近年来，外卖发展很快。对于有些餐馆来说，外卖生意已经占了大头。很自然地，一批没有门店只做外卖生意的“虚拟餐馆”就慢慢出现了。
The rise of virtual restaurants
by Alexandra Olson
Frato's Pizza looks like a typical family restaurant, with its black-and-white checkered（方格图案的） floor and red chairs. But in the kitchen, the cooks are whipping up dishes for four other restaurants at the same time.
whip /wɪp/ up 快速制作（食物）
There is, of course, the gourmet（高档的） pizza that patrons（常客） have come to expect from Frato's when they walk through the door. But there are also spicy chicken gyros for Halal Kitchen, barbecue chicken tenders（鸡肉块） for Tenderlicious, salmon grilled cheese for Cheesy Deliciousness and milkshakes for Heavenly Shakes – all of which can only be ordered through online sites Grubhub and UberEats.
spicy /ˈspaɪsi/ adj. 辣味的
gyro 是一种卷饼
salmon /ˈsæmən/ n. 三文鱼
grill /ɡrɪl/ v. 烤
milkshake /ˈmɪlkʃeɪk/ n. 奶昔
Owner Michael Kudrna launched the four spinoffs earlier this year in a matter of weeks as he races to keep his Chicago-area business ahead of a growing trend: restaurants conceived only for delivery or take-out. Thousands of restaurants are experimenting with these virtual spinoffs tucked inside their own kitchens. Others are opening "ghost kitchens," where all food is prepared to-go.
launch /lɔːntʃ/ v. 使开始、开办
spinoff /ˈspɪnɒf/ n. （从较大的公司分拆出来的）子公司
Chicago /ʃɪˈkɑːɡəʊ/ n. 芝加哥（美国中部城市）
conceive /kənˈsiːv/ v. 想出、设想
delivery /dɪˈlɪv(ə)ri/ n. 配送
take-out 带走
virtual /ˈvɜːtʃuəl/ adj. 虚拟的
tuck /tʌk/ v. 塞进、藏起
Both concepts have emerged to capitalize on the rising popularity of ordering out instead of dining in. The trend also speaks to the growing power of third-party delivery companies, which have transformed the way many people find restaurants and raised expectations for speed and convenience.
concept /ˈkɒnsept/ n. 概念
emerge /ɪˈmɜːdʒ/ v. 显露、显现
capitalize /ˈkæpɪt(ə)laɪz/ on 利用
popularity /ˌpɒpjuˈlærəti/ n. 流行、流行度（由popular加后缀-ity变成名词）
transform /trænsˈfɔːm/ v. 彻底改变
expectation /ˌekspekˈteɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 期望（由expect加后缀-ation变成名词）
convenience /kənˈviːniəns/ n. 方便、便利
The $26.8 billion online ordering market is the fastest-growing source of restaurant sales in the United States, according to David Portalatin, a food industry adviser for The NPD group. Digital orders, while still accounting for just 5% of all restaurant orders, are growing some 20% each year. Restaurant visits, meanwhile, are remaining mostly flat.
billion /ˈbɪljən/ n. 十亿
source /sɔːs/ n. 来源
sales /seɪlz/ n. 销售额
adviser /ədˈvaɪzə(r)/ n. 顾问
account for 占（某个比例）
some /sʌm/ adv. 大约（用于数字之前）
meanwhile /ˈmiːnwaɪl/ adv. 与此同时
flat /flæt/ adj. 平的（指没有增长）
Grubhub and UberEats say their virtual restaurant programs help small businesses compete in this landscape. Both actively reach out to restaurants with suggestions for online spinoffs based on data gleaned（费力地搜集） from customer searches – extending their influence from how people get their food to what should go on the menu.
program /ˈprəʊɡræm/ n. 计划、方案
compete /kəmˈpiːt/ v. 竞争
landscape /ˈlændskeɪp/ n. 形势、局势
actively /ˈæktɪvli/ adv. 积极主动地（由active加后缀-ly变成副词）
reach out 主动和别人联系
based on 基于
data /ˈdeɪtə/ n. 数据
extend /ɪkˈstend/ v. 扩大
influence /ˈɪnfluəns/ n. 影响
UberEats has helped launch 4,000 such virtual restaurants worldwide, about half of them in the U.S. and Canada, according to Kristen Adamowski, head of Uber's virtual restaurants program.
worldwide /ˌwɜːldˈwaɪd/ adv. 世界范围内
Virtual restaurants have the obvious benefit of testing new concepts without taking on expensive leases or hiring more staff, said Rick Carmac, dean of restaurant management at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York.
lease /liːs/ n. 租赁合同
dean /diːn/ n. 系主任
management /ˈmænɪdʒmənt/ n. 管理（由manage加后缀-ment变成名词）
But he said small restaurants should weigh risks before embarking on an online spin-off at the behest of third-party platforms, which offer no training for kitchen staff to adjust to new menus. Restaurants should consider whether they want to increase their reliance on outside delivery drivers as well.
weigh /weɪ/ v. 权衡
risk /rɪsk/ n. 风险
embark /ɪmˈbɑːk/ on 开始做某事
spin-off 分拆
at the behest /bɪˈhest/ of 听命于
third-party 第三方的
platform /ˈplætfɔːm/ n. 平台
adjust /əˈdʒʌst/ v. 适应、习惯
reliance /rɪˈlaɪəns/ n. 依赖
"None of those things are minute, and none of those things are easy, which is kind of what you might be led to believe," said Carmac, who has consulted for UberEats and said he expressed his reservations about the company's approach. "They give you the data, and then they leave."
minute /maɪˈnjuːt/ adj. 微不足道的
kind of 有点儿
consult /kənˈsʌlt/ for 为…提供咨询服务
express /ɪkˈspres/ v. 表达
reservation /ˌrezəˈveɪʃ(ə)n/ n. 保留意见
approach /əˈprəʊtʃ/ n. 方法、手段
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