Dark kitchens– also referred to as ghost kitchens, cloud kitchens, or virtual kitchens– often receive criticism for their food quality. Sizl, a cook-to-order delivery service based in Chicago, seeks to change this perception by delivering meals made with fresh ingredients in around 30 minutes flat.

The company announced its recent $3.5 million seed round on Tuesday, at a $12 million post-money valuation.

Unlike typical dark kitchens, which serve as shared spaces for various restaurants, Sizl says it runs its own kitchens with a small team of Ukrainian cooks and local culinary talent from Chicago who prepare the food. It also has its own delivery couriers and even a mobile app where you can earn rewards.

Since dark kitchens typically operate without a traditional dine-in space and focus solely on delivering takeout orders, this can lead to inconsistency in the food quality and freshness. 

A key selling point for Sizl’s target audience, health-conscious customers looking for a quick bite, is that the service provides “fresh ingredients,” co-founder and COO Anastasia Kalinkina told TechCrunch. 

Sizl claims it sources meat and produce from local suppliers, including Greensys, an organic farm in central Illinois. However, the company admits to also working with large distributors like US Foods and Sysco, although it emphasizes that a significant portion of its ingredients come from local sources.

Additionally, many ghost kitchens offer a wide variety of foods but lack specialization. Sizl stands out by focusing mainly on Eastern European cuisine, which could help it set itself apart from local eateries.

Sizl’s menu includes only 60 items at a time, ranging from dishes like chicken kyiv and pierogies to everyday meals like grilled cheese and spaghetti bolognese. Sizl has even incorporated Kalinkina’s family recipes, including her grandmother’s borscht and syrniki. 

Sizl founders Kalinkina, Alex Kolesnikov (CEO), Nick Delitski, and Kyrylo Kupin (CMO) are originally from Ukraine and have prior experience in building a dark kitchen chain. They previously built Local Kitchen, which Kolesnikov noted scaled to $46 million in annual revenue. 

Another negative association with dark kitchens is that they rely on third-party delivery platforms, saturating Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub apps with virtual brands that are often copycats of each other. 

Although Sizl is also available on these apps, it differentiates itself with its own mobile app that uses game mechanics to engage customers. Every time a customer orders or logs in to the app, they collect themed cards that can be used to unlock rewards. Sizl also has an in-app currency (mojis) and mini games. Additionally, Sizl offers 3% cash back on all orders. 

The recent round was led by Yellow Rocks!, with participation from Kinetik, and several angel investors, including Mike Alexandrovski, who co-founded delivery startup Borzo.

The funding will go toward opening up to four additional kitchens in Chicago this year, adding to its two existing locations. It’s also exploring expansion into Boston, Charlotte, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Sizl said it already has a Series A round planned for later this year or early 2026.