Foodservice Solutions

Halloween Has Become America's Biggest Takeout Night: Why Restaurants, Grocery Delis, and C-Stores Are Winning the Share-of-Stomach Battle

2026-07-27T00:27:00.000-07:00

Halloween is no longer just about candy according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®, it has become one of the biggest foodservice occasions of the year. While candy captures the headlines, dinner captures the dollars.

Parents are busy dressing children in costumes. Neighborhoods fill with trick-or-treaters. Nobody wants to spend an hour preparing dinner or cleaning the kitchen. That reality has transformed Halloween into one of the strongest nights of the year for takeout, delivery, prepared foods, pizza, chicken, sandwiches, grab-and-go meals, and family meal bundles.

For restaurants, convenience stores, and grocery deli departments, Halloween has quietly evolved into a "share of stomach" holiday where convenience consistently beats cooking.

Mars' newly released 2026 Tricks, Treats & Trends Report simply reinforces what food marketers have been watching unfold for years—Halloween has become a season rather than an event.

Halloween Starts in Summer—But Dinner Owns October 31

According to Mars' 2026 research:

· 57% of Americans now view Halloween as an entire season.

· Nearly 60% of Gen Z already participates in or recognizes "Summerween."

· 76% of Gen Z wishes Halloween candy were available year-round.

· 75% believe sharing candy builds community.

· 71% believe the candy they give out reflects who they are.

· Three out of four Americans say candy is an everyday indulgence.

· 71% seek texture-driven treats.

· Nearly 60% actively seek bold or "extreme" flavors.

Those numbers explain candy sales.

They do not explain what happens between 4:30 PM and 7:30 PM on Halloween.

That's where the real foodservice opportunity begins.

Parents Don't Want to Cook

Circana's consumer meal research has consistently shown that more than 80% of evening meals originate from home, but "from home" increasingly includes food that was prepared somewhere else.

That distinction is critical.

Consumers are bringing restaurant meals home.

They're bringing grocery prepared meals home.

They're bringing convenience store pizza home.

They're bringing fried chicken home.

Halloween simply accelerates an existing consumer habit.

Instead of preparing dinner, families increasingly purchase dinner already prepared because time—not price—is today's scarcest commodity.

Halloween creates the perfect storm:

· School activities

· Costume preparation

· Neighborhood events

· Early trick-or-treating

· Community gatherings

· Parents walking children

Cooking becomes the last thing anyone wants to do.

Delivery Rules Halloween

Pizza remains one of Halloween's biggest winners for a reason.

It feeds groups.

It travels well.

Kids love it.

Parents don't need plates.

Cleanup is almost nonexistent.

But pizza is no longer alone.

Today's Halloween winners include:

Restaurants

· Family meal bundles

· Fried chicken buckets

· Wing packs

· Sandwich platters

· Taco family packs

· BBQ meal bundles

· Pasta carryout

· Kids meal combinations

· Loaded fries

· Dessert add-ons

Major chains have increasingly leaned into digital ordering, curbside pickup, loyalty rewards, and scheduled delivery—all perfectly aligned with Halloween demand.

Grocery Delis Have Become Halloween Headquarters

The grocery deli has quietly become one of Halloween's strongest competitors.

Prepared foods now compete directly with restaurants.

Winning offers include:

· Eight-piece fried chicken dinners

· Rotisserie chicken meal bundles

· Fresh deli pizzas

· Heat-and-eat lasagna

· Family-size macaroni and cheese

· Mashed potatoes

· Fresh salads

· Party trays

· Slider sandwiches

· Cookie decorating kits

· Halloween cupcakes

· Seasonal bakery desserts

Consumers can complete their entire Halloween shopping trip under one roof:

· Candy

· Decorations

· Beverages

· Prepared dinner

· Dessert

· Snacks

· Ice cream

That's operational efficiency consumers value.

C-Stores Continue Their Foodservice Evolution

Convenience stores have become legitimate prepared-food competitors.

Leading operators now offer:

· Fresh pizza

· Chicken tenders

· Breakfast-for-dinner

· Roller grill favorites

· Fresh sandwiches

· Meal deals

· Fountain drink bundles

· Frozen beverages

· Bakery treats

· Fresh cookies

· Grab-and-go snacks

Chains like 7-Eleven, Casey's, Wawa, QuikTrip, Sheetz, RaceTrac and others have spent years upgrading kitchens, improving fresh food quality, investing in digital ordering and expanding delivery partnerships.

Halloween rewards those investments.

The Data Supports the Shift

Foodservice trends throughout 2025 and 2026 continue pointing toward greater convenience consumption.

Among the biggest trends:

· Off-premise dining continues accounting for a growing share of restaurant transactions.

· Digital ordering remains elevated versus pre-pandemic levels.

· Family meal bundles continue outperforming many traditional dinner promotions.

· Consumers increasingly combine grocery shopping with prepared meal purchases.

· Convenience stores continue expanding fresh prepared food offerings to compete directly with quick-service restaurants.

· Limited-time offers tied to seasonal occasions continue outperforming generic promotions.

· Value remains important, but convenience increasingly drives purchase decisions when families face time constraints.

Halloween checks every one of those boxes.

Social Media Creates Demand—Prepared Food Captures It

Mars found that 53% of Gen Z discovers Halloween trends on TikTok, followed by YouTube and Instagram.

That's significant.

Consumers may discover candy online.

They discover decorating ideas online.

Costume ideas online.

Party ideas online.

Yet dinner decisions are often made just hours before families leave the house.

That's why operators showcasing Halloween meal bundles, spooky desserts, ghost-shaped cookies, orange-and-black bakery items, pumpkin beverages and themed snack boxes across social media often generate incremental same-day sales.

Discovery is digital.

Dinner is local.

The Next Halloween Menu Winners

Operators looking to build Halloween traffic should think beyond candy.

Winning ideas include:

Restaurants

· Monster Meal Bundles

· Family Taco Packs

· Pizza & Wing Bundles

· Trick-or-Treat Kids Meals

· Halloween Dessert Combos

· Pumpkin Cheesecake

· Caramel Apple Milkshakes

Grocery Delis

· Rotisserie Chicken Family Meals

· Harvest Mac & Cheese

· Halloween Party Platters

· Heat-and-Eat Comfort Meals

· Grab-and-Go Charcuterie Boxes

· Pumpkin Cookies

· Apple Crisp

· Seasonal Soups

· Fresh Bread Bundles

Convenience Stores

· Pizza Meal Deals

· Chicken Tender Boxes

· Walking Tacos

· Fresh Sandwich Combos

· Loaded Nachos

· Specialty Hot Chocolate

· Candy Pairing Bundles

· Energy Drink Promotions

· Fresh Bakery Treats

Consumers don't simply want dinner.

They want dinner solved.

The Grocerant Guru® Says...

Halloween has evolved into one of America's largest convenience-driven food occasions. Candy may attract shoppers, but prepared meals generate repeat visits, larger baskets, and higher profitability. The operators that win Halloween understand that they are not competing for candy dollars—they are competing for dinner dollars.

Those who combine digital marketing, seasonal menu innovation, meal bundling, delivery, and frictionless pickup will continue taking market share from operators still thinking Halloween is simply a candy holiday.

Two Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Halloween Has Become a Meal Occasion, Not Just a Candy Occasion

Consumers increasingly purchase candy and dinner during the same shopping trip. Operators who merchandise fresh prepared meals alongside seasonal treats, beverages, desserts, and snacks create larger baskets while solving consumers' biggest Halloween problem—time.

2. Delivery, Meal Bundling, and Cross-Channel Retailing Will Define Halloween's Future

Restaurants, grocery delis, and convenience stores that package complete Halloween experiences—family dinners, party platters, desserts, beverages, and snacks available for pickup or delivery—will continue capturing a larger share of stomach. Halloween is no longer a one-night event; it is a seasonal merchandising opportunity that rewards operators who think beyond candy and market complete meal solutions.

Success Leaves Clues—Are You Ready to Find Yours?

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.

Domino's Next Big Delivery: Winning More Than Pizza by Owning Dinner, Snacking, Bundling and Catering

2026-07-26T00:26:00.000-07:00

For more than 65 years, Domino's has built one of the world's most efficient restaurant delivery systems according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Today, it delivers more than pizza—it delivers convenience, reliability, speed, and consistency. Yet the next stage of growth won't be driven simply by another pizza innovation. It will be driven by owning more eating occasions.

CEO Russell Weiner is absolutely right about one thing: orders matter more than almost any other metric. More orders mean more loyalty members, stronger franchise economics, better supply chain utilization, and greater advertising efficiency. Domino's has more than doubled systemwide order counts since 2008, and that momentum has translated into substantial market share gains.

However, consumers are changing faster than the pizza category.

The future isn't about selling another premium pizza. It's about selling another meal occasion.

The Battle Isn't Pizza. It's Share of Stomach.

Today's consumer doesn't think,

"I'm buying pizza tonight."

They think,

"What am I eating tonight?"

That distinction changes everything.

According to Circana, roughly 81% of evening meals are now sourced from home, whether cooked, assembled, picked up, or delivered. Meanwhile, the National Restaurant Association continues to report that convenience, value, portability and digital ordering remain among consumers' top purchasing drivers. Technomic research also shows consumers increasingly blend grocery prepared foods, restaurant takeout, convenience store meals and delivery within the same week.

That means Domino's isn't simply competing against Pizza Hut, Papa Johns or the neighborhood pizzeria.

It's competing against:

· Grocery deli meal bundles

· Costco take-home dinners

· Publix and H-E-B prepared meals

· Wawa and Sheetz dinner offerings

· Buc-ee's hot prepared foods

· Chick-fil-A Family Meals

· Panera Family Feasts

· Chipotle Lifestyle Bowls

· Every supermarket rotisserie chicken

The competitive battlefield has become much larger.

Domino's Greatest Competitive Advantage Already Exists

Domino's doesn't need another identity.

It already owns something extraordinarily valuable.

It delivers hot, freshly prepared food faster and more consistently than almost anyone in foodservice.

Consumers trust the experience.

They know the app.

They know the delivery.

They know the quality.

Few restaurant brands possess that level of operational consistency at scale.

The opportunity is expanding what consumers place into that delivery bag.

Dinner Should Become a Complete Meal Solution

Families increasingly purchase complete meals instead of individual menu items.

That changes menu architecture.

Rather than leading with pizza, Domino's should increasingly merchandise complete dinner solutions.

Imagine meal bundles that include:

· Pizza

· Fresh salad

· Bread twists

· Chicken

· Dessert

· Beverage

One click.

One delivery.

One family meal.

Consumers increasingly value simplicity over customization.

The easier dinner becomes, the more frequently they buy.

Snacking Is Becoming the Fourth Meal

One of the biggest shifts in foodservice over the past decade has been the rise of snack occasions.

Consumers now eat throughout the day rather than around three fixed meals.

That creates incremental sales opportunities.

Late-night snack bundles.

Game-day snack packs.

After-school snack boxes.

Streaming-night bundles.

Instead of asking,

"Who wants pizza?"

Domino's should increasingly ask,

"Who's hungry right now?"

Different question.

Different order occasion.

More orders.

Catering May Be Domino's Most Underdeveloped Opportunity

Pizza has always played well in group occasions.

Schools.

Offices.

Churches.

Youth sports.

Fundraisers.

Birthday parties.

Yet catering remains relatively underdeveloped compared with brands like Panera, Jason's Deli and Chick-fil-A.

Businesses increasingly want:

· Individually packaged meals

· Meeting bundles

· Lunch catering

· Training events

· Corporate celebrations

Domino's already owns the logistics.

The next step is owning the catering conversation.

Fresh salads.

Dessert trays.

Chicken platters.

Bread assortments.

Party bundles.

Office lunch solutions.

The delivery infrastructure is already built.

Now monetize it.

Meal Bundling Wins During Inflation

Consumers continue searching for value.

Value no longer means cheap.

Value means:

· Less planning

· Less driving

· Less cooking

· Less cleanup

· More convenience

Successful brands increasingly bundle products together because bundled meals reduce decision fatigue while increasing average check.

Consumers like certainty.

Families especially appreciate knowing dinner is handled.

Domino's Has Already Proven It Understands Consumer Behavior

History shows Domino's succeeds when it solves consumer problems—not when it simply launches products.

The Pizza Tracker

Customers wanted certainty.

Domino's delivered transparency.

The Tracker became an industry-changing innovation.

Digital Ordering

Long before competitors caught up, Domino's invested heavily in digital ordering, creating one of the restaurant industry's best-performing mobile ecosystems.

Today, digital orders account for the overwhelming majority of Domino's business.

Carryout Transformation

Recognizing inflation and consumer value perceptions, Domino's successfully repositioned carryout through aggressive pricing and promotions, helping grow transactions without sacrificing convenience.

Third-Party Delivery

After years of relying exclusively on its own delivery network, Domino's wisely partnered with third-party platforms to capture incremental customers while protecting its core delivery business.

That flexibility reflects consumer-first thinking.

History Also Offers Lessons

Not every innovation succeeds.

The company's executives acknowledged that the Premium Series and Slice Sauce launch failed to resonate sufficiently with consumers.

That illustrates an important truth.

Consumers rarely purchase innovation for innovation's sake.

They purchase solutions.

The highly successful Parmesan Stuffed Crust gained traction because consumers immediately understood the value proposition.

The messaging was simple.

The experience was familiar.

The benefit was obvious.

Complexity rarely outperforms clarity.

The Next Competitive Frontier Is Fresh Prepared Food

Domino's should continue elevating its position beyond pizza.

Consumers increasingly seek fresh prepared food delivered hot.

The brand already offers chicken, sandwiches, salads, desserts and pasta.

Now imagine further investments in:

· Premium seasonal salads

· Family pasta meals

· Better-for-you dinner bundles

· Rotating limited-time meal packages

· Sports viewing bundles

· Holiday entertaining packages

Each expands eating occasions without abandoning pizza leadership.

The objective isn't becoming another fast-casual restaurant.

It's becoming the easiest answer to the nightly question:

"What's for dinner?"

Scale Still Wins

CEO Russell Weiner is also correct about another point.

Scale matters.

Advertising efficiency matters.

Supply chain scale matters.

Technology matters.

Delivery density matters.

Franchise profitability matters.

Yet the greatest advantage scale creates is something often overlooked.

It allows Domino's to introduce new eating occasions faster than almost anyone in the restaurant industry.

That's where the next decade of growth may emerge.

Not from selling more pizza.

But from selling more dinner.

More snacks.

More family meals.

More celebrations.

More catering.

More reasons to order.

Because every additional eating occasion becomes another opportunity to win a larger share of the consumer's stomach.

Three Grocerant Guru® Insights

1. Think Beyond Pizza. The future belongs to brands that own eating occasions, not menu categories. Domino's should compete to become America's easiest dinner, snack and catering solution—not simply its favorite pizza delivery company.

2. Bundle for Growth. Family meal bundles, game-day packs, office catering and late-night snack combinations increase average ticket, improve perceived value and encourage repeat visits while simplifying consumers' meal decisions.

3. Fresh Prepared Food Delivered Hot Is the Competitive Advantage. Domino's has already built one of the world's best delivery ecosystems. By expanding high-quality fresh prepared meal solutions around that network, the company can capture incremental occasions, deepen customer loyalty and continue gaining share of stomach well beyond the traditional pizza category.

Stay Ahead of the Competition with Fresh Ideas

Is your food marketing keeping up with tomorrow’s trends—or stuck in yesterday’s playbook? If you're ready for fresh ideations that set your brand apart, we’re here to help.

At Foodservice Solutions®, we specialize in consumer-driven retail food strategies that enhance convenience, differentiation, and individualization—key factors in driving growth.

Email us at Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Connect with us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

The $5 Escape: Why Inflation Is Fueling America's "Little Treat Economy"

2026-07-25T00:25:00.000-07:00

For years, economists have searched for ways to explain consumer behavior during periods of inflation. The food industry, however, has been watching a different trend unfold in real time. Consumers aren't giving up indulgence—they're redefining it according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

The newest research from Method1 confirms what retailers, restaurants, c-stores, and grocers have quietly been capitalizing on: Americans are embracing the "little treat economy." Nearly half (45%) of consumers say they are more permissive about indulging than they were a year ago, despite persistent inflation. More importantly, indulgence has shifted from being an occasional luxury to becoming an everyday emotional necessity.

That should surprise no one.

When consumers can no longer justify spending $300 on a weekend getaway or $150 on a family dinner out, they substitute with affordable moments of happiness—a premium brownie from the grocery deli, a loaded breakfast burrito from a convenience store, a gourmet cookie after work, or a frozen coffee topped with whipped cream.

