Hy-Vee has an actual bar. Coborn's added pizza ovens. Whole Foods' new restaurant has waitstaff. In-store foodservice is big business. Here's a rundown of the latest from retailers in this segment of the business.
Coborn’s, St. Cloud, Minn., is leaning more toward the grocerant concept as it opens new “next-generation” stores, says Kevin Hurd, communications specialist.
The stores already have deli departments, and some of the chain’s 29 locations feature sit-down dining areas of various sizes. But as the company builds new locations and remodels old ones, the emphasis is on adding more fresh options, he says.
The centerpiece of the next-generation stores in Isanti and Sartell is The Kitchen, where guests can order custom pizzas baked in firebrick ovens. The pies can be made to go or eaten in-store. The Kitchen also features traditional deli fare, like sandwiches, made-to-order entrees, grab-and-go breakfast, fried chicken and sushi.
The concept will be spreading as the company considers new locations and remodels, Hurd says.
“These are changing times, and we need to adapt to what our guests are looking for,” he says.
H.E. Butt Grocery Co., San Antonio, has taken the grocerant concept to the next level. The chain of nearly 400 stores operates six stand-alone restaurants and a half-dozen versions of “fresh and ready to go” operations, according to its website.
Cafe at H-E-B inside five stores features signature sandwiches, salads and pizzettes and has a make-your-own option. Café on the Run inside nearly 30 stores offers ready-to-go, chef-prepared meals; snacks and side dishes; salads; ready to eat dinners like meatloaf, grilled flank steak and lemon garlic chicken, as well as wraps and Italian food options.
Hy-Vee Inc., West Des Moines, Iowa, is one of few grocery chains to offer full-service, in-store restaurants, says Tara Deering-Hansen, the chain’s group vice president, communications.
First introduced in 2012, Hy-Vee Market Grille restaurants offer a casual dining menu and a full bar in a contemporary atmosphere, she says.
“Our Hy-Vee Market Grilles allow us to highlight our culinary expertise and the talents of our many in-store chefs in a casual dining environment,” Deering-Hansen says. The chain is launching a new Hy-Vee Market Grille Express concept at several of its stores this year.
“At the Hy-Vee Market Grille Express, customers will be able to walk up to a pay station and order their favorite breakfast, lunch or dinner items and then sit and enjoy their meal in a casual self-service, contemporary atmosphere,” she says.
The menu will range from scrambled eggs, breakfast burritos, pancakes and oatmeal in the morning to appetizers, steaks, burgers, sandwiches, salads and flatbread pizzas in the afternoon and evening.
Breakfast skillets and omelets will be available all day long. In addition, each Hy-Vee Market Grille Express will offer a full-service bar where customers can enjoy a variety of beverages while watching their favorite game or sporting event on TV.
“In fiscal year 2017, we plan to open either a Hy-Vee
Market Grille restaurant or a Hy-Vee Market Grille Express at 39 new locations,” Deering-Hansen says.
The Kroger Co., Cincinnati, introduced prepared meal kits — Prep+Pared — in four Cincinnati-area stores in May, according to a news release. Meals are fresh-made, chef-inspired, restaurant quality, easily prepared at home and affordable, the company says.
“Kroger continuously looks for ways to make our customers lives easier and they have told us they want fresh, convenient and affordable meal solutions,” Vanessa Egle, senior director of culinary strategy and development, says in the release. “With Prep+Pared, we’ve taken all of the work behind planning and preparing a fresh, delicious meal and made it easy to cook in just minutes.”
The prepared meals, available through CheckList online ordering, cook in 20 minutes or less. Each Prep+Pared kit feeds two adults and costs $14 to $18.
Wegmans Food Markets Inc., Rochester, N.Y., has a Market Café where shoppers can pick up some sushi, a hearty sandwich, a slice of hot pizza or a healthy salad, according to the company’s website. Or they can browse the stores’ Hot Bars for “incredible, international, freshly made dishes.”
“Wegmans has chef-prepared options for all to enjoy here or take home,” the site says.
In January, the 92-store chain launched eight kinds of Power Meals — “fresh, whole ingredients packed with amazing flavor served with balanced nutrition” — according to a news release.
Selections are Kung Pao Chicken, Kung Pao Shrimp, King Salmon Tataki, Tuna Tataki, Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin, Black Pepper Salmon, Tuna Poke and Ceviche Power Meal.
Harmons Grocery Stores, West Valley City, Utah, has nearly 185 items — from soups, salads and sandwiches to complete meals produced fresh in-house — says executive chef Aaron Ballard.
One of the most popular destinations for customers is the fresh salad bar.
The Ironman Salad with kale, blueberries, cranberries, carrots, peanuts and sunflower seeds “married together in a sweet house-made raspberry vinaigrette” is a superstar in the salad case, he says.
“In our grab-and-go section, pulled rotisserie chicken takes the top spot followed by our fresh tomato basil soup, which is an Old World recipe shared with us by one of our associate’s Italian grandmother,” Ballard explains.
Each of the chain’s 17 locations features a standard set of salads and products, but each store has additional items available based on local demographics.
“Quality and freshness are the keystone principles to our program,” Ballard says. “Our commitment to getting as close to the source as possible and making recipes from scratch daily sets us apart.”
All stores have cafe sitting areas, and new stores sport full mezzanine seating areas.