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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – The line between restaurants and supermarkets continues to blur. Rotisserie chicken and sandwiches have been staples at grocery stores for years but in order to compete in the battle for food dollars supermarkets are going to have to step up. Restaurants are increasingly making their food more accessible through delivery and to-go options. Today close to 50% of food dollars are spent at restaurants compared to just 25% in the 1950’s.
The food shoppers of today are younger, have greater spending power, and they often have children. According to USDA statistics, 2018 is going to be the first year in which millennials (ages 22 to 37) will surpass baby boomers as the generation with the highest spending power and this group allocates the highest share of their food budget to prepared food.
Enter the grocerant – in-store seating options at the supermarket. Grocerants are a new and expanding foodservice category. It could be as simple as a few tables and chairs sectioned off near the deli counter to allow you to eat the food you just purchased to an actual restaurant with menus, waiter service and a full prep kitchen serving the in-store grocerant. Hy-Vee is building and will own and operate 26 Walburgers restaurants. Kroger operates Kitchen 1883. There are oyster bars in Mariano’s in Chicago and wine bars at Ralph’s. Many Whole Foods and Fairway markets have full-sized cafeteria-style restaurants with seating. Others partner with chains and offer options like Subway or Starbucks inside the supermarket.
In times past, the supermarket was a place that you went to buy ingredients for meals you would eat at home. The restaurant was where you went to eat food or pick up meals to eat at home. It isn’t that simple anymore. Over 20% of grocery shoppers are in favor of eating at the supermarket and think the concept would be useful as part of their busy lifestyle. For this reason, many supermarket chains are now advertising for cooks, servers, restaurant managers, bartenders and hosts. Many are also looking for dietitians with foodservice experience.
Today’s shoppers want greater transparency for the foods they buy at the supermarket. Where was their produce grown? Are there sufficient organic options? What is the source of the meat and poultry available? Do the in-house and brand name foods have simpler ingredients and fewer additives? Is there an in-store dietitian to provide shopping tips, food demos, or nutrition consultations? These savvy shoppers will also expect the same transparency if the supermarket offers prepared foods or restaurant selections.
The National Restaurant Association’s 2018 Culinary Forecast’s top trends include healthy kids’ meals, vegetables carb substitutes, veggie-centric meals, natural ingredients, and back to basics and simpler foods. Grocerants need to incorporate these same concerns into their menus by providing better-for-you offerings. At the moment, restaurants in supermarkets are exempt from the federal menu labeling requirements, but as their numbers grow, they too, may be required to offer nutrition information to customers.
The concept of eating out at the supermarket is not a trend that will fade. In 2017, grocerants grew by 6.5% and the numbers will keep growing as traditional supermarkets are faced with tougher competition from big-box stores like Walmart, warehouse clubs, online grocers and meal kit delivery options.
Eating out? Try your supermarket tonight.
© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of 30 books. Available as eBooks from iTunes and Kindle/Amazon:
Diabetes Counter – the most up-to-date information on managing diabetes
Calorie Counter – a weight loss guide that won’t let you down
Protein Counter – put the latest protein recommendations to work for you
Healthy Wholefoods Counter – planet-friendly eating made easy
Complete Food Counter – food counts and nutrition information at your fingertips
Fat and Cholesterol Counter – newest approach to heart-healthy eating
Available in print from Gallery Books:
Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd Ed.
Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com