nimbus is transforming the perception and functionality of ghost kitchens.

Opperman and Nimbus are challenging the traditional notion of ghost kitchens, which often operate in industrial areas with no direct consumer interaction. 

Opperman explains to show host Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ Media, “I think the word ghost kitchen or dark kitchen…there’s no consumer interaction. And something that we’re doing at Nimbus is not only providing the back of house infrastructure for food businesses to launch, to grow, to thrive, but also providing them with the front of house infrastructure to actually engage with the end consumer.” 

This approach includes offering hospitality spaces for cooking classes, dinner parties, tastings, and other in-person, food-oriented events, bridging the gap between ghost kitchens and traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants, offering a unique value proposition for potential investors by combining innovative food business solutions with tangible consumer experiences. For Opperman, this both attracts and justifies investments due to the unique business model Nimbus offers.

“We have about 75 members across our four facilities here in New York City. About ten of them have come to us through that front of house event space,” says Opperman. “We don’t have institutional capital. A lot of those angel investors really resonated with that kind of experience of food and that understanding that when you’re sitting around a dinner table chatting with friends, that’s so much better than ordering food from some nameless, faceless ghost kitchen.”

Another standout feature of Nimbus is their website, which features a dynamic blog that plays a crucial role in engaging potential clients and answering frequently asked questions. This strategic use of content not only streamlines the sales process but also enhances SEO efforts. 

“I think those pieces that we’ve put out on our website are in direct response to the questions we get in our sales process.”Opperman highlights. “90% of our customers have come to us from inbound leads, and I think a big part of that is because we’ve been able to be really creative around that blog content and making sure that we’re putting keywords out there.”

Camilla Opperman’s leadership and vision for Nimbus is setting a new standard in the ghost kitchen industry.

Digital Hospitality is an interview-based video podcast hosted by business owner Shawn P. Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) and produced by his Cali BBQ Media company sponsored by DAVO Sales Tax (@davosalestax) and Marqii (@getmarqii) The weekly digital series explores the ways successful businesses and entrepreneurs have merged old and new with innovative digital strategies that harness the power of the Internet and social media. Shawn is the founder of Cali BBQ Media and creator of the Restaurant Influencers podcast on Entrepreneur Media.

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