Last month, The Kroger Co. opened a new in-store “restaurant hub” at the Kroger location on East Mockingbird Lane in Dallas with its partner Kitchen United MIX. The “virtual food court” offers a selection of dishes from popular restaurant chains, freshly prepared and available to order at one counter. Customers can place orders online, through a mobile device or via an in-person ordering kiosk using Kitchen United’s MIX platform. Meals are prepared by Kroger staff and available for pickup or delivery by a third-party provider. Also known as a “ghost kitchen,” the kiosk offers bestselling dishes from eight popular restaurants including Dog Haus, Curry Up Now, Monkey King Noodle Company, Celebrity Chef David Chang’s Fuku, Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, Carl’s Jr., Bad-Ass Breakfast Burritos and The Impossible Shop. “When our customers think of food, they think of Kroger,” commented Dan De La Rosa, group vice president of fresh merchandising for Cincinnati-based Kroger. “The Kitchen United collaboration provides the fresh, on-demand meals our customers crave. It is one more innovative example of how Kroger is fulfilling its commitment to anything, anywhere, anytime.” The East Mockingbird Lane restaurant hub is the third to open since Kroger partnered with Kitchen United last August. The pilot project launched in January in Los Angeles-area Ralphs store, followed by a second kiosk in a Kroger in The Heights neighborhood of Houston in February.
A major draw for the restaurant hub customer is the ability to order meals from multiple restaurants on the same ticket. The multi-restaurant option is a safe bet for busy families and a popular convenience feature that sets Kroger apart from its competitors. “We are always looking for new and unique ways to help our customers answer the ‘What’s for dinner tonight?’ question,” Keith Shoemaker, president of the Kroger Dallas Division, said in a statement. “The collaboration with Kitchen United is special because customers’ restaurant-quality meal will be crafted while they’re shopping for the fresh food and pantry staples their families need.” As Kroger pushes its “Fresh for Everyone” strategy, customers can expect to see more in-store restaurants and prepared food options. The multi-restaurant kitchen is a win-win collaboration that expands the reach of local and national restaurants while growing Kroger’s fresh food offerings.