These aren't impulse purchases anymore.

They're emotional investments.

Inflation Has Changed What "Affordable" Means

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, food-away-from-home prices increased approximately 4.1% during 2024, while grocery prices remained comparatively moderate before accelerating again through parts of 2025 and 2026. Consumers continue to experience higher prices across proteins, dairy, prepared foods, beverages, and snacks.

Yet Circana's consumer tracking consistently shows Americans continue eating approximately 4.9 to 5.0 times per day, although where they source those eating occasions continues to evolve. Consumers are increasingly replacing expensive restaurant occasions with smaller, value-oriented food experiences purchased throughout the day.

Rather than eliminating indulgence, inflation has simply resized it.

Instead of buying a $35 steak dinner, consumers reward themselves with a $4 gourmet cookie.

Instead of ordering cocktails after work, they purchase a handcrafted cold brew or premium energy drink.

Instead of taking the family to casual dining twice a month, they mix and match prepared foods from the supermarket deli and add a premium dessert.

Consumers are still rewarding themselves.

They're simply spending differently.

The Deli Has Quietly Become America's Affordable Restaurant

Few departments have benefited more from this behavioral shift than supermarket prepared foods.

The modern grocery deli now competes directly against quick-service restaurants by offering chef-inspired sandwiches, fresh sushi, rotisserie chicken meals, premium soups, meal bundles, artisan desserts, and grab-and-go entrees.

According to FMI research, prepared foods remain among the fastest-growing perimeter departments because they satisfy consumers seeking convenience, freshness, and restaurant-quality meals at a lower price point.

Today's shopper might purchase:

· Fresh sliced prime roast beef sandwich

· Premium macaroni and cheese

· Individual cheesecake

· Specialty sparkling beverage

The entire meal often costs less than a comparable fast-casual restaurant visit while delivering a premium experience.

That's value through indulgence.

Convenience Stores Have Reinvented Comfort Food

Perhaps no channel has transformed itself more dramatically than convenience stores.

Chains like 7-Eleven, Casey's, Wawa, QuikTrip, RaceTrac, Buc-ee's, and Sheetz have invested heavily in made-to-order kitchens, specialty beverages, bakery items, pizza, roller grills, chicken programs, breakfast sandwiches, and limited-time offerings.

Foodservice now represents one of the fastest-growing profit centers inside many convenience chains.

Consumers increasingly visit c-stores not simply for gasoline but for:

· Fresh bakery treats

· Gourmet coffee beverages

· Handcrafted fountain drinks

· Breakfast burritos

· Crispy chicken sandwiches

· Fresh pizza

· Premium desserts

The average ticket grows because consumers willingly add one affordable indulgence to a practical shopping trip.

That cookie.

That milkshake.

That extra topping.

Those incremental purchases are driving profitable growth.

Fast Food Has Shifted from Cheap Meals to Smart Rewards

Quick-service restaurants understand that today's customer isn't necessarily seeking the lowest price.

They're seeking permission to indulge without guilt.

McDonald's continues expanding specialty beverages and McFlurry promotions.

Taco Bell builds excitement around limited-time innovation.

Wendy's Frosty remains one of America's most affordable desserts.

Chick-fil-A leverages seasonal milkshakes and premium lemonade offerings.

Raising Cane's has built enormous loyalty around craveable chicken fingers paired with signature sauce.

These products aren't necessities.

They're emotional rewards.

Technomic research consistently shows consumers remain highly interested in menu innovation, premium limited-time offers, and unique flavors even while carefully managing household budgets.

Consumers may skip an entrée upgrade.

They rarely skip dessert.

Fast Casual Continues Selling Affordable Premium Experiences

Fast-casual brands occupy perhaps the sweetest spot in today's inflationary economy.

Consumers willingly spend slightly more when they perceive better ingredients, customization, freshness, and quality.

Brands including Chipotle, CAVA, Sweetgreen, Jersey Mike's, and Panera continue attracting customers seeking restaurant-quality meals without traditional casual-dining prices.

Customization itself has become an indulgence.

Extra avocado.

Premium protein.

Double queso.

Special sauces.

Consumers increasingly define indulgence not by extravagance but by personalization.

If it feels special, it feels worthwhile.

"Earned Indulgence" Is Becoming Food Marketing's Most Powerful Message

Method1's research found only 4% of consumers consider guilt-free indulgence important.

However, 51% say the indulgence must feel earned.

That finding may be the most important marketing insight of 2026.

Consumers don't want permission.

They want justification.

"I worked hard today."

"I skipped breakfast."

"We saved money cooking all week."

"It's Friday."

Every one of those statements creates permission for a premium cookie, frozen beverage, bakery dessert, or specialty coffee.

The emotional narrative matters more than the calorie count.

The Grocerant Opportunity Has Never Been Greater

The Grocerant Guru® has long maintained that consumers don't simply buy food.

They buy solutions for specific eating occasions.

Today's inflationary environment has expanded those occasions.

Retailers capable of offering premium yet affordable indulgences throughout the day are winning incremental trips, larger baskets, and stronger customer loyalty.

Whether it's a fresh bakery cookie, sushi roll, loaded breakfast sandwich, gourmet brownie, premium lemonade, frozen beverage, or chef-inspired meal bundle, consumers continue rewarding themselves one affordable pleasure at a time.

Inflation hasn't eliminated indulgence.

It has democratized it.

Consumers may postpone buying a new television or taking a vacation.

But they'll almost always find room in the budget for a $5 moment of happiness.

That is the new economics of food retailing.

Three Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. The New Value Equation Is Emotional, Not Mathematical

Consumers no longer define value simply by price. They define value by how much emotional satisfaction they receive for every dollar spent. The brands winning today deliver affordable moments of joy—not just inexpensive meals.

2. Small Indulgences Drive Big Profits

Premium desserts, specialty beverages, bakery items, upgraded toppings, and grab-and-go treats often generate significantly higher gross margins than center-of-the-plate entrées. The smartest retailers are engineering menus around profitable add-on indulgences that consumers happily justify.

3. The Future Belongs to "Everyday Premium"

Consumers aren't abandoning premium food experiences—they're shrinking them into affordable daily rituals. Grocery delis, convenience stores, fast-food chains, and fast-casual restaurants that consistently deliver restaurant-quality products at accessible prices will continue capturing a larger share of America's eating occasions and, ultimately, a larger share of stomach.

Stay Ahead of the Competition with Fresh Ideas

Is your food marketing keeping up with tomorrow’s trends—or stuck in yesterday’s playbook? If you're ready for fresh ideations that set your brand apart, we’re here to help.

At Foodservice Solutions®, we specialize in consumer-driven retail food strategies that enhance convenience, differentiation, and individualization—key factors in driving growth.

Email us at Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Connect with us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

Why 7-Eleven Understands Summer Marketing Better Than Many Restaurant Chains

2026-07-24T00:24:00.000-07:00

While many restaurant brands continue to chase customers with another limited-time sandwich or discounted combo meal, 7-Eleven is reminding the food industry that successful marketing isn't always about the food—it's about creating reasons to visit.

Its latest partnership with Mattel's iconic Hot Wheels brand is another example of experiential retailing done right.

For the second consecutive year, 7-Eleven has introduced an exclusive Hot Wheels collectible, this time featuring the legendary 2017 Nissan GT-R (R35) wrapped in the company's unmistakable green, orange, and red branding. Available while supplies last at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes locations—as well as through the retailer's online merchandise store—the promotion is much more than a toy launch.

It's a master class in traffic generation.

Summer Has Always Been About Cars…and Convenience

Americans have long associated summer with road trips, family vacations, weekend cruising, and filling up both the gas tank and the cooler.

That behavioral pattern hasn't changed.

What has changed is how retailers capitalize on it.

Rather than simply promoting cold beverages and hot roller-grill foods, 7-Eleven has layered nostalgia, collectability, social media, and impulse purchasing into one integrated marketing event.

That's smart retailing.

Parents stop for fuel.

Kids want a Slurpee®.

Collectors want the limited-edition Hot Wheels car.

Everyone walks into the store.

The result is incremental traffic without discounting core food offerings.

Hot Wheels Continues to Be One of America's Hottest Brands

Mattel's Hot Wheels franchise remains one of the strongest toy properties in the world.

The brand sells well over 500 million die-cast vehicles annually, making it one of the best-selling toys of all time. Industry analysts also note that adult collectors now represent one of the fastest-growing segments of the collectibles market, fueled by nostalgia, online communities, resale activity, and social media content.

That means this promotion isn't just targeting children.

It appeals simultaneously to:

· Parents looking for an inexpensive reward

· Kids who love toy cars

· Adult collectors searching for exclusive releases

· Automotive enthusiasts who recognize the legendary Nissan GT-R

· Social media users eager to share limited-edition finds

Very few restaurant promotions create that many emotional entry points.

Success Leaves Clues

One of the oldest lessons in marketing is simple:

Success leaves clues.

The smartest marketers don't invent consumer behavior.

They recognize it early and amplify it.

7-Eleven understands that consumers increasingly purchase experiences—not simply products.

The exclusive Hot Wheels collaboration creates urgency because supplies are limited.

It creates excitement because it cannot be purchased everywhere.

It creates conversation because collectors share discoveries online.

Most importantly...

It creates another reason to stop at 7-Eleven today instead of tomorrow.

That's marketing leverage.

Merchandising Supports Food Sales

Every additional customer entering a convenience store dramatically increases the opportunity for incremental purchases.

A customer arriving for a collectible frequently leaves with:

· Fresh coffee

· Cold beverages

· Pizza slices

· Roller grill favorites

· Packaged snacks

· Candy

· Ice cream

· Fresh prepared foods

Convenience retail has evolved far beyond gasoline.

Today's leading convenience operators increasingly compete directly against quick-service restaurants, grocery stores, and even dollar stores for immediate meal occasions.

Impulse traffic fuels impulse food purchases.

The Hot Wheels promotion helps generate exactly that.

Parents See Value Beyond the Toy

At roughly the cost of a fast-food dessert, a collectible Hot Wheels vehicle creates an affordable family moment.

Parents receive an inexpensive reward item.

Children receive something tangible they can play with.

Collectors receive an exclusive piece unavailable through traditional retail channels.

Everyone associates the experience with the 7-Eleven brand.

That emotional connection is difficult to replicate with another value meal advertisement.

The Food Industry Should Be Paying Attention

Many legacy restaurant chains continue to rely on coupons, limited-time menu items, celebrity endorsements, and price promotions to drive traffic.

Meanwhile, 7-Eleven is creating destination retail experiences that blend merchandising, nostalgia, entertainment, and foodservice.

The company understands that consumers don't always need another reason to eat.

Sometimes they simply need another reason to stop.

Once inside...

Food does the rest.

Four Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Marketing That Creates Traffic Beats Marketing That Discounts Food

Limited-edition collectibles generate excitement without eroding margins. Every store visit becomes an opportunity to sell beverages, prepared foods, snacks, and meal bundles at full price rather than relying on coupons or deep discounts.

2. The Best Food Marketing Often Isn't About Food

Parents, children, collectors, and automotive enthusiasts all enter the same store for different reasons. That's audience expansion—a strategy many legacy restaurant chains continue to overlook by marketing almost exclusively around menu items.

3. Seasonality Matters—And 7-Eleven Understands It

Summer has always been synonymous with cars, road trips, gasoline, cold drinks, and convenience. Pairing one of America's most recognizable convenience brands with one of the world's most recognizable toy car brands isn't coincidence—it's strategically aligned with seasonal consumer behavior.

4. Legacy Restaurant Chains Should Study This Playbook

While many restaurant brands continue competing on price, 7-Eleven is competing on excitement, scarcity, collectability, and experience. That's why the company increasingly punches above its weight in foodservice. The lesson is clear: retailers that combine merchandising, entertainment, and fresh food create more reasons to visit—and more opportunities to win a greater share of stomach.

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way? Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization? Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

McDonald's Bets on Salads Again—But History Says It Won't Move the Needle

2026-07-23T00:23:00.000-07:00

Why Bringing Back Salads Won't Reverse Slowing Sales, Lower Food Costs, or Win New Customers

By Steven Johnson, The Grocerant Guru® | Foodservice Solutions® | Tacoma, Washington

When a company's stock price comes under pressure, investors begin looking for signals that management has a strategy to reignite growth. Unfortunately, bringing back a discontinued menu item rarely qualifies as a transformational growth strategy.

That is precisely why McDonald's renewed interest in salads deserves a closer look.

History tells us that salads have never been a meaningful traffic driver for McDonald's. More importantly, today's consumer is making food purchasing decisions very differently than when McDonald's first entered the salad business more than four decades ago.

From the perspective of the Grocerant Guru®, the return of salads is unlikely to materially improve top-line sales, lower food costs, increase restaurant profitability, or drive meaningful customer migration from competing restaurants.

The challenge isn't the product.

The challenge is the consumer.

The Numbers Behind Today's Consumer

Today's food consumer has fundamentally changed how dinner is sourced.

According to Circana's Future of Dinner research, 81% of all evening meals are sourced from home, whether cooked from scratch or assembled using Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat foods purchased from grocery stores, warehouse clubs, convenience stores, or restaurants. Even more revealing, approximately one-half of all dinners are prepared in 15 minutes or less, demonstrating that convenience—not cooking—is driving meal decisions.

The National Restaurant Association reports that consumers continue to rank value, convenience, speed, portability, and digital ordering among the primary reasons for selecting where to purchase meals. At the same time, USDA data continues to show that food-away-from-home prices have generally increased faster than food-at-home prices over the past several years, encouraging consumers to stretch food budgets by combining restaurant purchases with grocery store meal components.

The result is a dramatically expanded competitive landscape.

McDonald's is no longer competing simply against Burger King or Wendy's.

Today's competitors include:

· Grocery store prepared foods departments

· Costco's ready-to-eat meal offerings

· Convenience stores such as Circle K, Casey's, QuikTrip, and Wawa

· Dollar stores expanding refrigerated and frozen foods

· Club stores

· Meal-kit providers

· Fast-casual restaurant concepts

Consumers now build meals from multiple retail channels based on value, convenience, portability, and time—not brand loyalty alone.

That is the modern battle for share of stomach.

A Look Back: Fast Food's Long Love Affair with Salads

McDonald's has been trying to make salads a meaningful business category since the mid-1980s.

Over the years consumers have seen:

· Garden Salads

· Chef Salads

· Premium Salads

· McSalad Shakers

· Premium Southwest Salads

· Bacon Ranch Salads

· Caesar-inspired offerings

Each launch generated significant media attention.

None fundamentally changed the business.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, McDonald's simplified its menu, eliminating salads because they complicated operations while generating relatively modest sales. Even after operational conditions normalized, salads remained absent because customer demand never justified bringing them back as a core business platform.

McDonald's isn't alone.

Nearly every major quick-service chain has attempted to position salads as a growth category.

Burger King promoted Fresh Salads.

Jack in the Box expanded premium salads.

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's invested in healthier menu platforms.

Arby's experimented with Market Fresh offerings.

Dairy Queen tested entrée salads.

Even Chick-fil-A, whose Market Salad is among the most respected in quick service, derives the overwhelming majority of its sales from chicken sandwiches, nuggets, waffle fries, beverages, and meal bundles—not salads.

Wendy's arguably built the strongest salad reputation in traditional quick service. Yet despite award-winning salads, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, breakfast, fries, Frostys, and combo meals continue to generate the vast majority of restaurant traffic.

History is remarkably consistent.

Consumers may appreciate salads.

They simply don't choose burger chains because of them.

The Economics Simply Don't Work

Salads also present one of the most operationally challenging menu categories in foodservice.

Unlike frozen French fries, beef patties, or chicken products that deliver long shelf life and predictable yields, salads depend on highly perishable ingredients.

Fresh lettuce.

Tomatoes.

Cucumbers.

Fresh vegetables.

Cheeses.

Grilled chicken.

Multiple dressings.

Every ingredient increases inventory complexity.

Every day unsold salads become waste.

Fresh produce requires strict temperature controls, shorter inventory cycles, additional labor, and greater food-safety monitoring.

Those factors increase:

· Food waste

· Labor expense

· Refrigeration requirements

· Inventory management complexity

· Supply chain variability

· Overall food cost volatility

Unless salad sales achieve exceptionally high volumes—which history suggests is unlikely—profit margins become increasingly difficult to maintain.

Simply stated, salads generally create more operational complexity than financial leverage.

Consumers Visit McDonald's for Permission to Indulge

Brands matter.

Consumers don't visit McDonald's because they suddenly want to become healthier.

