Whole Food, Publix, Safeway, Price Chopper Catering Ready-2-Eat Food

Dinner parties were once a chance for one to show off their cooking skills.  In a time starved world, cooking from scratch has been replaced by Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food not from caterers but from Grocery Stores.  This spring parties, picnic’s, graduations, and even weddings are being catered by grocery stores.

Even restaurant focused fresh food consulting firm principal Melissa Wilson  of Technomic thinks  “there’s no longer any stigma associated with purchasing prepared foods,” Consumers don’t even feel the need to hide that they didn’t make the food by transferring the product to their own platters, she said.

Whole Foods has expanded its fresh prepared offering in-store to such a degree that Ready-2-Eat daily meals are driving success within its catering offerings. Whole Foods is not alone selling catering with differentiation.  

The United Family’s Market is making its mark as well. While catering breakfast may seem unimaginative for many at United Family Market they sell “muffins baked from scratch, breakfast casseroles and Market Street Migas — described on the menu as “Texas-style scrambled eggs with tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, cheese and fresh fried tortilla strips” with chile sauce.”

At United Family Market  catering is a successful business in fact they stated “We’ve done up to 1,200 people plated, served” .

Publix Super Markets has even branded its catering service.  They call it Aprons Event Planning Catering.  Apron’s  takes care of all aspects of party planning. The service, run through Publix’s cooking school, is available at the Plantation and Jacksonville, Fla., and Lakeland, Fla. Locations.

Publix Spokesperson Nicole Krauss called the service “one-stop shopping.”  Publix menu is completive as well offering items “pepper-crusted pork loin with pineapple chutney is a silver option, and grilled rib-eye steak with bleu cheese butter is on the gold menu.”

According to DataSsentials, 77% of shoppers haven’t ever used a supermarket catering service the up-side for grocery stores selling grocerant Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food is strong.

Both Price Chopper and Safeway are offering bundled meal catered offerings this year. If success does leave clues grocery store catering is a perfect complement to grocerant Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food sales.

Foodservice Solutions® specializes the Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat Fresh Prepared Food niche aka the Grocerant niche.  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a brand leveraging integration strategy