The Grocerant Gold Rush — How Chain Restaurants Are Fighting for Share of Stomach This Holiday Season

 

The grocerant era—where restaurant-quality meals are sold everywhere food is sold—is no longer emerging. It is here, reshaping traffic patterns, loyalty loops, and consumer occasions in real time according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®

. In 2025, U.S. consumers purchase 34% of prepared meals outside traditional restaurants, according to Foodservice Solutions® proprietary research. Retailers know it. C-stores know it. And now… major restaurant chains know it too.

This holiday season proves one unmistakable truth: chain restaurants are aggressively repositioning themselves as grocerant brands—blending restaurant flavor with retail convenience. Whether through scaled catering, premium seasonal meal kits, or CPG-style brand extensions, the message is the same:

“If consumers won’t come to the restaurant as often, the restaurant must go to the consumer—anywhere, anytime.”

Below, we highlight three quantifiable 2025 examples demonstrating how chains are staking real ground in the grocerant landscape.

 

1. Catering Becomes a Grocerant Power Play

Walk-On’s, Lazy Dog & Biscuitville show how restaurants can out-retail retailers.

Holiday catering is no longer a side business—it is the fastest-growing grocerant category, up 18.4% YOY in revenue across U.S. chains (Foodservice Solutions® 2025 Catering Index).

Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux

·       New Louisiana-themed catering: Devils on Horseback, Bayou Pasta, Voodoo Shrimp & Grits

·       Adds boxed lunches—an essential for the corporate grocerant occasion

·       Grocerant impact: Walk-On’s catering is projected to exceed 12% of total 2025 revenue, up from 7.5% in 2022

Walk-On’s demonstrates what every grocerant operator has learned: protein-centric, culturally distinctive menus outperform generic holiday trays by more than 22%.

Lazy Dog

Lazy Dog leans into preset lunch/dinner menus, mirroring retail meal bundles.

·       Signature entrees & seasonal LTOs

·       DIY Gingerbread House Kits sold in-store and online

·       100% of proceeds to Habitat for Humanity (purpose-driven selling)

Lazy Dog’s gingerbread kit is a grocerant masterstroke: retail-priced, low-labor, high-margin, kid-friendly, and shoppable online.

Biscuitville

Biscuitville goes full sensory-branding with:

·       Party-sized build-your-own biscuits

·       Scratch-made sausage balls (a high-frequency Southern party item)

Biscuitville’s catering SKU count has grown 42% since 2021, and breakfast catering overall has grown 23.7% YOY, making it one of the most profitable dayparts in the grocerant ecosystem.

Why it matters:
Catering turns restaurant brands into occasion-based retailers, inserting themselves into office events, holiday gatherings, school functions, and in-home celebrations traditionally dominated by grocery-store delis.

 

2. Retail Crossovers & CPG Extensions Hit Hyperdrive

Panda Express, Starbucks, Moe’s & Dunkin’ embrace grocerant channel blurring.

If 2022–2024 were the years of menu expansion, 2025 is the year of brand expansion. Restaurants are launching retail-ready specialty products, a category projected to reach $38.7B in sales in 2025, up from $27B in 2020.

Panda Express × Compartés Chocolate Bars

This luxury chocolate collaboration functions like a CPG-first strategy:

·       Four flavors inspired by menu icons

·       $11.95 each; $49.95 gift box

·       Sold online—far outside restaurant dining occasions

Panda’s chocolate line targets the $7B premium gifting segment, extending the brand into grocery-adjacent retail without ever entering cold-chain distribution.

Starbucks Seasonal Beverage Add-Ons

Cold foam and customized toppings mimic the “add-on retail value stack” used by CPG beverage companies.

·       Chestnut Praline cold foam

·       Protein cold foam

·       Eggnog Cream Cold Foam topping

Customization SKUs at Starbucks now drive 18% of holiday beverage upsell revenue, functioning like micro-CPG offerings layered onto the core menu.

Moe’s OG Menu at 2000s Prices

Moe’s reintroduces nostalgia-driven value meals at $5.99, directly competing with both:

·       Grocery meal kits (now averaging $6.22 per serving), and

·       C-store hot-case burritos (average $4.69 but smaller portions)

This is a volume-driving grocerant strategy packaged like a retail “rollback.”

Dunkin’ Limited-Edition Holiday Munchkins

Dunkin’ mimics seasonal retail candy SKUs with limited-time “Holiday Sprinkle” Munchkins—priced and portioned for impulse retail buying, not in-restaurant dining.