They visit because McDonald's owns decades of emotional equity built around:

· World-famous French Fries

· Big Macs

· Quarter Pounders

· Chicken McNuggets

· Egg McMuffins

· Drive-thru convenience

· Affordable family meals

These products define the brand.

Consumers rarely wake up craving a McDonald's salad.

They crave fries.

Brand positioning shapes consumer expectations far more than menu expansion.

Adding salads doesn't redefine the brand.

It simply expands the menu.

The Battle Has Shifted from Restaurants to Retail Food

The competitive battlefield has fundamentally changed.

Today's consumer may purchase:

· Rotisserie chicken from Costco

· Salad kits from Aldi

· Dessert from Dairy Queen

· Fresh fruit from Walmart

· Beverages from Dollar General

—all for the same family dinner.

Restaurant loyalty has become meal loyalty.

Consumers increasingly optimize every food purchase based upon convenience, price, quality, portability, and time.

That means McDonald's isn't competing against salads.

It's competing against complete meal solutions.

Bundles Beat Bowls

Consumers increasingly purchase bundled meal solutions instead of individual menu items.

The industry's fastest-growing opportunities include:

· Family meal bundles

· Ready-2-Eat meals

· Heat-N-Eat meals

· Mix-and-match meal components

· Value meals

· Digital loyalty offers

· Drive-thru meal occasions

Those categories solve dinner.

A salad usually does not.

Salads frequently become an add-on purchase rather than the reason someone visits a restaurant.

Add-ons generate incremental revenue.

They rarely create incremental customer traffic.

That distinction matters.

What McDonald's Really Needs

The future isn't about becoming healthier.

The future is about becoming more relevant.

Winning brands will continue investing in:

· Digital personalization

· Faster drive-thru operations

· AI-enhanced ordering

· Value meal bundles

· Limited-time craveable products

· Portable meal solutions

· Menu innovation consumers can't easily duplicate at home

Those initiatives create customer migration.

History suggests salads do not.

Final Thought

McDonald's has earned one of the strongest brands in restaurant history by understanding exactly why consumers visit.

Bringing salads back may satisfy a small segment of existing customers, generate positive headlines, and create a temporary marketing story.

However, history strongly suggests it will not materially increase guest counts, improve food costs, redefine the brand, or reverse slowing sales momentum.

In today's marketplace, consumers are not searching for another fast-food salad.

They are searching for the easiest, fastest, highest-value solution for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

That battle is being fought every day across restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, and dollar stores.

And increasingly, the winners are those solving the entire meal occasion—not simply adding another menu item.

Three Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Salads Don't Drive Customer Migration—Complete Meal Solutions Do.

Consumers don't switch restaurants because one chain introduces another salad. They migrate toward operators that consistently deliver superior value, convenience, speed, portability, and bundled meal solutions. The future belongs to brands that solve meal occasions rather than simply expanding menu categories.

2. Fresh Produce Adds Operational Complexity Faster Than Revenue.

Salads increase labor, inventory management, food safety requirements, refrigeration needs, and spoilage risk. Unless sales volumes become exceptionally high, the economics seldom outperform core menu categories like burgers, chicken, fries, and breakfast, which benefit from decades of operational optimization.

3. The Real Battle Is No Longer Restaurant vs. Restaurant.

The battle is for share of stomach. Grocery stores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, dollar stores, and restaurants are all competing for the same meal occasions. The brands that will win over the next decade will be those offering compelling Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal bundles, frictionless digital ordering, portability, and exceptional value—not simply healthier menu additions.

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Battle for Share of Stomach: The New Food Fight Is No Longer Restaurant vs. Grocery—It's Everyone vs. Everyone

2026-07-22T00:22:00.000-07:00

For decades, the battle for America's food dollars was relatively straightforward. Restaurants competed with restaurants. Grocery stores sold ingredients, and convenience stores sold gasoline with a few snacks on the side. Dollar stores focused on pantry basics, while club stores emphasized bulk buying.

Those days are gone according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Today, the real competition isn't for market share—it's for share of stomach. Every food retailer now wants to own breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and even late-night cravings. The winner won't necessarily have the best restaurant, the largest grocery store, or the cheapest prices. The winner will be the company that delivers the greatest combination of convenience, value, portability, quality, and customization.

The lines separating restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, and dollar stores have virtually disappeared.

Consumers Are Shifting Spending—Not Just Budgets

Consumers continue to feel the impact of several years of food inflation. While inflation has moderated, household food budgets remain under pressure. Consumers are increasingly becoming value managers rather than bargain hunters. Instead of asking, "Where is dinner?" they're asking:

· Who saves me the most time?

· Who gives me the best value?

· Who lets everyone in the family get exactly what they want?

· Who makes tonight easier?

According to Circana, approximately 80% of evening meals are now sourced from home, whether they are cooked, assembled, picked up, or delivered. That statistic has permanently altered how every food retailer competes.

Home no longer means homemade.

Increasingly, it means professionally prepared food eaten at home.

Restaurants Are Becoming Retailers

Quick-service restaurants have aggressively expanded digital ordering, loyalty programs, curbside pickup, and drive-thru operations.

The drive-thru has evolved from a convenience feature into a primary distribution channel.

Major chains have invested billions into:

· Dual drive-thru lanes

· AI-assisted ordering

· Digital menu optimization

· Mobile ordering

· Pickup shelves

· Delivery integration

Consumers now expect dinner to arrive with minimal friction.

Restaurants aren't selling dining experiences nearly as often as they are selling time savings.

Grocery Stores Have Become Restaurants

Meanwhile, supermarkets have quietly transformed into America's largest restaurant chains.

Prepared foods, meal kits, sushi, rotisserie chicken, pizza, fresh sandwiches, chef-inspired entrees, salad bars, grab-and-go meals, bakery cafés, coffee bars, and hot food buffets have fundamentally changed the grocery business.

Consumers increasingly visit grocery stores not to cook dinner—but to buy dinner.

Progressive retailers now merchandise meals instead of ingredients.

That distinction is becoming critical.

The strongest operators merchandise complete eating occasions rather than individual food items.

Convenience Stores Are Winning More Meals Than Ever

Perhaps the biggest surprise has been the evolution of convenience stores.

Chains such as Circle K, Wawa, Sheetz, Casey's, Buc-ee's, RaceTrac, and QuikTrip have dramatically upgraded fresh food quality while maintaining unmatched convenience.

Today's convenience stores offer:

· Fresh pizza

· Chicken

· Burritos

· Premium sandwiches

· Salads

· Specialty beverages

· Fresh bakery

· Mobile ordering

Consumers no longer stop because they need gasoline.

Increasingly, they stop because they need dinner.

Speed remains their greatest competitive advantage.

Dollar Stores Continue Expanding Food

Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar have quietly become neighborhood food retailers for millions of Americans.

Expanded refrigeration, frozen foods, dairy, fresh produce in select locations, and inexpensive meal solutions allow budget-conscious consumers to assemble complete dinners with remarkable affordability.

For many rural communities, dollar stores have become their closest food retailer.

That dramatically increases their share of everyday eating occasions.

The Real Winner Will Be Mix-and-Match Meal Bundling

The next competitive battlefield isn't simply prepared food.

It's meal architecture.

Consumers increasingly reject fixed combination meals.

Instead, they prefer building personalized meals by mixing components across multiple food categories.

One family dinner may include:

· Rotisserie chicken

· Fresh salad

· Sushi

· Macaroni and cheese

· Fresh fruit

· Bakery bread

· Premium dessert

Purchased during one stop.

Everyone gets exactly what they want.

That flexibility creates significantly greater perceived value than traditional combo meals.

The companies best positioned to win share of stomach are those that allow consumers to easily build personalized meals without forcing standardized bundles.

Why Pickup and Drive-Thru Matter More Than Dining Rooms

The pandemic permanently accelerated one behavioral change.

Consumers discovered they value control more than convenience alone.

They want:

· Faster ordering

· Less waiting

· Better customization

· Easier pickup

· Contactless payment

· Flexible dining locations

Pickup allows consumers to decide when dinner begins.

Drive-thru eliminates parking and minimizes friction.

Digital ordering allows consumers to customize meals while avoiding ordering mistakes.

These improvements reduce the "cost of time," which has become just as important as the cost of food.

The New Competitive Formula

The Grocerant Guru® has long maintained that consumers buy solutions—not products.

The companies that consistently capture larger shares of stomach excel across the Five P's of Foodservice Solutions®:

· Product — Fresh, craveable, high-quality food.

· Packaging — Portable, attractive, and functional packaging that preserves quality.

· Placement — Meals merchandised where consumers naturally shop.

· Portability — Food designed to travel well and fit modern lifestyles.

· Price — Clear value that aligns with consumers' budgets and expectations.

Increasingly, another equation is shaping success:

Price + Quality + Social Discovery + Portability = Value

Consumers don't evaluate meals solely by cost. They assess the total experience—from ease of ordering to how well the meal travels, satisfies the household, and even earns attention on social media.

The Future Belongs to the Most Flexible Food Retailers

The traditional distinctions between restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, and dollar stores are rapidly disappearing.

Every operator is becoming a restaurant.

Every retailer is becoming a meal destination.

Consumers no longer think in channels—they think in occasions.

Breakfast.

Lunch.

Dinner.

Snacking.

Family meals.

Single-person meals.

Late-night cravings.

The company that best serves each occasion with speed, flexibility, personalization, and value will earn the greatest share of stomach.

In today's food economy, the battle isn't for shelf space.

It's for plate space.

And the companies that master mix-and-match meal bundling, frictionless pickup, digital convenience, and everyday value will define the next generation of food retail.

Three Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Meal occasions now matter more than retail channels.
Consumers don't care whether dinner comes from a restaurant, grocery store, convenience store, or dollar store. They simply want the fastest, easiest, highest-value solution for that eating occasion.

2. Mix-and-match merchandising is replacing fixed meal deals.
Retailers that empower consumers to build personalized meals from complementary components—rather than forcing preset combinations—will increase basket size, customer satisfaction, and repeat visits.

3. The battle for share of stomach is ultimately a battle to reduce friction.
The retailers that simplify meal discovery, ordering, pickup, portability, and payment while delivering consistent quality and value will capture more eating occasions and build stronger customer loyalty than competitors focused solely on price.

Stay Ahead of the Competition with Fresh Ideas

Is your food marketing keeping up with tomorrow’s trends—or stuck in yesterday’s playbook? If you're ready for fresh ideations that set your brand apart, we’re here to help.

At Foodservice Solutions®, we specialize in consumer-driven retail food strategies that enhance convenience, differentiation, and individualization—key factors in driving growth.

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The Crunch Revolution: Why Texture Is Becoming Food's Most Powerful Competitive Advantage

2026-07-21T00:21:00.000-07:00

By Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Foodservice Solutions®

Forget flavor for a moment.

The next competitive battleground in food isn't sweet versus savory, spicy versus mild, or indulgent versus healthy. It's texture. Specifically, crunch.

Across grocery retail, foodservice, convenience stores, and consumer packaged goods (CPG), texture has quietly evolved from a product attribute into a strategic differentiator. Consumers are no longer satisfied with food that simply tastes good—they want food that delivers a complete sensory experience. They want to hear it, feel it, and share it.

The "Crunch Revolution" isn't another passing food fad. It's the convergence of consumer psychology, sensory science, social media, and menu engineering. Companies that understand this shift are finding new ways to create value, command premium pricing, and strengthen customer loyalty—all with relatively inexpensive product innovations.

Why Texture Has Become the New Flavor

Food scientists have long recognized that consumers eat with all five senses. Taste is only one component of the overall eating experience. Sight, aroma, sound, and mouthfeel all influence perceptions of freshness, quality, and satisfaction.

The unmistakable crack of artisan sourdough, the crisp snap of a fresh cucumber, the crunch of roasted chickpeas, or the delicate crispness of toasted grains immediately signals freshness and craftsmanship.

Research in sensory science consistently demonstrates that consumers perceive foods with crisp textures as fresher and of higher quality. That perception often translates into a greater willingness to purchase and pay premium prices.

Today's consumers aren't simply buying food.

They're buying an experience.

The Economics Behind the Crunch

Texture has become one of the highest-return investments available to food manufacturers and restaurant operators.

Consider the economics.

Adding toasted seeds to a salad.

Crispy onions to a burger.

Crunchy chili crisp to a rice bowl.

Artisan breadcrumbs to pasta.

Each addition costs only pennies yet dramatically increases perceived value, visual appeal, and customer satisfaction.

In today's inflation-sensitive environment, these inexpensive enhancements help retailers and restaurants deliver a premium dining experience without significantly increasing food costs.

That's smart menu engineering.

Consumers Still Eat Most Meals at Home

The opportunity is enormous because the home remains America's primary restaurant.

According to Circana's ongoing consumer eating research, approximately 81% of evening meals are sourced from home, whether prepared from scratch, assembled from grocery ingredients, or enhanced with prepared foods. At the same time, FMI—The Food Industry Association reports that the overwhelming majority of Americans prepare dinner at home multiple nights each week while actively seeking restaurant-quality meal experiences.

This creates an enormous opportunity for grocery retailers.

Consumers don't necessarily want restaurant prices.

They want restaurant experiences.

Crunch delivers exactly that.

Garden Envy Is Driving Fresh Summer Meals

Summer 2026 has highlighted another powerful consumer movement.

Call it Garden Envy.

Whether consumers harvest vegetables from their own gardens or shop local farmers markets, fresh seasonal produce has become the centerpiece of summer meals.

Tomatoes.

Cucumbers.

Fresh basil.

Sweet corn.

Zucchini.

Peppers.

Rather than preparing complicated recipes, consumers are embracing simple combinations that allow seasonal ingredients to shine.

A tomato and bulgur salad layered with herbs, lemon, olive oil, cucumbers, and toasted seeds perfectly illustrates today's eating philosophy: fresh ingredients, minimal preparation, maximum texture.

It's simple.

It's healthy.

It's visually stunning.

And it delivers the satisfying crunch consumers increasingly crave.

Social Media Rewards Foods That Crunch

The rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts has fundamentally changed food marketing.

Consumers don't simply photograph food anymore.

They record it.

The crack of crispy bread.

The crunch of roasted vegetables.

The sound of toasted granola.

The breaking of caramelized sugar.

Food has become entertainment.

Texture creates content.

Content creates engagement.

Engagement drives purchases.

This is one reason crunchy foods consistently outperform visually flat products across digital platforms.

Consumers increasingly discover new foods through creators who make texture part of the storytelling experience.

Private Label Is Winning the Crunch Race

Retailers have recognized that premium texture can be delivered without premium costs.

Private-label manufacturers continue expanding offerings that feature roasted nuts, seed blends, artisan granolas, crunchy vegetable snacks, crispy toppings, and elevated prepared foods.

According to the Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA), store brands continue capturing market share as consumers increasingly equate private labels with innovation and quality rather than simply value. FMI research likewise shows that store-brand purchasing has become a routine habit for most American grocery shoppers.

Retailers such as Aldi, Costco, Trader Joe's, H-E-B, Wegmans, and Whole Foods continue investing in premium private-label products that emphasize both freshness and texture.

Crunch has become a competitive advantage.

Restaurants Are Layering Texture Into Every Daypart

Restaurant operators face an increasingly difficult challenge.

Consumers expect premium dining experiences while carefully managing discretionary spending.

Texture provides an affordable solution.

Breakfast sandwiches now feature crispy hash browns.

Lunch salads incorporate roasted grains and toasted nuts.

Dinner entrées are finished with crispy shallots or seasoned breadcrumbs.

Desserts feature caramelized brittle, cookie crumbles, toasted coconut, and crunchy chocolate pearls.

According to the National Restaurant Association, consumers continue prioritizing experiences when dining out. Layered textures help operators create memorable menu items while supporting higher perceived value and stronger guest satisfaction.

Healthy Foods Have Finally Learned to Crunch

Perhaps the biggest shift of all is nutritional.

Yesterday's crunchy foods were often fried.

Today's crunchy foods increasingly come from nutrient-dense ingredients.

Roasted chickpeas.

Pumpkin seeds.

Ancient grains.

Fermented nuts.

Lentil crisps.

Air-popped popcorn.

Vegetable chips.

Mushroom crisps.

Consumers no longer believe healthy foods should be bland or boring.

They expect nutrition wrapped inside excitement.

Texture helps healthy foods compete with indulgent snacks without sacrificing satisfaction.

The Future Belongs to Multi-Sensory Foods

Looking ahead, expect texture to become an even larger component of food innovation.

Manufacturers will continue developing products that combine multiple textures in every bite.

