A new “ghost kitchen” at Lehigh University will feature tasty dishes and spread the word for Lehigh Valley businesses to students, staff and the larger university community.

Clayton’s Kitchen launched Monday on the first floor of the Clayton University Center, said Erin Foertsch, the marketing manager for Lehigh University Dining Services. Anyone with a Lehigh University email, including students, staff, faculty and alumni, can order from the kitchen during chefs’ temporary residencies, which usually will be one or two weeks.

Following a test run that began in September with in-house dishes, the program kicked off this week with Kou Kitchen, a catering company that services African dishes like fish fillet, glazed peanut chicken, peanut butter pork chops, vegetable soup, sweet fried plantains and honey cornbread.

“This means a lot to us, in that we are based in [the] Lehigh Valley to begin with, and then when we got the invite to be a part of the ghost kitchen for Lehigh University, that was exciting to us,” co-owner and executive chef Kou Taylor said. “Because this has been our goal, to be able to share our food with the entire Lehigh Valley. So then coming here at … Lehigh University, that just puts us ahead of it, where we’re just happy people are about to enjoy the food. And plus we live here, we’re part of the community, so we’re happy to share what we have and to give to the community as well.”

“We have gotten some good feedback already, so that’s good to know,” co-owner Myles Taylor said.

Sophomore Bentzi Finegold called the chicken with rice and plantains he ordered “incredible” and “fantastic.”

“I think it’s great to have rotating opportunities here,” he said.

Kou Kitchen will be open to the Lehigh University community 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Friday.

Ghost kitchen offers convenience, versatility

Foertsch said to get food from Clayton’s Kitchen, a customer orders through Grubhub and then uses a QR code to open adjacent lockers that hold the food. Students can use their meal plan and dining dollars for the orders.

“During their busy schedules, instead of running downtown to a restaurant, they could come right here and enjoy it and not lose that time,” said Chris Wallace, Lehigh University Dining Services general manager.

Foertsch said that during the planning of renovations for the Clayton University Center, which reopened last year, “the ghost kitchen idea came up as a way to add variety and something different and just be more versatile to time of year or what the students are looking for.”

Clayton’s Kitchen joins eight other food concepts at the center, including the Lehigh University Pub that opened last year. Foertsch said the kitchen will operate for the rest of the spring, close for the summer and then reopen for the fall, when the center plans to have a tenant present every week and for longer residencies.

Mike Gronczewski, executive chef for the Clayton University Center, said the ghost kitchen gives a chance to international students in particular to enjoy foods beyond typical American cuisine.

Marayna Dorsey, the sustainability coordinator for Lehigh University Dining Services, said the kitchen also plays a role in social sustainability, by “building a community within not only the Lehigh campus, but in the broader Bethlehem and Lehigh Valley area” and “encouraging those students to go to those local businesses and play into the local economy.”