Why it matters:
Restaurants are behaving like packaged goods companies. When restaurant brands show up on desks, in kitchens, at office parties, and inside gift boxes, they shift the battleground from “menu share” to retail share-of-stomach.

 

3. Premium Holiday LTOs Turn Restaurants into In-Home Celebrations

STK, Momofuku, Burgerville & Another Broken Egg use flavor-forward LTOs to compete with premium grocery delis.

The grocerant market thrives on premium seasonal indulgence. Retailers like Wegmans, Whole Foods, and Lunds & Byerlys have owned this space for two decades—until now.

Restaurant chains are countering with restaurant-quality premium LTOs priced for at-home sharing:

STK Steakhouse

·       A5 Wagyu Potstickers

·       Colossal Lobster Tail

·       Holiday Martini & Toasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned

STK is essentially selling a luxury grocerant celebratory meal without the grocery store.

Momofuku Noodle Bar – Truffle Ramen

With six grams of shaved Burgundy truffle, Momofuku’s holiday ramen competes directly with premium retailer kits priced $22–$26—except Momofuku offers the chef halo grocery stores can’t replicate.

Burgerville Seasonal Menu

Cranberry Brie Bacon Burgers, Candy Cane Shakes, and Stumptown Cold Brew innovations turn Burgerville into a local premium grocerant brand, not just a restaurant.

Another Broken Egg & Ruby Slipper

Both chains deliver upscale breakfast/brunch experiences through seasonal dishes like:

·       Peppermint Mocha Waffles

·       White Chocolate Cranberry Stuffed French Toast

Breakfast is the new grocerant battleground, with 36% of all weekend breakfast consumed off-premise.

Why it matters:
Restaurant brands know consumers expect “holiday indulgence experiences” at home—so they’re delivering high-margin LTOs designed to steal occasions from grocery bakery, deli, and premium meal kits.

 

The Grocerant Guru®: Four 2025 Takeaway Insights

1. If a restaurant can be eaten anywhere, it becomes a retail brand.

Chains that treat off-premise occasions as retail channels—not simply delivery—will win the next decade.

2. Catering is the grocerant Trojan Horse.

Once a chain feeds an office or party, brand familiarity skyrockets and customer migration follows. Catering is the new trial channel.

3. Seasonal LTOs now define brand relevance.

Holiday menus are no longer “special”; they are core revenue drivers. Expect chains to offer monthly retail-style seasonal SKUs by 2027.

4. Restaurants aren’t entering the grocerant space—they are becoming grocerant companies.

The line between store, restaurant, and brand continues to blur. The winners will be those who sell meals everywhere consumers want to eat them—not only inside their four walls.

Gain a Competitive Edge with a Grocerant ScoreCard

Unlock new opportunities with a Grocerant ScoreCard, designed to optimize product positioning, placement, and consumer engagement.

Since 1991, Foodservice Solutions® has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche—helping brands identify high-growth strategies that resonate with modern consumers.

📞 Call 253-759-7869 or 📩 Email Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us

Back to the Future: McDonald’s Rediscovers Its Low-Cost, Fast-Service DNA

 

Why McDonald’s Return to Value Matters More in 2025 Than Ever Before

In the earliest days of American quick-service dining, McDonald’s wasn’t just a restaurant—it was a revolution. A low-cost leader with faster service than anyone else, powered by the Speed of Service System and a radical idea: offer familiar flavors at a price every consumer could afford. Ray Kroc built an empire on that value-forward foundation, turning low pricing and operational efficiency into a cultural phenomenon.

But as McDonald’s expanded, modernized, and diversified, it drifted toward mass-mainstream positioning—more SKUs, higher prices, slower lines, and a customer base that began wondering whether “fast food” still meant fast or affordable. In many ways, the Golden Arches lost touch with the value DNA that created the brand.

Today, McDonald’s is making a historic move to correct course.

 

A Bold Return to Value: McDonald’s Codifies Low Prices in Its Franchise Standards

In systemwide messages to operators across the U.S. and major global markets, McDonald’s announced that value is now formally written into its global franchising standards.

This new “value provision” aims to prevent runaway pricing and win back lower-income consumers, whose traffic has softened dramatically as menu inflation outpaced wage growth.