Retailers will expand finish-at-home ingredient assortments.

Restaurants will increasingly design menu items around sensory experiences rather than flavor profiles alone.

Meanwhile, artificial intelligence, consumer analytics, and social listening will help identify emerging texture preferences almost as quickly as they appear online.

The companies that win won't necessarily introduce the next new flavor.

They'll create the next unforgettable eating experience.

And increasingly, that experience will begin with one unmistakable sound:

Crunch.

Three Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Texture Has Become a Profit Strategy, Not Just a Product Feature

The most successful food companies increasingly understand that crunch creates perceived value far beyond its actual cost. Pennies spent on texture can generate dollars in additional margin, stronger customer satisfaction, and increased repeat purchases.

2. The Future of Fresh Foods Is Experience-Driven

Fresh produce alone is no longer enough. Consumers want meals that combine freshness, portability, convenience, health, and exciting texture. The retailers that merchandise crunchy toppings, prepared ingredients, and meal solutions together will capture a larger share of at-home meal occasions.

3. The Next Generation of Food Innovation Will Be Measured by the Senses

For decades the industry competed on flavor. Tomorrow's winners will compete on sensory engagement—appearance, aroma, sound, mouthfeel, and taste. Companies that design products for all five senses will define the next decade of food innovation.

About the Author: Steven Johnson is the Grocerant Guru® and founder of Foodservice Solutions®, where he has analyzed the evolution of fresh prepared foods, Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions, consumer purchasing behavior, and food industry innovation for more than three decades. His Grocerant ScoreCard® and Grocerant Index® have helped retailers, restaurant operators, convenience stores, and consumer packaged goods companies better understand the changing dynamics of food consumption and the future of meal occasions.

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The Crunch Economy: Why Texture, "Swalty" Flavors, Fancy Ice, and Affordable Luxury Are Reshaping America's Food Industry

2026-07-20T00:20:00.000-07:00

Forget the old debate about whether consumers want sweet or savory. In 2026, consumers want texture, temperature, contrast, and value—all in one bite according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Foodservice Solutions®.

The next generation of food innovation isn't being driven by celebrity chefs. It's being fueled by consumers who are balancing tighter household budgets while refusing to give up indulgence. The result is an entirely new food culture where premium experiences are being recreated at home for a fraction of restaurant prices.

From gourmet ice cubes to crunchy chili crisps, swalty flavor combinations, elevated campfire desserts, and frozen candy-brand collaborations, today's winning foods share one thing in common:

They deliver maximum sensory excitement without maximum cost.

That shift represents one of the largest changes in consumer food behavior since the rapid acceleration of Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meals during the pandemic.

Consumers Are Buying Experiences—Not Just Food

According to Circana, consumers continue to prepare the overwhelming majority of evening meals at home while selectively spending on food experiences that feel "worth it."

Restaurant menu prices remain approximately 30% higher than pre-pand0emic levels, while grocery inflation has slowed but remains elevated versus historical norms. Consumers have adapted by creating what Foodservice Solutions® calls:

Affordable Premiumization

Rather than spending $16 for dessert at a restaurant, consumers are spending:

· $5 on premium ice molds

· $4 on specialty syrups

· $6 on gourmet toppings

· $7 on premium ice cream

Suddenly an entire family enjoys a luxury dessert experience for less than two restaurant desserts.

That equation is changing purchasing behavior.

Fancy Ice Is No Longer a Cocktail Trend

Ice has become an ingredient.

Retailers including Aldi, Costco, Walmart, Target, and Whole Foods have all expanded seasonal offerings that include:

· Sphere molds

· Diamond ice molds

· Slow-melting cocktail cubes

· Fruit-infused ice trays

· Herb ice cubes

· Coffee ice cubes

· Frozen citrus cubes

Consumers are learning that presentation creates perceived value.

Social media has helped transform ordinary beverages into premium experiences simply by changing the shape and clarity of the ice.

The same psychology applies to restaurants.

Upscale quick-service operators are increasingly using distinctive ice as part of their brand identity because consumers associate premium ice with premium beverages.

Frozen Candy Brands Continue Expanding

One of the biggest retail trends of 2026 has been the rapid expansion of frozen desserts carrying familiar candy brands.

Consumers immediately recognize trusted flavors including:

· Reese's

· Snickers

· Twix

· KitKat

· M&M's

· Nerds

· Sour Patch Kids

· Skittles

These brands reduce consumer risk.

Instead of trying an unfamiliar frozen dessert, shoppers already know exactly what flavor experience to expect.

That recognition increases trial purchases while lowering perceived risk.

Private label retailers are rapidly introducing similar flavor-inspired alternatives at lower price points.

The Rise of "Swalty"

One of the fastest-growing culinary conversations centers around what chefs call:

Swalty

Sweet + Salty

Examples include:

· Miso caramel

· Salted pistachio cream

· Pretzel chocolate bark

· Brown butter cookies

· Sea salt honey

· Salted maple

· Parmesan shortbread

Consumers have discovered that salt actually amplifies sweetness while creating longer-lasting flavor perception.

This creates richer experiences without adding excessive sugar.

Swangy Is Close Behind

Another emerging category combines:

Sweet + Tangy

Known as:

Swangy

Growing examples include:

· Vinegar shrubs

· Blackberry balsamic

· Black currant

· Tamarind candy

· Citrus chili fruits

· Pickled peaches

· Hot honey fruit glazes

These flavors create multiple taste sensations that keep consumers engaged throughout the eating experience.

Instead of one-dimensional sweetness, consumers experience evolving flavor layers.

Texture Has Become the New Flavor

Consumers increasingly describe foods by texture before flavor.

Words dominating food marketing include:

· Crunchy

· Crispy

· Crackly

· Creamy

· Airy

· Chewy

· Gooey

Texture increases perceived freshness.

Texture creates social media appeal.

Texture photographs exceptionally well.

Today's successful menu items frequently combine three or more textures.

Examples include:

· Chili crisp over noodles

· Pistachio crumb toppings

· Crispy onions

· Toasted sesame

· Candied nuts

· Freeze-dried fruit

· Crunchy cookie crumbles

Restaurants understand consumers remember texture almost as much as taste.

Campfire Desserts Grow Up

Camping has become another driver of premium food experiences.

Traditional marshmallows remain popular, but consumers are experimenting with:

· Grilled peaches

· Charred pineapple

· Smoked pound cake

· Campfire banana boats

· Cast iron brownies

· Brie with berry preserves

· Chocolate croissants

· Cinnamon grilled apples

Outdoor cooking has evolved from survival cooking into entertainment cooking.

Consumers increasingly seek restaurant-quality food experiences outdoors.

Affordable Luxury Is Winning

Consumers have become remarkably sophisticated.

Rather than eliminating indulgence, they're reallocating spending.

Examples include:

Restaurant Dessert: $14–18

Homemade Premium Dessert:

· Premium ice cream

· Fancy toppings

· Specialty ice

· Gourmet syrups

Total family cost:
Approximately $12–18

That value equation is difficult for restaurants to overcome.

Grocerants Continue Benefiting

This trend strongly favors grocerants.

Retailers that combine grocery shopping with restaurant-quality prepared foods continue expanding because consumers can purchase:

· Fresh meals

· Premium desserts

· Beverage upgrades

· Specialty toppings

· Frozen indulgences

—all during one shopping trip.

Consumers increasingly view grocery stores as culinary discovery destinations rather than simply places to replenish staples.

Prepared food departments continue evolving into culinary innovation centers where shoppers discover new flavor combinations before recreating them at home.

Why Retailers Should Pay Attention

Food retailers that merchandise these trends together can significantly increase basket size.

Imagine a single destination display featuring:

· Premium ice cream

· Chili crisp

· Pistachio toppings

· Fancy ice molds

· Premium syrups

· Freeze-dried fruits

· Gourmet marshmallows

· Dessert sauces

· Campfire accessories

Instead of selling one product, retailers sell an entire experience.

That's exactly where incremental profits are generated.

Cross-merchandising remains one of retail's most underutilized growth opportunities.

The Bigger Picture

Consumers are no longer chasing expensive dining experiences.

They're engineering memorable food moments at home.

The future belongs to foods that combine:

· Premium appearance

· Multiple textures

· Flavor contrast

· Shareability

· Affordability

· Convenience

In today's food economy, consumers don't necessarily want more food.

They want better experiences per dollar spent.

That is precisely why texture, frozen innovation, fancy ice, swalty flavor profiles, and affordable luxury are becoming defining characteristics of the next generation of food retail.

Three Grocerant Guru® Insights

1. Texture Is the Sixth Sense of Food Marketing.
Consumers increasingly buy foods that promise a sensory experience. Crunch, creaminess, crackle, and chewiness are becoming as important as flavor itself. Retailers and restaurants that intentionally layer textures will outperform competitors that focus only on taste.

2. Affordable Luxury Is the New Value Equation.
Consumers aren't abandoning indulgence—they're redefining it. The winners will be brands that deliver premium experiences at accessible prices, enabling shoppers to recreate restaurant-quality moments at home without restaurant-sized bills.

3. The Future Belongs to Experience Merchandising.
The next generation of grocery growth won't come from selling isolated products. It will come from merchandising complete meal and dessert experiences—pairing frozen treats with premium toppings, specialty ice, sauces, and complementary products that inspire discovery, increase basket size, and strengthen customer loyalty.

Tap into the Foodservice Solutions® team for greater understanding of New Electricity or for a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®. Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869

The $12 Billion Backyard Revolution: Why Summer Gardens Are Quietly Reshaping America's Food Industry

2026-07-19T00:19:00.000-07:00

Every summer the food industry falls into a predictable rhythm according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Watermelon goes on sale. Corn fills produce tables. Farmers markets become weekend destinations. Yet this summer something much bigger is happening beneath the surface.

Consumers aren't simply buying seasonal produce—they're becoming creators of meals. Backyard gardens, community gardens, patio containers, farmers markets, and local farm stands are fueling what I call the "Garden Envy Economy." It's changing what consumers buy at grocery stores, what restaurants put on menus, and how retailers merchandise fresh food.

The result? A consumer who is spending less time looking for recipes with dozens of ingredients and more time asking one simple question:

"What can I make with everything growing in my backyard today?"

That shift matters.

According to the National Gardening Association, nearly 80 million U.S. households participate in some form of gardening, with edible gardening remaining one of the fastest-growing segments. At the same time, the U.S. fresh produce market exceeds $95 billion annually, while farmers markets now number more than 8,600 nationwide, according to USDA data. Together, they are creating a fresh-food ecosystem unlike anything we've seen in years.

The Rise of "Use-It-Up" Cooking

Consumers no longer search recipes by cuisine.

They're searching by surplus.

Instead of asking:

· "What's for dinner?"

They're asking:

· "What do I do with 15 zucchini?"

· "How many tomatoes can one family eat?"

· "What can I make without heating the kitchen?"

Search traffic tells the story.

Recipes featuring tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, berries, zucchini, peaches, herbs, and fresh corn dominate mid-summer engagement because consumers aren't shopping for ingredients—they're harvesting them.

This represents a remarkable behavioral shift.

Instead of meal planning beginning at the grocery store, meal planning increasingly begins in the backyard garden.

Tomatoes Are Becoming the New Center of the Plate

Fresh tomatoes have quietly become the star ingredient of summer 2026.

Consumers aren't looking for elaborate sauces.

They're embracing colorful heirloom tomato salads layered with herbs, cucumbers, bulgur, burrata, feta, olive oil, fresh bread, and citrus.

Why?

Because consumers increasingly associate these dishes with:

· Wellness

· Simplicity

· Freshness

· Restaurant-quality presentation

· Social media appeal

Instagram-worthy food is no longer expensive food.

Sometimes it's simply tomatoes picked twenty minutes before dinner.

Zucchini: America's Annual Food Challenge

Every July, America collectively discovers that one zucchini plant produces enough squash for an entire neighborhood.

Rather than viewing excess zucchini as waste, consumers are turning it into opportunity.

Searches are exploding for:

· Slow-cooked zucchini

· Zucchini pies

· Grilled zucchini

· Stuffed zucchini boats

· Zucchini carpaccio

· Air fryer zucchini

· Zucchini pasta alternatives

For retailers, this creates incremental opportunities to merchandise complementary products like fresh herbs, artisan cheeses, olive oils, flavored vinegars, breadcrumbs, and refrigerated sauces.

The vegetable becomes the gateway purchase.

The Heat Is Winning

One overlooked trend this summer has nothing to do with ingredients.

It has everything to do with temperature.

Consumers increasingly don't want to cook.

Across much of the United States, prolonged summer heat has consumers actively searching for:

· No-cook dinners

· Minimal-cook meals

· Cold appetizers

· Make-ahead dishes

· Refrigerator desserts

That explains why layered berry desserts, chilled cheesecakes, fruit parfaits, frozen yogurt treats, and "icebox" recipes are outperforming traditional baked desserts online.

Turning on the oven has become optional.

Keeping the kitchen cool has become essential.

Farmers Markets Are Becoming Discovery Centers

Farmers markets have evolved far beyond produce stands.

Today's shoppers discover:

· Specialty mushrooms

· Fresh herbs

· Small-batch cheeses

· Artisan breads

· Honey

· Local meats

· Fermented foods

· Premium olive oils

· Prepared foods

Many shoppers visit without a shopping list.

They buy what inspires them.

That's the same consumer behavior that grocery retailers increasingly hope to create through experiential merchandising.

Fresh discovery now drives impulse purchases.

The Beverage Opportunity Is Exploding

While produce receives most of the attention, beverages may be experiencing the fastest innovation.

Consumers are looking for:

· Fresh lemonade upgrades

· Citrus refreshers

· Fruit-infused sparkling beverages

· Herbal coolers

· Mocktails

· Shandies

· Frozen fruit drinks

Alcohol moderation continues influencing beverage purchases.

Many consumers now alternate between alcoholic beverages and premium non-alcoholic refreshers throughout outdoor gatherings.

That creates opportunities across multiple retail departments—from produce to beverage to dairy to frozen.

Retailers Need to Merchandise Meals—Not Ingredients

The smartest retailers understand consumers don't need another tomato.

They need inspiration.

Imagine walking into produce and finding:

· Tomatoes beside mozzarella, basil, and artisan bread

· Zucchini next to garlic butter and Parmesan

· Fresh berries beside whipped topping and graham crackers

· Cucumbers next to feta, olives, and Mediterranean dressings

That's not cross-merchandising.

That's solution merchandising.

Consumers buy confidence.

Recipes provide confidence.

Restaurants Should Pay Attention

Independent restaurants have an enormous competitive advantage during harvest season.

Limited-time menus featuring local tomatoes, peaches, berries, sweet corn, squash, herbs, and melons create authenticity consumers cannot replicate from national chains.

Freshness has become a differentiator.

Local sourcing has become marketing.

Seasonality has become storytelling.

Consumers increasingly reward all three.

The Bigger Picture

Consumers continue balancing inflation with quality.

Circana has consistently reported that a large majority of evening meals are sourced from home, making the competition for the dinner occasion more intense than ever. At the same time, FMI research shows shoppers continue prioritizing fresh foods despite budget pressures, often seeking value through seasonal produce and meal preparation at home.

The result is a consumer who wants meals that are:

· Affordable

· Fresh

· Healthy

· Fast

· Social-media worthy

· Easy to personalize

Summer gardens happen to deliver every one of those benefits.

That's why this isn't simply a gardening story.

It's a retail story.

It's a restaurant story.

It's a consumer behavior story.

Most importantly, it's another reminder that the future of food isn't just about what consumers buy.

It's about what they grow, what they share, and how they transform simple ingredients into memorable meal experiences.

Three Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Fresh Produce Is Becoming a Meal Platform, Not Just a Side Dish.
Retailers that merchandise produce with complementary ingredients, prepared foods, and recipe inspiration will outperform stores that continue selling fruits and vegetables as standalone commodities.

2. Heat Is Reshaping Meal Decisions.
As hotter summers become more common, demand for no-cook, low-energy, and grab-and-go meal solutions will continue growing. Retailers and foodservice operators that help consumers "keep the kitchen cool" will gain a competitive advantage.

3. Inspiration Is the New Loyalty Program.
Consumers can buy tomatoes anywhere. They'll return to the retailer or restaurant that consistently teaches them what to do with those tomatoes. In today's food economy, education and inspiration are becoming as valuable as price promotions.

Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing ideas look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how our Grocerant Guru® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization? Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit: us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter

The New American Menu: Why Emerging Ethnic Restaurant Chains Are the Next Billion-Dollar Growth Story

2026-07-18T00:18:00.000-07:00

For more than 30 years, I've watched consumers migrate from one food trend to another. Tex-Mex became mainstream. Sushi moved from specialty restaurants into supermarket delis. Mediterranean cuisine evolved from a niche category into one of the fastest-growing segments in fast casual.

