Kroger is continuing to build on its successful partnership with Kitchen United, and the fruits of its labor are taking on a physical form. A new location, in fact. The retailer’s banner chain Ralphs teamed up with the ghost kitchen operator to announce the opening of the first kitchen center in Los Angeles, California.
“When our customers think of food, they think of Kroger,” said Dan De La Rosa, Group Vice President of Fresh Merchandising for 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 new launch allows customers to build freshly prepared, on-demand restaurant meals from any or all of the participating restaurants, according to a press release. Consumers visiting this off-premise restaurant kitchen can mix and match their meals from multiple foodservice providers, including Fresh Brothers, Bushi by Jinya, Sajj Mediterranean, Doghaus, and more.
Customers can place an order digitally using Kitchen United's proprietary MIX platform via web, mobile, or an in-person ordering kiosk and choose to pick up their meal onsite or have it delivered.
“We couldn’t be prouder that Kroger and Kitchen United chose to open the collaboration’s first location in Ralphs,” said Kendra Doyel, Vice President of Merchandising, Ralphs. “Our customers come to us to find the freshest food and to answer the all-important ‘what’s for dinner?’ question. This collaboration provides our customers one more simple meal solution that they can pair with Ralphs’ fresh products.”
This restaurant kitchen is the first to open after Kroger and Kitchen United announced their national partnership back in August 2021. Additional locations in Texas are anticipated to open later in the month.
“We proudly operate successful ghost kitchens across the country and will apply that expertise to reimagine takeout and delivery within Kroger stores,” said Michael Montagano, Chief Executive Officer of Kitchen United. “Our work together provides millions of Kroger customers access to their favorite restaurant cuisines in a convenient supermarket format, while providing Kitchen United and our restaurant partners a high-touch, interactive storefront. We are excited to bring this creative solution to the Westwood community.”
New partnerships, releases, and updates are always on the horizon, so keep checking back to Deli Market News as we report.