Franchisees will continue to set their own prices—but starting in January, McDonald’s will evaluate whether those pricing decisions align with delivering “great value,” including how operators:

·       use corporate pricing tools,

·       work with third-party pricing consultants,

·       support national promotions, and

·       balance pricing with local market conditions.

It’s the brand’s clearest statement yet that the low-price, fast-service heritage is not nostalgia—it’s strategy.

 

The Big Question: Will It Work, and Will Franchisees Stay the Course?

McDonald’s franchisees are sophisticated business operators. They’ve weathered the storm of rising labor costs, commodity inflation, and expensive remodel requirements. Many raised prices simply to maintain viability.

Now they are being asked to tighten margins to win back the budget-conscious customers McDonald’s says it has lost. The success of this shift hinges on:

·       whether franchisees believe a renewed focus on value will increase traffic enough to offset slimmer margins,

·       whether McDonald’s corporate will maintain a consistent long-term strategy, and

·       whether the brand can rebuild the trust of consumers who walked away after years of rapid price increases.

The Golden Arches can reset its compass—but only if operators pull in the same direction.

 

Why This Value Reboot Might Not Work

Value alone is not a magic bullet. McDonald’s must reconcile its price cuts with the modern realities of QSR economics. The risks include:

·       Operational complexity: A more complex menu slows service—and slow service erodes the very value promise McDonald’s is trying to rebuild.

·       Competitive pressure: Wendy’s, Taco Bell, Dollar General’s grab-and-go food, and C-store prepared food are all aggressively courting the same lower-income consumer.

·       Digital expectations: Price-sensitive consumers now demand digital coupons, loyalty rewards, and predictable everyday low prices—not occasional promos.

·       Margin tension: If value-focused pricing arrives without operational simplification, franchisees could absorb painful margin hits, leading to friction between operators and corporate.

The brand cannot simply “discount its way back” to relevance. Value must be holistic—price, speed, portion, consistency, and digital ease must work in harmony.

 

Grocerant Guru®: Three Strategic Enhancements to Make McDonald’s Value Reset Succeed Long-Term

As the Grocerant Guru®, I’ve tracked consumer behavior across retail, restaurant, convenience, and grocery for over two decades. Here are three additions McDonald’s should consider to strengthen and future-proof its strategy:

1. Embrace Grocerant-Style Family Solutions

Consumers value meal solutions, not just menu items.
McDonald’s can tap the growing Grocerant niche by offering:

·       family meal bundles,

·       mix-and-match dinner packs,

·       heat-and-eat sides,

·       and take-home add-ons that compete directly with grocery.

These formats increase check averages without sacrificing perceived affordability.

2. Introduce Snackable, Low-Cost Micro-Meals

Today’s consumers snack more and meal less. To drive frequency, McDonald’s should explore:

·       mini wraps,

·       small sandwiches,

·       protein bites,

·       value-driven snack combos.

These boost traffic while maintaining a tight food cost structure.

3. Build a Predictable Digital Value Engine

Trust is rebuilt through consistency.
McDonald’s should transform its app into a digital Dollar Menu, offering:

·       weekly rotating app-exclusive deals,

·       everyday low-price anchors,

·       beverage or fry subscription passes,

·       predictable digital bundles for every daypart.

When value becomes digital, habitual purchasing follows.

 

Think About This: The Golden Arches Are Bending Back Toward Their Roots—Now Operators Must Decide How Far

McDonald’s wrote its franchise standards in bold ink: value is no longer optional.
It’s a strategic reset rooted in the brand’s original DNA—low prices, fast service, and mass accessibility.

Whether this becomes a historic comeback… or another short-lived initiative… depends on execution, consistency, and alignment between corporate and franchisees.

 

Call to Action for Restaurant Operators and Industry Leaders

If McDonald’s—the world’s largest, most complex QSR brand—is institutionalizing value again, the rest of the industry must take note. Consumers are voting for affordability, convenience, and frictionless meal solutions across all channels.

Restaurant operators should evaluate:

·       whether their own pricing aligns with consumer sentiment,

·       how grocerant-style products could broaden their market reach, and

·       whether digital value is strong enough to build repeat behavior.

Success leaves clues—and McDonald’s is leaving big ones.

One key insight that continues to drive success is this: "The consumer is dynamic, not static." This principle is the foundation of our work at Foodservice Solutions®, where Steven Johnson, the Grocerant Guru®, has been helping brands stay relevant in an ever-evolving market.

Want to strengthen your brand’s connection with today’s consumers? Let’s talk. Call 253-759-7869 for more information.

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