Today, another powerful undercurrent is reshaping the foodservice industry.

America isn't simply eating more "ethnic food." Consumers are embracing authentic global cuisines delivered through scalable restaurant chains, grocery prepared foods, meal kits, and convenience-driven formats. The result is one of the biggest shifts in restaurant development since the birth of fast casual.

As the Grocerant Guru®, I believe this migration is still in its early innings.

The next decade won't be dominated by another hamburger chain.

It will be defined by globally inspired brands that deliver authenticity, portability, affordability, digital convenience, and culinary discovery.

The Consumer Has Changed

Today's consumer expects more than convenience.

They want adventure without risk.

Social media has fundamentally changed how consumers discover food. TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and streaming travel shows have introduced millions of Americans to cuisines they had never previously experienced.

Instead of asking, "What is Korean food?"

Consumers now ask,

"Where's the best Korean fried chicken?"

That represents an extraordinary behavioral shift.

Generation Z and Millennials—now representing the largest purchasing cohorts in foodservice—grew up in multicultural communities and have become comfortable experimenting with Vietnamese pho, Japanese ramen, Filipino barbecue, Indian curries, Mediterranean bowls, Peruvian chicken, West African jollof rice, Caribbean jerk chicken, and regional Mexican specialties.

For them, global flavors are no longer exotic.

They're Tuesday night dinner.

The Numbers Tell the Story

The restaurant industry continues demonstrating remarkable resilience despite inflationary pressures.

According to Circana, Americans spent approximately $1 million every minute in restaurants during 2025. Restaurant spending increased roughly 3% year-over-year, even as overall restaurant traffic remained relatively flat, highlighting consumers' willingness to spend on concepts delivering differentiated value.

Technomic reports that the U.S. fast-casual segment generated nearly $77 billion in sales during 2025, increasing approximately 6%, outperforming much of the broader restaurant industry despite slower overall growth. Mediterranean and innovative sandwich concepts were among the strongest-performing categories.

No company better illustrates this trend than CAVA.

In fiscal 2025, CAVA reported:

· Revenue exceeding $1.16 billion

· 22.5% annual revenue growth

· 72 net new restaurant openings

· Same-restaurant sales growth of 4.0%

· Restaurant-level margins of 24.4%

The momentum continued into 2026, with first-quarter revenue increasing more than 32%, same-restaurant sales climbing 9.7%, and guest traffic rising 6.8% year over year.

That's remarkable growth during an era when many traditional restaurant brands continue struggling to increase customer traffic.

The Next Generation of Ethnic Chains

Watch these cuisine segments carefully over the next five years:

· Mediterranean

· Korean BBQ and Korean fried chicken

· Vietnamese

· Filipino

· Japanese ramen and hand rolls

· Indian street food

· Regional Mexican concepts

· Peruvian rotisserie chicken

· Caribbean cuisine

· West African concepts

· Middle Eastern street food

· Hawaiian poke and island cuisine

Many of these brands are beginning exactly where Chipotle and Panera once started—regional expansion supported by highly loyal customers.

The difference?

Today's operators have digital ordering, AI-assisted labor management, sophisticated loyalty programs, third-party delivery, and social media providing nearly unlimited consumer awareness.

Grocery Retailers Are Following Their Lead

One of the biggest mistakes retailers can make is assuming these restaurant chains are competitors.

They're actually innovation laboratories.

Walk through progressive supermarket prepared food departments today and you'll increasingly find:

· Korean fried chicken

· Fresh sushi

· Mediterranean grain bowls

· Butter chicken

· Chicken tikka masala

· Pho

· Birria tacos

· Ramen

· Poke bowls

· Hummus bars

· Fresh spring rolls

· Globally inspired meal kits

Private-label international sauces, marinades, frozen entrées, spice blends, and ready-to-heat meals continue expanding as consumers recreate restaurant-quality experiences at home.

The restaurant and grocery industries are no longer operating in separate worlds.

They're sharing the same consumer.

Authenticity Is the New Competitive Advantage

Consumers increasingly reward brands that tell genuine cultural stories.

They want recipes rooted in heritage.

They appreciate regional ingredients.

They expect transparency.

Simply adding "Asian" or "Mediterranean" to a menu description no longer creates differentiation.

Consumers have become educated.

They know the difference between authentic and imitation.

Operators that respect culinary traditions while simplifying ordering, improving speed of service, and maintaining operational consistency will continue winning market share.

What Comes Next?

The next decade will likely produce national brands that many Americans have never heard of today.

Several will emerge from cuisines that remain underrepresented nationally.

Others will come from regional immigrant communities introducing authentic family recipes through scalable restaurant formats.

History suggests many of tomorrow's billion-dollar restaurant companies are currently operating fewer than 100 locations.

That's exactly where the next wave of disruption begins.

The real opportunity isn't simply serving ethnic food.

It's delivering authentic global flavors with convenience, customization, affordability, portability, and digital engagement.

That intersection is exactly where the future of the Grocerant resides.

Three Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. The definition of "American food" is changing. Tomorrow's mainstream menu will increasingly include Korean, Filipino, Indian, Vietnamese, Mediterranean, West African, and regional Latin American dishes as everyday meal solutions—not special-occasion dining.

2. Grocery retailers should embrace, not fear, emerging ethnic restaurant chains. The smartest retailers will translate restaurant innovation into fresh prepared foods, private-label offerings, meal kits, and grab-and-go solutions that satisfy consumers looking for authentic global flavors at home.

3. The next billion-dollar restaurant brands will likely emerge from today's regional ethnic concepts. Just as Chipotle transformed Mexican-inspired fast casual and CAVA elevated Mediterranean cuisine, the next generation of industry leaders will be those that successfully combine authentic cultural flavors with operational simplicity, digital convenience, and exceptional value. The winners won't just sell meals—they'll create memorable food experiences that consumers return to again and again.

The $100 Dinner Is Here: Why Grocery Inflation Is Reshaping America's Dinner Table Through 2028

2026-07-17T00:17:00.000-07:00

For years, consumers believed grocery shopping was the affordable alternative to eating out. That assumption is rapidly changing. Today's consumer isn't simply asking, "What's for dinner?" They're asking, "What can I afford for dinner?" according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index, grocery prices (food-at-home) increased again in June, marking the fifth monthly increase this year. Food-at-home prices rose 0.2% in June and are now 2.7% higher than one year ago. Dairy products climbed 1.2% in June alone, meats, poultry, fish and eggs rose 0.6%, while egg prices jumped another 4.3% in a single month. Fresh fruits and vegetables remain the fastest-growing category over the past year, increasing 5.3%.

Those numbers matter because food inflation compounds over time—and consumers feel it at every meal.

The bigger concern may be what lies ahead.

Meteorologists and commodity analysts warn that a powerful El Niño weather pattern could significantly disrupt global agricultural production. Goldman Sachs projects global food commodity prices could increase as much as 15.8% before the effects fully work their way through the supply chain, potentially extending inflationary pressure well into 2028.

For retailers, restaurants, manufacturers, and consumers alike, this is no longer simply an inflation story. It has become a behavioral economics story.

Five Years of Sticker Shock

Over the past five years, grocery prices have risen roughly 25% to 30% across many staple food categories. Some categories—including eggs, beef, coffee, cocoa, butter, and fresh produce—have experienced significantly larger swings depending on weather, disease outbreaks, supply chain disruptions, and global demand.

The result is that the average meal costs dramatically more than it did just five years ago.

Estimated Average Grocery Cost Per Home-Cooked Meal

Household	2021	2026	Increase
Senior Living Alone	$4.75	$6.10	+28%
Couple	$10.20	$13.25	+30%
Family of Four	$18.40	$24.10	+31%

That seemingly modest increase becomes substantial over time.

Annual Grocery Meal Cost Comparison

Household	Five Years Ago	Today	Annual Difference
Senior (365 meals)	$1,734	$2,227	+$493
Couple (365 dinners)	$3,723	$4,836	+$1,113
Family of Four (365 dinners)	$6,716	$8,797	+$2,081

These estimates reflect dinner meal preparation only. Once breakfast, lunch, snacks, beverages, and household essentials are included, many American families are spending several thousand dollars more per year than they did just five years ago.

Consumers Are Changing Behavior Faster Than Prices

Consumers don't simply absorb higher prices.

They adapt.

Circana research consistently shows consumers actively trading across retail channels to maximize value. Households are purchasing fewer impulse items, increasing private-label purchases, shopping multiple retailers each week, and planning meals around promotions rather than preferences.

At the same time, FMI research indicates that grocery shopping has become increasingly strategic. Consumers are entering stores with digital shopping lists, clipping digital coupons, participating in loyalty programs, and comparing prices across retailers before making purchases.

For many households, meal planning now begins with price—not appetite.

The Rise of the Grocerant Economy

Ironically, rising grocery costs are helping fuel one of the fastest-growing segments in food retail—the Grocerant.

Prepared foods, ready-to-eat meals, meal kits, rotisserie chicken, deli entrees, sushi, grab-and-go salads, fresh pizza, heat-and-eat family meals, and restaurant-quality offerings inside supermarkets continue gaining consumer acceptance because they solve three problems simultaneously:

Time
Labor
Food waste

When consumers compare the total cost of purchasing ten separate ingredients versus buying a complete prepared meal, the value proposition has changed dramatically.

A supermarket rotisserie chicken paired with prepared side dishes can often feed two adults for less than purchasing the raw ingredients individually.

That equation simply didn't exist ten years ago.

Today's consumer evaluates total value—not just shelf price.

Convenience has become an economic benefit.

Weather Is Becoming a Food Cost Variable

The grocery industry has always depended on predictable growing seasons.

Those seasons are becoming less predictable.

NOAA and the World Meteorological Organization have warned that strong El Niño conditions increase the likelihood of drought, flooding, excessive heat, and crop disruptions around the world. Those weather events ripple through global food supply chains, affecting everything from dairy feed and beef production to coffee, cocoa, fruits, vegetables, grains, and seafood.

Unlike temporary supply chain disruptions, weather-driven inflation can persist across multiple growing seasons.

That means retailers may face continued cost pressure well beyond today's headlines.

Value Is Being Redefined

Consumers no longer define value as simply paying less.

Today's value equation includes:

Price
Quality
Time savings
Convenience
Reduced food waste
Meal flexibility
Portion control

That's precisely why prepared foods continue outperforming many traditional grocery categories.

The consumer isn't abandoning cooking.

They're selectively outsourcing portions of meal preparation.

Retailers that recognize this shift—and merchandise accordingly—will be positioned to capture larger food dollars even as household budgets remain under pressure.

The future of grocery retail isn't about selling more ingredients.

It's about selling complete meal solutions that reduce effort while delivering predictable value.

The dinner plate has become one of America's most important economic indicators.

Three Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Meal Solutions Will Continue Outpacing Ingredients
Consumers increasingly calculate the total cost of time, preparation, cleanup, and food waste—not just the price on the shelf. Retailers that deliver complete Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions will continue to gain share as shoppers seek convenience without sacrificing value.

2. Private Label and Fresh Prepared Foods Will Win Together
The strongest retailers won't force consumers to choose between savings and convenience. They will expand premium private-label ingredients alongside chef-inspired prepared foods, allowing shoppers to mix, match, and customize affordable meals that fit changing budgets.

3. The New Competitive Battleground Is "Cost Per Meal"
Winning retailers, restaurants, convenience stores, and club stores will increasingly market the total cost to feed one, two, or four people—not just individual item prices. Consumers are thinking in meals, not products, and those who communicate clear meal value will earn greater loyalty as grocery inflation and weather-related supply disruptions continue to reshape food purchasing through 2028.

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way? Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization? Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit: www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.

Drive-Thru’s Dominate, Dining Rooms Disappear: Why America's Traditional Sit-Down Restaurant is Losing the Battle for the Dinner Plate

2026-07-16T00:16:00.000-07:00

For decades, casual dining chains were America's "third place." Families celebrated birthdays at Red Lobster, business deals closed over lunch at On the Border, and neighborhood restaurants became weekly traditions. Today, however, that business model is facing its greatest challenge in history. The restaurant industry isn't simply evolving—it's splitting into two distinctly different worlds.

As the Grocerant Guru®, I've watched consumer migration for more than three decades. Today's marketplace clearly demonstrates that consumers are no longer asking, "Where should we eat?" Instead, they're asking, "What's the fastest, easiest, highest-value way to solve today's meal?"

That single shift is reshaping the entire food industry.

The numbers tell an extraordinary story.

Consumers have become obsessed with convenience, portability, digital ordering, personalization, and speed. According to Circana consumer tracking, approximately 80% of evening meals are now sourced from home, whether prepared from groceries, restaurant takeout, delivery, or ready-to-eat meal solutions. Consumers increasingly define value not simply by price, but by the combination of convenience, quality, time savings, and flexibility.

Meanwhile, inflation continues to pressure household budgets. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports grocery prices remain significantly above pre-pandemic levels, while restaurant menu prices have risen even faster over the past several years. Consumers are becoming far more selective about when dining rooms are worth the additional expense.

That changing consumer mindset is devastating traditional casual dining.

On the Border recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection before moving toward liquidation of many operations. Once a dominant Tex-Mex brand, it struggled against declining guest counts, higher labor costs, increasing food inflation, and changing customer expectations.

Red Lobster, after its own bankruptcy restructuring, now finds itself aggressively pursuing legal action involving former seafood suppliers while simultaneously rebuilding vendor relationships and attempting to stabilize operations following years of operational turmoil.

These aren't isolated incidents.

They're symptoms of a much larger structural transformation.

Consumers increasingly prefer restaurants that remove friction from the purchase process.

Drive-thru concepts have become extraordinary growth engines.

Perhaps no company better illustrates this transformation than 7 Brew Coffee.

According to multiple industry reports, 7 Brew experienced approximately 244% sales growth over recent years, becoming one of America's fastest-growing beverage concepts. Its business model focuses almost entirely on speed, high throughput, personalized drinks, limited menu complexity, and multiple drive-thru lanes capable of serving hundreds of vehicles daily.

Notice what's missing.

Dining rooms.

Servers.

Large kitchens.

Lengthy menus.

Consumers simply drive up, customize their beverage, pay digitally, and leave within minutes.

Convenience has become the product.

Meanwhile, another disruptor is quietly rewriting restaurant economics.

Wonder has now secured hundreds of millions of dollars in new investment—including a recent $600 million capital raise—to continue expanding its technology-driven meal platform. Rather than asking customers to visit restaurants, Wonder brings multiple restaurant brands together through technology, centralized production, and delivery logistics.

Instead of choosing between one restaurant or another, consumers order multiple cuisines simultaneously from one digital platform.

Technology replaces the dining room.

Algorithms replace location.

Delivery replaces parking.

The traditional restaurant is no longer the center of the meal.

The consumer is.

Ghost kitchens, virtual brands, centralized commissaries, AI-powered ordering, predictive inventory systems, and increasingly automated production are creating entirely new competitive advantages that legacy restaurant chains struggle to match.

The food industry is no longer competing restaurant versus restaurant.

It's competing convenience versus inconvenience.

That's exactly why grocerants continue gaining market share.

Retailers like supermarkets, warehouse clubs, convenience stores, and hybrid food retailers have steadily expanded Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat offerings because they solve today's primary consumer problem:

"How do I feed myself or my family with the least amount of stress?"

Consumers increasingly assemble meals rather than order complete meals.

A supermarket prepared entrée.

Convenience store beverages.

Club-store side dishes.

Restaurant desserts.

Meal assembly has become personalized.

This consumer behavior aligns perfectly with the Grocerant Guru® Foodservice Solutions® philosophy established decades ago:

Product + Packaging + Placement + Portability + Price = Customer Success.

Today, I would argue there's an invisible sixth "P."

Predictability.

Consumers want every experience to be easy, consistent, digitally connected, and immediately available.

Brands delivering that experience continue gaining market share.

Brands built around yesterday's dining model continue losing relevance.

Technology is accelerating the divide.

Artificial intelligence is improving labor scheduling.

Digital loyalty programs personalize offers.

Mobile ordering reduces wait times.

Kitchen automation lowers labor dependency.

Delivery platforms expand trade areas.

Drone delivery pilots continue demonstrating how rapidly food distribution itself is changing.

Every innovation removes friction.

Every minute saved creates value.

Meanwhile, traditional casual dining often still requires parking, waiting for seating, reading lengthy menus, ordering through servers, waiting for food preparation, requesting the check, paying, and driving home.

Consumers increasingly ask a simple question:

"Why?"

Especially on a Tuesday night.

The winners aren't necessarily serving better food.

They're serving better solutions.

That's the future of food retailing.

Not restaurants.

Not grocery stores.

Not convenience stores.

Solutions.

Consumers don't organize their lives around industry categories.

They organize them around time.

The brands that eliminate effort will continue winning.

The brands asking consumers to invest more time for similar food quality will continue facing enormous financial pressure.

The death of traditional casual dining isn't really about restaurants.

It's about the complete reinvention of how America chooses to eat.

Three Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Convenience Has Become the Ultimate Competitive Advantage

Consumers no longer compare restaurants only against other restaurants. Every meal solution competes against grocery prepared foods, convenience stores, meal kits, delivery platforms, club stores, and even home freezers. The winner is increasingly determined by who removes the most friction from the meal occasion.

2. Dining Rooms Are Becoming a Luxury—Not a Necessity

For many consumers, especially weekday diners, speed, portability, mobile ordering, and predictable execution outweigh the traditional dine-in experience. Successful brands will treat dining rooms as one distribution channel—not the center of their business model.

3. The Future Belongs to Meal Solution Companies

Whether it's a grocery store, convenience retailer, quick-service restaurant, beverage concept, ghost kitchen, or AI-powered delivery platform, tomorrow's market leaders will focus less on selling meals and more on solving consumers' daily food challenges. That's where sustainable customer loyalty—and long-term growth—will be built.

Success Leaves Clues—Are You Ready to Find Yours?

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

Stay Ahead of the Competition with Fresh Ideas

Is your food marketing keeping up with tomorrow’s trends—or stuck in yesterday’s playbook? If you're ready for fresh ideations that set your brand apart, we’re here to help.

At Foodservice Solutions®, we specialize in consumer-driven retail food strategies that enhance convenience, differentiation, and individualization—key factors in driving growth.

Email us at Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Connect with us on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter

The Great Pistachio Pivot: How Dubai Chocolate Turned One Nut into Summer 2026's Hottest Food Trend

2026-07-15T00:15:00.000-07:00

Move over hot honey. Step aside swicy. Even truffle has taken a back seat this summer.

If there is one ingredient that has captured consumers' imagination, dominated social media, and disrupted food innovation pipelines in 2026, it's pistachio.

What began as an internet fascination with the now-famous Dubai chocolate bar has evolved into what can only be called "The Great Pistachio Summer." From coffee shops and bakeries to supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, and home kitchens, pistachio has become the premium flavor consumers simply cannot get enough of.

The Grocerant Guru® believes this is far more than another food fad. It is a textbook example of how social media, food discovery, premiumization, and consumer curiosity now reshape food retail almost overnight.

Dubai Chocolate Changed Everything

The viral Dubai chocolate bar—built around creamy pistachio filling, crispy kataifi pastry, and milk chocolate—wasn't just another TikTok sensation.

It fundamentally changed how consumers viewed pistachios.

Instead of simply being a snack or an occasional ice cream flavor, pistachio suddenly became associated with indulgence, luxury, craftsmanship, and social status.

Millions of videos featuring chocolate bars being cracked open to reveal rich green pistachio filling generated billions of views across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Consumers who had never purchased pistachio products before suddenly wanted to recreate the experience at home.

That demand quickly spread well beyond chocolate.

Today consumers are finding pistachio in:

· Pistachio cold brew coffees

· Pistachio cream lattes

· Pistachio protein shakes

· Pistachio overnight oats

· Pistachio yogurt parfaits

· Pistachio croissants

· Pistachio cookies

· Pistachio cheesecake

· Pistachio gelato

· Pistachio butter

· Pistachio spreads

· Pistachio date bark

· Pistachio smoothies

· Pistachio energy bites

· Pistachio breakfast bowls

Consumers aren't simply buying products.

They're buying into an experience.

Social Media Became the New Product Development Department

The traditional innovation cycle once took food companies 18 to 24 months.

Today?

TikTok can create a billion-dollar opportunity in weeks.

Food manufacturers, retailers, and restaurant operators monitor social media trends daily because consumer demand now develops online before retailers ever place purchase orders.

The pistachio phenomenon perfectly illustrates this shift.

Instead of marketing creating demand, consumers created demand first.

Brands simply rushed to keep up.

This reversal has become one of the defining characteristics of today's food industry.

Supply Chains Felt the Pressure

Success creates consequences.

Global demand for pistachio cream, pistachio paste, chopped pistachios, roasted pistachios, and pistachio butter accelerated so rapidly that suppliers struggled to keep inventories available throughout 2025 and into 2026.

Countries including the United States, Iran, and Turkey remain major pistachio producers, but processing capacity—not simply harvesting—became part of the challenge.

Premium pistachio ingredients require:

· Careful shelling

· Uniform sizing

· Blanching

· Fine grinding

· Smooth emulsification

· Stable packaging

Every additional step adds cost.

Every viral video added demand.

The result?

Higher ingredient prices, longer lead times, and manufacturers searching globally for additional pistachio supply.

Coffee Shops Are Winning

Perhaps nowhere has pistachio found greater success than in specialty coffee.

Consumers increasingly want beverages that feel handcrafted without requiring alcohol or dessert.

Pistachio delivers exactly that.

A pistachio cold brew, pistachio cream latte, or pistachio matcha creates an affordable luxury—typically adding only a few dollars to the check while dramatically increasing perceived value.

Independent coffee operators have been especially quick to capitalize because limited-time offerings generate repeat visits and social sharing.

Every colorful green drink becomes another Instagram moment.

Grocery Retailers Are Moving Fast

Retailers understand that premium ingredients increase basket size.

Many supermarkets now merchandise pistachio products together, creating destination displays featuring:

· Premium chocolate

· Pistachio cream

· Bakery products

· Specialty coffee syrups

· Imported spreads

· Gourmet cookies

· Mediterranean ingredients

Cross-merchandising encourages impulse purchases while helping shoppers recreate viral recipes at home.

That's exactly where today's consumer wants to shop—one-stop inspiration.

The Grocerant Connection

This is where grocerants continue to outperform traditional retail.

Prepared food departments already combine grocery convenience with restaurant-quality meal experiences.

Adding pistachio to grab-and-go desserts, premium breakfast sandwiches, bakery programs, fresh beverages, and seasonal meal solutions creates excitement while increasing average transaction value.

Consumers increasingly reward retailers that help them discover something new without requiring extra effort.

That's the very definition of the Grocerant model.

Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat innovation succeeds when it combines convenience with discovery.

Pistachio delivers both.

Don't Expect This Trend to Fade Quickly

Unlike many viral ingredients, pistachio has staying power.

Why?

Because it satisfies multiple consumer priorities simultaneously.

It signals premium quality.

It photographs beautifully.

It carries strong flavor recognition.

It pairs well with coffee, chocolate, fruit, pastries, dairy, and plant-based foods.

It appeals across multiple dayparts.

Most importantly, consumers have already learned how versatile it can be.

That creates repeat purchasing rather than one-time trial.

The Grocerant Guru® expects pistachio to remain a high-value menu ingredient well beyond Summer 2026 as manufacturers continue expanding premium offerings across retail grocery, convenience stores, quick-service restaurants, bakeries, and foodservice.

The internet may have started the pistachio craze.

Consumer demand is what will sustain it.

Three Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Viral food trends now move faster than traditional product development. The brands winning today are those with agile innovation teams capable of transforming a social media trend into an in-store product within weeks—not years.

2. Premium ingredients no longer belong exclusively to fine dining. Consumers willingly pay more for affordable indulgences like pistachio cold brews, premium desserts, and grab-and-go treats that deliver both flavor and social shareability.

3. Grocerants are uniquely positioned to capitalize on ingredient-driven trends. By integrating premium ingredients such as pistachio into Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions, retailers can increase customer traffic, boost average ticket size, and strengthen customer loyalty by offering restaurant-inspired experiences with grocery convenience.

When $99 Chicken Nuggets Meet Kitchen-Table Reality: The Grocerant Guru® Explains America's New Chaos-Food Economy

2026-07-14T00:14:00.000-07:00

If you want to understand where the U.S. food industry is headed, don't just look at restaurant earnings reports or grocery sales data. Look at social media. Look at the Iowa State Fair. Then look at the weekly grocery bill sitting on your kitchen table.

Welcome to America's new Chaos-Food Economy—where consumers eagerly click on videos featuring $99 chicken nuggets topped with caviar, outrageous milkshakes piled a foot high, and burgers wrapped in gold leaf, yet the very same consumers are increasingly filling their shopping carts with private label products, meal deals, and value-priced Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions.

Those aren't contradictory behaviors. They're two sides of the same economic reality.

The Iowa State Fair's $99 chicken nuggets with caviar may become one of this summer's most talked-about menu items, not because consumers intend to buy them, but because they create what marketers crave most—conversation. Today's social media algorithms reward the outrageous. Consumers reward it with clicks, comments, and shares.

Meanwhile, back in the real world, America's grocery shoppers are making entirely different decisions.

Over the past five years, grocery prices have climbed approximately 26%, fundamentally reshaping household purchasing behavior. Families have become dramatically more value-conscious, increasingly substituting private label products for national brands, reducing restaurant visits, preparing more meals at home, and searching relentlessly for promotions, digital coupons, and meal bundles.

This disconnect between what consumers watch and what they buy has never been greater.

Welcome to "SenseMaxxing"

The newest food trend isn't really about eating.

It's about experiencing.

Social media has accelerated what many are calling "SenseMaxxing"—foods specifically designed to overwhelm the senses. Bigger. Brighter. Crunchier. Cheesier. Hotter. Taller. More colorful. More outrageous.

These foods are engineered for smartphones before they're engineered for stomachs.

Restaurant operators and state fair vendors understand an important truth: a viral food item generating 50 million views may be worth more than thousands of traditional advertisements. The goal isn't necessarily selling millions of servings.

The goal is creating millions of impressions.

That strategy works remarkably well in today's attention economy.

The Value Economy Is Winning at Home

While outrageous foods dominate TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, consumers are behaving far more rationally at retail.

Private label sales continue gaining market share as shoppers increasingly recognize that many store brands now deliver quality comparable to national brands at significantly lower prices.

Consumers have also become increasingly sophisticated meal assemblers.

Instead of purchasing complete restaurant meals, they're mixing and matching prepared foods from grocery stores, convenience stores, warehouse clubs, dollar stores, and quick-service restaurants to create affordable family meals.

That's exactly where the grocerant niche continues expanding.

Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions deliver what today's consumers value most:

· Convenience

· Affordability

· Quality

· Speed

· Portion flexibility

Consumers aren't abandoning convenience.

They're redefining value.

Restaurants Face a New Reality

For many restaurant operators, inflation has become more than a pricing challenge.

It's become a traffic challenge.

Consumers continue visiting restaurants—but more selectively.

They're choosing fewer occasions, looking harder for promotions, and expecting greater perceived value every time they dine out.

That's why we're seeing explosive growth in:

· Meal bundles

· Family packs

· Limited-time value offers

· Loyalty rewards

· Subscription meal programs

· Everyday combo meals

Consumers still want restaurant-quality food.

They simply refuse to pay yesterday's premium prices without receiving additional value.

Grocery Stores Continue Stealing Meal Occasions

One of the biggest winners in today's Chaos-Food Economy has been the supermarket.

Retailers have significantly upgraded fresh prepared foods, grab-and-go meals, rotisserie chicken programs, meal kits, sushi, pizza, sandwiches, and international meal offerings.

Consumers increasingly view supermarkets not merely as places to buy ingredients but as legitimate meal destinations.

That represents one of the largest structural shifts in food retail over the past decade.

The grocery store has become both pantry and restaurant.

Social Media Creates Two Different Food Economies

Today's consumer essentially lives in two food worlds.

One is entertainment.

The other is survival.

Online, consumers celebrate excess, novelty, and indulgence.

Offline, they compare unit prices, download digital coupons, purchase store brands, and stretch leftovers into tomorrow's lunch.

Both behaviors can exist simultaneously because they satisfy entirely different emotional needs.

Watching someone eat a $99 caviar chicken nugget costs nothing.

Buying dinner for a family of four has become a serious financial decision.

The Grocerant Guru® Says…

The food industry shouldn't mistake viral popularity for purchasing behavior.

Clicks don't equal customer counts.

Views don't equal transactions.

Today's winning food retailers understand that consumers crave excitement online—but demand value at checkout.

The companies that successfully combine innovation with affordability will continue gaining market share while others chase social media trends that generate headlines but not sustainable sales.

Four Grocerant Guru® Insights

1. Value Has Become the New Premium. Consumers increasingly define premium not by price but by convenience, freshness, quality, and portion flexibility. Deliver value consistently, and customers will return.

2. Grocerants Continue Winning Meal Occasions. Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions remain one of retail food's fastest-growing competitive advantages because they bridge the gap between cooking from scratch and eating at restaurants.

3. Social Discovery Drives Trial—Value Drives Loyalty. Viral menu items may generate first-time visits, but only consistent value, quality, and convenience create repeat customers and long-term brand equity.

4. The Future Belongs to Meal Solution Providers. Consumers no longer think in terms of grocery stores versus restaurants. They simply want the best meal solution at the best value for the occasion. Companies that deliver complete, portable, affordable meal solutions will continue outperforming competitors focused on selling products instead of solving dinner.

The Grocerant Guru®: The 65-Inch HDTV Syndrome Is Reshaping Food Retail Faster Than Ever

2026-07-13T00:13:00.000-07:00

For years, I have talked about what I call the “65-Inch HDTV Syndrome.” Today, in 2026, that concept has become even more relevant as consumers continue to redefine where, when, and how they eat.

Restaurant customer traffic remains under pressure across much of the industry. While menu prices have increased significantly over the past several years, consumers have become far more selective about where they spend their food dollars. They’re not eating less—they’re simply eating differently.

That shift continues to fuel growth within the grocerant niche, where grocery stores, convenience stores, club stores, drug stores, dollar stores, restaurants, and digital-first food retailers all compete by offering Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared meals and meal components.

The lines separating retail foodservice categories have permanently blurred.

The winner is no longer determined by whether you’re a restaurant or a grocery store.

The winner is determined by who creates the most compelling combination of quality, convenience, personalization, portability, speed, and value.

The 65-Inch HDTV Syndrome

Today’s consumers have invested heavily in creating an entertainment experience at home.

● Large-screen televisions…

● Streaming services…

● Gaming systems…

● Sports packages…

● Premium coffee…

● Home delivery…

Consumers no longer need a special occasion to stay home.

Instead of going out, millions now choose to bring restaurant-quality meals home.

That is the essence of the 65-Inch HDTV Syndrome.

Consumers still crave great food. They simply want to enjoy it where they are most comfortable—with family and friends, watching sports, movies, or binge-worthy streaming series.

The home has become America’s favorite restaurant.

Consumer Behavior Has Fundamentally Changed

Recent research continues to reinforce this long-term trend.

Circana data throughout 2024 and 2025 showed that roughly 80% of evening meal occasions originate from home, whether the meal is cooked from scratch, assembled from fresh prepared foods, delivered, or picked up on the way home.

FMI research also indicates consumers continue to purchase more prepared foods from supermarkets than they did prior to the pandemic, while convenience stores continue expanding premium fresh food offerings that compete directly with quick-service restaurants.

Meanwhile, delivery, mobile ordering, curbside pickup, and digital loyalty programs have become expected—not differentiators.

Consumers no longer ask, “Can I order digitally?”

They ask, “How quickly can I get exactly what I want?”

The New Value Equation

For years I’ve maintained that consumers constantly reset the relationship between price, value, and service.

Today, that equation has evolved.

Foodservice Solutions® Consumer Value Formula:

(Mobile Ordering + Digital Payments + Frictionless Pickup + Delivery + Loyalty Rewards)
÷
(Price + Food Quality + Speed + Convenience + Personalization)
=
Consumer Value

The highest-value brand isn’t necessarily the lowest-priced.

It’s the brand that removes friction while consistently delivering fresh food consumers trust.

The Five P’s Have Never Been More Important

The retailers winning today understand that success depends on executing The Foodservice Solutions® Five P’s of Food Marketing:

● Product

● Packaging

● Placement

● Portability

● Price

Each P supports the others.

Packaging must preserve freshness.

Placement must maximize convenience.

Portability must support today’s mobile lifestyles.

Price must reflect perceived—not just actual—value.

Consumers increasingly assemble meals rather than purchase complete meals. They mix restaurant entrées with grocery store side dishes, convenience store beverages, club-store desserts, and bakery items from another retailer.

Meal assembly has become mainstream.

Fresh Continues to Outperform Frozen

Consumers continue to gravitate toward foods they perceive as fresher, healthier, and less processed.

Prepared foods departments inside supermarkets have become destinations rather than afterthoughts.

Convenience stores continue upgrading kitchens, adding made-to-order sandwiches, fresh pizza, salads, bowls, chicken, sushi, and premium beverages.

Warehouse clubs continue expanding grab-and-go meals.

Dollar stores are increasing refrigerated and frozen prepared meal offerings.

Even apparel retailers, travel centers, entertainment venues, and non-traditional retailers continue adding foodservice to increase customer frequency.

Fresh prepared food has become one of retail’s strongest traffic drivers.

Technology Is Accelerating Customer Migration

Artificial intelligence, predictive ordering, personalized digital offers, retail media networks, and advanced loyalty platforms are helping retailers deliver more relevant offers to individual consumers.

Consumers increasingly expect:

● Personalized promotions

● Digital ordering

● One-click payment

● Fast pickup

● Delivery

● Meal recommendations

● Bundle offers

● Subscription value

Technology is no longer a competitive advantage.

It is simply the price of admission.

The Competition Isn’t Across the Street

Restaurants often believe they’re competing with another restaurant.

They’re not.

They’re competing with:

● Grocery prepared foods

● Convenience stores

● Club stores

● Meal kits

● Delivery marketplaces

● Warehouse retailers

● Dollar stores

● Home meal replacement

● Consumer refrigerators already stocked with fresh prepared foods

The competitive battlefield has expanded dramatically.

Every retailer selling fresh prepared food is competing for the same dinner occasion.

The Future Belongs to Meal Solutions

Consumers don’t wake up wanting another restaurant.

They wake up needing solutions.

● Solutions that save time.

● Solutions that satisfy every member of the family.

● Solutions that require little cleanup.

● Solutions that fit today’s budget.

Consumers increasingly customize meals by combining Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat foods from multiple retailers into one family meal.

That is the essence of the Grocerant strategy.

It’s no longer about selling a product.

It’s about solving dinner.

As I’ve said for years, the future belongs to retailers and restaurants that help consumers assemble personalized meals quickly, conveniently, and confidently.

Three New Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Winning dinner today means winning the trip—not just the transaction. Retailers that bundle entrées, sides, beverages, desserts, and meal components into simple meal solutions consistently increase basket size, customer satisfaction, and repeat visits.

2. Convenience has become the new form of hospitality. Consumers increasingly define great service by speed, digital ease, personalization, and frictionless pickup rather than table service alone. Brands that remove obstacles create stronger customer loyalty.

3. The next decade belongs to retailers that master fresh prepared food. Whether grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, club stores, or emerging retail formats, those investing in Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh meal solutions, supported by strong digital engagement and the Five P’s of Food Marketing, will capture a growing share of America’s dinner occasions.

For corporate consulting, executive presentations, educational forums, or keynote presentations on the future of food retail, contact Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us

Potbelly Understands Today's Families: Why Bringing Back Kids Eat Free Is a Smart Grocerant Strategy

2026-07-12T00:12:00.000-07:00

For more than three decades, I've maintained that the future of foodservice isn't simply about selling meals—it's about making family life easier. Since founding Foodservice Solutions® in 1991 and introducing the Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat Grocerant concept to the marketplace, one thing has remained remarkably consistent:

Parents aren't just buying food—they're buying time, convenience, flexibility, and family experiences.

That's exactly why Potbelly's decision to bring back its popular **Kids Eat Free Weekends** promotion deserves recognition.

Far from being just another discount, Potbelly is investing in customer acquisition, family loyalty, and repeat visits during one of the busiest times of the year.

Summer Creates New Family Meal Occasions

Today's families spend summer weekends moving from soccer tournaments to baseball games, birthday parties, neighborhood gatherings, parks, and community events. Parents often have little interest in shopping for ingredients, cooking from scratch, or cleaning the kitchen afterward.

Instead, they're looking for meals that are:

* Fast

* Affordable

* Fresh

* Customizable

* Kid-approved

* Easy for everyone in the family

That's the sweet spot where successful restaurant brands compete today.

Consumers no longer define "family dinner" by everyone eating the same entrée around the table. Instead, today's successful family meal often consists of individually selected meal components assembled into one shared eating occasion.

That's Grocerant Meal Assembly in action.

Potbelly Makes Family Dining Easier

Potbelly's promotion gives families exactly what they're looking for.

With every qualifying entrée purchased, children 12 and under receive a complimentary Kids Combo featuring choices including:

* Turkey & Swiss

* Ham & Swiss

* Peanut Butter & Jelly

* Grilled Cheese

* Mac & Cheese

Each meal also includes applesauce, a mini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie, and bottled water.

Even more importantly, the promotion starts every Friday afternoon and continues throughout the weekend—precisely when families are busiest and meal planning becomes most challenging.

That's outstanding occasion marketing.

Instead of asking consumers to change their routines, Potbelly fits naturally into the routines they already have.

Value Means More Than Price

Many restaurant executives mistakenly believe value simply means lowering prices.

Consumers disagree.

Today's families define value as the combination of:

* Convenience

* Speed

* Food quality

* Portion size

* Kid acceptance

* Budget friendliness

* Consistent service

Potbelly delivers on multiple value drivers simultaneously.

Parents purchase meals they already intended to buy while receiving additional value for feeding their children.

Everyone wins.

Kids Eat Free Can Build Future Customers

Some restaurant operators view Kids Eat Free promotions strictly as traffic builders.

The smarter operators understand something more important.

Every child who enjoys a positive restaurant experience becomes a potential future customer.

Children influence family dining decisions far more than many operators acknowledge.

When kids ask, "Can we go back to Potbelly?" parents often listen.

That creates long-term brand equity that extends well beyond the immediate promotional period.

The Grocerant Opportunity Continues to Grow

Consumers continue migrating toward Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions across every retail food channel.

Restaurants, convenience stores, grocery retailers, warehouse clubs, and even nontraditional retailers are competing for the same meal occasions.

Winning brands understand they aren't simply selling sandwiches or salads.

They're solving tonight's dinner problem.

Potbelly recognizes that making family meals easier creates stronger emotional connections than simply advertising another limited-time menu item.

That's exactly the kind of consumer-first thinking today's marketplace rewards.

Families remember brands that make life easier.

Potbelly is doing exactly that.

Three New Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Today's Children Are Tomorrow's Most Valuable Customers

Winning a family visit today often creates years of repeat business. Children develop favorite restaurant brands at an early age, and those positive dining experiences frequently influence purchasing decisions well into adulthood. Investing in kids today is investing in lifetime customer value.

2. Parents Buy Convenience, Kids Drive Restaurant Choice

Parents typically determine the dining budget, but children heavily influence where the family eats. Brands that successfully satisfy both decision-makers—offering value for parents and menu appeal for kids—create a competitive advantage that is difficult to replicate.

3. Family Promotions Build More Than Traffic—They Build Brand Affinity**

The most successful Kids Eat Free promotions aren't simply discounts. They create memorable family occasions that strengthen emotional connections with the brand. When a restaurant consistently helps families save time, save money, and enjoy eating together, it earns trust, repeat visits, positive word-of-mouth, and long-term customer loyalty.

About Foodservice Solutions®

Since 1991, Tacoma, Washington-based Foodservice Solutions® has been the global thought leader in the Grocerant® niche, helping restaurants, grocery retailers, convenience stores, food manufacturers, and retailers capitalize on the growing Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food marketplace.

Kroger + Giant Eagle: Why? If Neither Company Can Win More Customers Organically, What's the Point?

2026-07-11T00:11:00.000-07:00

When Kroger announced its $1.65 billion acquisition of Giant Eagle, the grocery industry immediately began talking about buying power, scale, retail media, private label, and operational synergies.

As the Grocerant Guru®, my first question is much simpler:

Why?

Not why buy Giant Eagle.

Why would consumers care?

Because consumers—not investors—ultimately determine whether acquisitions succeed.

For decades, the grocery industry has relied on the same playbook. Acquire another chain. Add another banner. Increase purchasing leverage. Cut costs. Promise efficiencies. Hope market share follows.

Yet history continues to show that bigger retailers do not automatically become more relevant retailers.

Kroger already operates one of the largest collections of grocery banners in America. Adding Giant Eagle simply gives Kroger one more regional nameplate.

Consumers do not wake up saying, "I wish this store belonged to a larger corporation."

They wake up asking:

What's for dinner?

Where can I get it quickly?

Is it affordable?

Is it fresh?

Is it easy?

Can I feed everyone in my family without cooking from scratch?

Those are entirely different questions.

While traditional supermarket operators continue consolidating, customer migration tells a much different story.

Retailers such as Aldi, Lidl, WinCo Foods, and Costco continue attracting shoppers because their value proposition is immediately obvious.

Each has developed a highly differentiated position based on everyday low prices, limited assortment with high inventory turns, operational simplicity, strong private brands, fast shopping trips, and clear customer value.

Warehouse clubs continue benefiting from larger basket sizes, treasure-hunt merchandising, and strong member loyalty. Discount grocers continue attracting shoppers looking for relief from persistent food inflation, while employee-owned retailers such as WinCo maintain pricing advantages through low operating costs.

Those retailers are earning customer migration not because they are larger, but because they consistently solve consumer problems better.

The grocery industry often talks about competing against each other.

That is yesterday's battle.

Today's competitors include warehouse clubs, dollar stores, convenience stores, quick-service restaurants, fast-casual restaurants, meal delivery services, meal kits, and Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions.

Consumers no longer think in retail channels.

They simply ask, "What's the easiest way to feed myself or my family tonight?"

The retailers answering that question best are winning.

Supporters of the acquisition point toward greater buying power, improved retail media opportunities, stronger personalization, and operational efficiencies.

Those improvements may help margins.

They do not necessarily improve customer traffic.

Neither Kroger nor Giant Eagle has demonstrated consistent organic traffic growth in recent years. Both have faced increasing competitive pressure from value retailers, warehouse clubs, and retailers that better align with changing shopping behaviors.

Simply combining two slower-growth organizations does not automatically create a faster-growing one.

It often creates a larger version of the same problem.

Today's shoppers are making decisions differently than they were just a few years ago.

Industry research throughout 2025 and 2026 continues pointing toward several consistent behaviors.

Consumers are making more frequent shopping trips while purchasing fewer items per visit.

Value remains the primary purchase driver, but convenience increasingly determines where meals are purchased.

Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared foods continue outperforming many traditional center-store categories as consumers seek faster meal solutions.

Private label continues gaining share as shoppers become increasingly comfortable substituting retailer brands for national brands.

Digital engagement and personalized promotions influence shopping behavior, but only when paired with meaningful value and relevant meal solutions.

The winners are not simply selling groceries.

They are helping consumers solve dinner.

That is the question investors should be asking.

Not, "How many stores are being acquired?"

Instead, ask:

How many new customers will this acquisition create?

How many shoppers will switch from Walmart?

How many Costco members will change their buying habits?

How many Aldi shoppers will return?

How many younger families will choose Kroger over convenience stores and restaurant meal solutions?

Those answers remain far less certain than the acquisition announcement itself.

Consumers increasingly want Ready-2-Eat meals, Heat-N-Eat meal solutions, mix-and-match meal components, restaurant-quality food at grocery prices, fresh foods with minimal preparation, personalized meal bundles, and convenient grab-and-go options.

That is where future grocery growth will come from.

Not another logo.

Not another banner.

Not another acquisition.

The companies that best integrate fresh prepared foods, meal solutions, portability, personalization, digital engagement, and compelling value will capture tomorrow's customer.

Simply owning more supermarkets will not.

Grocerant Guru® Insights

1. Bigger companies do not automatically create bigger customer demand. Organic growth begins with consumer relevance, not acquisition announcements.

2. Scale without differentiation rarely creates customer migration. Consumers switch retailers because of superior value, convenience, meal solutions, or experience—not because ownership changes.

3. The future grocery winner will compete for meals, not merely grocery baskets. Ready-2-Eat, Heat-N-Eat, and meal-component merchandising remain among the industry's greatest growth opportunities.

4. Kroger's biggest challenge is not integrating Giant Eagle. It is convincing consumers that shopping at Kroger offers a meaningfully better experience than shopping at Aldi, Lidl, WinCo Foods, Costco, or simply picking up dinner from a restaurant.

Steven Johnson is the Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, Washington-based Foodservice Solutions®. Since 1991, he has helped retailers and foodservice companies identify customer migration opportunities by focusing on Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared foods, meal solutions, and changing consumer behavior. His work centers on where grocery and foodservice intersect to drive both top-line sales and bottom-line profits.

Warning to Restaurateurs: Your Customer Already Left—Now It's Time to Catch Up Before It's Too Late

2026-07-10T00:10:00.000-07:00

Restaurant employment numbers don't tell the whole story—but they do tell the truth.

When restaurants and bars shed nearly 33,000 jobs in June 2026, many operators blamed inflation, labor costs, tariffs, or the economy. While all of those issues matter, they're not the primary reason many restaurants are struggling.

The real reason is much simpler.

The customer evolved. Too many restaurant operators didn't.

Today's consumer has fundamentally changed how they shop, order, eat, and define value. Unfortunately, thousands of restaurant operators continue to operate with a business model built around consumer behavior that disappeared years ago.

Consumers haven't stopped buying food.

They've simply shifted where, when, how, and why they buy it.

The Grocerant Guru® has been warning the industry for more than two decades that consumers would increasingly migrate toward Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared foods, portable meal solutions, digital ordering, and personalized meal occasions. Today, that migration is no longer a prediction—it is the marketplace.

The National Restaurant Association reports that restaurant employment remains uneven despite projected industry sales of approximately $1.55 trillion because operators continue balancing labor with inconsistent guest traffic, higher operating costs, and changing consumer demand.

The message couldn't be clearer:

Consumers didn't disappear. They simply found operators who better fit their lifestyle.

The Top 10 Food Facts Every Restaurateur Must Understand

Convenience Has Become the New Competitive Advantage

Consumers increasingly purchase food based upon how quickly it fits into their day—not simply taste.

Speed, portability, digital ordering, curbside pickup, drive-thru, grab-and-go, delivery, and meal bundles now represent competitive necessities rather than optional conveniences.

Convenience is no longer an added benefit.

It is the product.

Ready-2-Eat Beats Ready-to-Cook

Consumers are spending less time cooking from scratch.

Instead they increasingly assemble meals using restaurant takeout, grocery prepared foods, convenience stores, club stores and meal components.

The winning retailers understand consumers want to personalize dinner—not prepare dinner.

Mintel consumer research has consistently shown convenience, reduced preparation time, and meal flexibility remain primary purchase drivers across prepared food categories.

Value Is No Longer About Lowest Price

Consumers define value differently today.

Value equals:

Quality + Convenience + Portion Size + Customization + Speed + Experience + Portability + Digital Ease.

Simply discounting prices rarely builds long-term loyalty.

Creating perceived value does.

The Dining Room Is No Longer the Center of the Business

The customer journey now frequently begins on a smartphone.

Digital ordering, loyalty programs, mobile payment, delivery, pickup shelves and drive-thru windows often generate more incremental traffic than additional dining room seats.

Technology is now part of hospitality.

Not separate from it.

Technomic research continues to show digital ordering and loyalty participation produce higher visit frequency and larger average checks than traditional transactions.

Meal Components Outsell Full Meals

Families increasingly buy:

Rotisserie chicken

Prepared proteins

Fresh sides

Salads

Desserts

Beverages

Then customize dinner at home.

Restaurants that package meal components instead of forcing complete meals create greater flexibility while increasing average ticket size.

Labor Problems Often Reflect Business Model Problems

Many operators believe staffing shortages caused slower growth.

More accurately...

Outdated operating models require more labor than today's consumer is willing to pay for.

Automation, kiosks, AI scheduling, digital ordering, kitchen display systems and production simplification allow successful operators to produce more sales with fewer labor hours.

Technology is replacing repetitive work—not hospitality.

Consumers Eat Across Multiple Channels Every Week

The average household no longer identifies itself as loyal to restaurants or grocery stores.

Instead consumers routinely purchase meals from:

Restaurants

Grocery stores

Convenience stores

Warehouse clubs

Delivery platforms

Meal kits

Coffee chains

Quick-service restaurants

Every food retailer now competes with every other food retailer.

Welcome to the Grocerant Economy.

Limited-Time Offers Create Discovery

Consumers increasingly chase "what's new."

Seasonal products, collaborations, global flavors, premium beverages, spicy offerings and social-media-worthy menu items drive trial far faster than permanent menu additions.

Innovation now generates traffic.

Static menus generate indifference.

Data Is Becoming More Valuable Than Real Estate

Operators who understand purchasing behavior, loyalty activity, visit frequency, personalization and menu mix make faster and better business decisions.

Successful restaurants increasingly manage customer data with the same discipline they manage food cost.

Evolution Is No Longer Optional

Restaurant employment slowing is a symptom.

Consumer migration is the cause.

The operators growing today aren't waiting for consumers to return.

They're building businesses around where consumers already are.

That difference determines who grows and who disappears.

The June employment report showing restaurants losing approximately 32,900 jobs, following downward revisions to previous months, reflects the industry's cautious response to uneven traffic rather than a collapse in consumer demand. Operators are hiring more selectively while investing in technology, productivity, and alternative service channels.

The Bottom Line

Restaurants have never competed against more alternatives than they do today.

Consumers can order dinner from a supermarket app, pick up prepared meals at a convenience store, subscribe to meal delivery, stop at a warehouse club, purchase restaurant takeout, or assemble dinner from fresh prepared meal components—all within minutes.

The customer has already embraced this new food ecosystem.

The question every restaurateur must answer is simple:

Has your restaurant?

Because evolving isn't optional.

It's inevitable.

And consumers aren't waiting for anyone to catch up.

Three Grocerant Guru® Insights

Stop Thinking Like a Restaurant—Start Thinking Like a Food Solution. Consumers buy solutions to meal occasions, not restaurant categories. The winners solve breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and family meals wherever those occasions occur.

Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat Fresh Prepared Foods Represent the Fastest Path to Customer Migration. Operators that package fresh meal components, family bundles and portable meal solutions position themselves where consumer demand is expanding—not where it is shrinking.

The Next Competitive Battle Isn't Restaurant vs. Restaurant. It's restaurant versus grocery, convenience stores, club stores, delivery platforms, meal kits and every retailer selling fresh prepared food. The operators that embrace the Grocerant business model will capture tomorrow's consumer, while those clinging to yesterday's operating model risk becoming increasingly irrelevant.

Moe's Southwest Grill Understands Today's Consumers: Build-Your-Own Meal Kits Are the Future of Family Dining

2026-07-09T00:09:00.000-07:00

While many restaurant brands continue chasing value through discounts and limited-time offers, Moe's Southwest Grill has taken a much smarter path. The introduction of its new Meal Kit XL, designed to feed six to eight people for just $49.99, demonstrates that Moe's understands exactly how today's consumers want to eat, shop, and share meals according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA-based Foodservice Solutions®.

The Grocerant Guru® has long maintained that the future of food retail is not simply about lower prices—it's about providing consumers with customizable, Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions that fit modern lifestyles. Moe's newest offering is another example of why personalization, portability, and perceived value continue outperforming one-size-fits-all meal deals.

The Meal Kit XL includes two proteins, rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, Moe's signature queso, chips, and salsa, allowing every member of the family or group to create exactly the meal they want. That level of customization has become one of the strongest drivers of consumer satisfaction in today's restaurant marketplace.

Consumers Want Control

Over the past several years, consumers have fundamentally changed how they define convenience.

They no longer simply want someone else to cook dinner.

They want flexibility.

They want customization.

They want everyone in the family to eat what they prefer without preparing multiple meals.

Perhaps most importantly, they want solutions that reduce stress while still creating an enjoyable meal occasion.

That is precisely what Moe's Meal Kit XL delivers.

According to Circana, nearly 80% of evening meals are now sourced from food prepared at or brought into the home, regardless of where the food was purchased. Consumers are increasingly replacing traditional restaurant dining with meals enjoyed around the kitchen table, in front of the television, during youth sporting events, or at family gatherings. The home has become America's largest restaurant dining room.

Moe's clearly recognizes this consumer migration.

Build-Your-Own Is Becoming the New Value Menu

Traditional value menus built around individual discounted items are no longer enough to drive sustained traffic.

Today's consumers evaluate value differently.

They look at:

· Variety

· Portion size

· Shareability

· Customization

· Convenience

· Leftover potential

· Overall family affordability

For approximately $6 to $8 per person, Moe's Meal Kit XL delivers restaurant-quality food while allowing each diner to personalize every bite.

That represents outstanding perceived value in today's marketplace.

Technomic recently noted that restaurant operators must discover the "next generation" of value programs because simple price-point promotions have become increasingly difficult to differentiate. Consumers are responding much more favorably to meal bundles and customizable group offerings than another discounted combo meal.

The Grocerant Revolution Continues

The Grocerant Guru® has written for years that consumers are migrating toward meal components rather than complete plated meals.

Instead of everyone eating identical dinners, today's families increasingly assemble meals based upon individual tastes.

One child skips onions.

Dad adds extra protein.

Mom wants more vegetables.

Someone else doubles the queso.

Everyone leaves happy.

That is exactly why build-your-own formats continue gaining momentum.

Moe's joins a growing list of brands recognizing this shift.

Chipotle introduced Build-Your-Own family meals.

Applebee's expanded combination meal offerings.

Chili's continues seeing strong performance from its "3 For Me" platform.

KFC launched its Build-a-Bucket promotion.

Panera, Buffalo Wild Wings, Little Caesars, Habit Burger Grill, Sweetgreen, and Pret A Manger have all expanded customizable bundled offerings because consumers increasingly reward brands that make feeding multiple people easier.

The Real Competition Is Dinner at Home

Many restaurant executives still believe they compete primarily against other restaurants.

The Grocerant Guru® disagrees.

The largest competitor today is what consumers choose to eat at home.

Consumers are asking themselves every afternoon:

"What's for dinner?"

The winning brands are those that eliminate the decision-making process by offering simple, customizable meal solutions that everyone can enjoy.

Moe's understands this.

Rather than asking consumers to order six separate entrées, the company is simplifying the occasion with one purchase that satisfies multiple tastes while reducing ordering friction.

Why This Matters

Consumers continue facing elevated food prices across grocery stores and restaurants. They have become much more intentional with discretionary spending, yet they remain willing to pay for convenience when they perceive genuine value.

Meal kits like Moe's XL deliver exactly that.

They reduce preparation time.

They reduce cleanup.

They encourage family interaction.

They create leftovers.

Most importantly, they transform takeout into an experience rather than merely another transaction.

Brands that combine affordability with personalization are increasingly winning customer loyalty.

Moe's Southwest Grill appears to understand that better than many competitors.

Three Grocerant Guru® Insights

1. Build-Your-Own Beats One-Size-Fits-All. Consumers increasingly want meal components they can customize rather than fixed menu combinations. Personalization has become one of the strongest drivers of repeat visits.

2. Group Meals Drive Higher Average Checks. Family meal bundles and shareable meal kits increase average transaction values while simplifying purchasing decisions, making them profitable for operators and valuable for consumers.

3. The Future Belongs to Ready-2-Eat Meal Solutions. The fastest-growing food retail opportunities continue to center around fresh, Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meals that combine convenience, customization, portability, and value. Moe's Meal Kit XL is another strong example of how restaurant brands can successfully meet consumers where they increasingly choose to eat—at home.

Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru®
Tacoma, Washington-based Foodservice Solutions®

Banning Surveillance Pricing Won't Save Grocery Stores—Winning Back Consumer Trust and Reinventing Fresh Prepared Foods Will

2026-07-08T00:08:00.000-07:00

By Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru®
Tacoma, WA-based Foodservice Solutions®

For decades, grocery retailers competed primarily on price. Today, they compete on convenience, time savings, meal solutions, personalization, portability, digital engagement, and trust. New Jersey's decision to become the second state to prohibit surveillance pricing may seem like a setback for retailers seeking new pricing technologies, but in reality it may become an unexpected catalyst that forces supermarkets to focus on what consumers actually value.

Ironically, removing the temptation to pursue AI-driven individualized pricing could ultimately save grocery retailers millions of dollars by redirecting investment toward operational efficiency, fresh prepared foods, and customer loyalty rather than controversial pricing algorithms.

Consumers have spoken. They want value—but they also demand transparency.

The passage of New Jersey's Fair Price Protection Act follows growing public concern surrounding "surveillance pricing," where artificial intelligence and customer data could potentially influence what one shopper pays versus another for identical products. The legislation also places a one-year moratorium on the installation of new electronic shelf labels, slowing adoption of technology many retailers envisioned using for dynamic pricing.

While headlines focus on AI pricing, they miss the far bigger story.

Consumers Don't Want Personalized Prices

Consumers want personalized meals—not personalized prices.

Food marketing research throughout 2025 and 2026 consistently shows shoppers are seeking:

· Ready-2-Eat fresh prepared meals

· Heat-N-Eat family meal solutions

· Mix-and-match meal components

· Restaurant-quality foods at grocery prices

· Quick shopping trips

· Transparent everyday value

· Digital convenience without sacrificing trust

Consumers have become remarkably sophisticated. They understand that AI can improve shopping experiences through recipe suggestions, inventory accuracy, personalized coupons, and meal recommendations. What they reject is the possibility that their income, shopping habits, or digital behavior might influence the price they pay for milk, eggs, chicken, or bread.

Trust remains one of retail's most valuable assets.

Grocery's Real Competitive Battle Isn't Price—It's Dinner

The real competitive battle isn't between Kroger, Walmart, Aldi, Costco, or regional supermarket chains.

It's between every retailer competing for tonight's dinner.

According to multiple industry studies released during 2025 and early 2026, approximately 80% of evening meals are still sourced from home, yet consumers increasingly refuse to cook entirely from scratch. Instead, they assemble meals using fresh prepared foods, refrigerated entrées, rotisserie chicken, meal kits, side dishes, deli offerings, frozen vegetables, bakery items, and restaurant takeout.

This is exactly where the Grocerant opportunity continues to expand.

Consumers aren't asking retailers to lower every price.

They're asking retailers to eliminate work.

Time has become the new currency.

The Smart Investment Is Fresh Prepared Food

Rather than investing tens or hundreds of millions of dollars into dynamic pricing systems that invite regulatory scrutiny, grocery retailers should redirect those investments toward:

· Expanded Ready-2-Eat meal production

· Improved Heat-N-Eat family meals

· Better prepared food packaging

· Faster checkout

· More efficient labor deployment

· AI forecasting that reduces food waste

· Stronger inventory management

· Better fresh food merchandising

Artificial intelligence absolutely belongs inside grocery stores.

Just not between the customer and the shelf price.

AI can reduce shrink, forecast demand, optimize labor scheduling, improve replenishment, reduce out-of-stocks, predict fresh production, and personalize meal recommendations without creating consumer distrust.

That is where technology creates long-term shareholder value.

Electronic Shelf Labels Still Have Value

Electronic shelf labels should not be viewed solely as dynamic pricing tools.

Properly deployed, they reduce labor costs by eliminating manual price changes, improve pricing accuracy, decrease pricing errors, simplify promotions, and allow associates to spend more time helping customers and merchandising fresh foods.

Those operational efficiencies remain valuable regardless of whether individualized pricing is prohibited.

In fact, labor savings from electronic shelf labels may become one of the strongest financial justifications for adoption once public concerns surrounding surveillance pricing are addressed.

The FTC Changed the Conversation

Federal scrutiny of AI pricing practices accelerated after investigations into digital grocery pricing raised questions about transparency and consumer protection. Public confidence became just as important as technological capability.

Retailers increasingly recognize that shoppers willingly share personal information in exchange for relevant coupons, personalized recipes, loyalty rewards, and meaningful savings.

They do not expect that same information to determine the price of essential groceries.

That distinction matters.

The retailers that preserve consumer trust will strengthen long-term customer loyalty.

The Future Belongs to Grocerants

The future grocery winner will not be the company with the smartest pricing algorithm.

It will be the retailer that best answers one simple consumer question:

"What's for dinner tonight?"

Consumers continue migrating toward retailers capable of providing complete meal solutions rather than simply selling ingredients.

Every investment should help shoppers save time, simplify meal preparation, reduce cleanup, and create restaurant-quality experiences at home.

That is the Grocerant model.

That is where profitable growth continues to accelerate.

Three Grocerant Guru® Insights

1. Transparency Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage
As states increasingly regulate AI-driven pricing practices, retailers that embrace consistent pricing, meaningful loyalty rewards, and operational excellence will strengthen consumer trust while differentiating themselves in an increasingly skeptical marketplace.

2. AI Delivers Greater ROI Behind the Scenes Than at the Shelf Edge
The highest returns from artificial intelligence come from demand forecasting, labor optimization, inventory management, food waste reduction, and fresh production planning—not charging different shoppers different prices for identical products.

3. Dinner Drives the Future of Food Retail
The fastest-growing opportunity remains Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared foods. Consumers increasingly want to customize family meals using restaurant-quality meal components that are quick to serve, easy to personalize, and require minimal cleanup. Retailers that invest in the Grocerant model will compete more effectively against restaurants while improving both top-line sales and bottom-line profitability.

The Future of Grocery Isn't About Selling Groceries—It's About Selling Dinner

2026-07-07T00:07:00.000-07:00

For more than two decades Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® has said that the future of grocery retail would not be won by selling more ingredients—it would be won by making dinner easier.

Today, consumers are proving that prediction correct every day.

The fastest growing opportunity in food retail isn't convincing shoppers to cook from scratch. Instead, consumers increasingly want Ready-2-Eat (RTE) and Heat-N-Eat (HNE) fresh prepared foods, customizable meal bundles, and meal components that allow them to create a family meal in minutes—not an hour.

Digital marketplaces, grocery apps, AI-powered shopping assistants and delivery services are simply becoming the newest highways leading consumers to those meal solutions.

The destination isn't groceries.

The destination is dinner.

Consumers Have Changed the Definition of Convenience

Convenience once meant shopping quickly.

Today convenience means avoiding meal planning, reducing preparation time, minimizing cleanup and satisfying multiple family members with different tastes.

Consumers increasingly assemble meals instead of cooking them from scratch.

A typical family dinner today might include:

* Fresh prepared grilled chicken

* Restaurant-quality side dishes

* Fresh-cut fruit

* Artisan bread

* A salad kit

* Ready-made dessert

The consumer still "made dinner."

They simply didn't cook it.

That distinction is transforming every food retailer in America.

According to industry data from FMI—The Food Industry Association, Circana, and NielsenIQ, online grocery continued to account for a substantial share of grocery sales growth in 2025 as digital shopping became increasingly integrated into everyday consumer behavior. Consumers are using digital tools not merely to purchase groceries—they are searching for complete meal solutions that save both time and effort.

The Kitchen Isn't Disappearing—It's Being Reimagined

Many industry observers continue asking whether consumers will return to cooking.

They're asking the wrong question.

Consumers have already answered.

Today's shoppers are not abandoning home meals.

They're abandoning unnecessary work.

The modern family wants flexibility.

One child wants chicken tenders.

Another wants sushi.

Mom wants a fresh salad.

Dad wants barbecue brisket.

Consumers increasingly personalize meals by combining Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal components into customized family dinners that satisfy everyone around the table.

That's exactly what successful grocerants have been enabling for years.

Digital Marketplaces Are Becoming Discovery Engines

Marketplaces including grocery delivery platforms have fundamentally changed how consumers discover food.

Consumers increasingly begin their shopping journey on digital platforms where they search for convenience rather than specific retailers.

The winning retailers recognize that digital marketplaces are no longer simply delivery channels.

They have become customer acquisition platforms.

However, the retailers creating the strongest long-term customer relationships are those offering differentiated prepared foods that cannot easily be replicated elsewhere.

Anyone can sell canned soup.

Far fewer retailers can consistently deliver restaurant-quality fresh prepared meals that consumers trust.

The Prepared Foods Department Is Becoming the New Center Store

For decades, center store generated grocery profits.

Increasingly, fresh prepared foods are becoming the emotional center of the grocery shopping experience.

Why?

Because dinner drives shopping frequency.

Prepared meals generate incremental purchases.

Meal bundles increase average basket size.

Fresh prepared foods encourage impulse purchases.

Consumers purchasing dinner tonight frequently add beverages, desserts, snacks, breakfast items and tomorrow's lunch during the same shopping trip.

Dinner is no longer simply another category.

Dinner has become the traffic generator.

AI Will Recommend Meals—Not Ingredients

Artificial intelligence is poised to accelerate this transformation.

Consumers will increasingly ask:

What's for dinner?

Not:

What ingredients do I need?

AI shopping assistants will recommend complete meals based upon family size, dietary preferences, previous purchases, available promotions and time constraints.

Retailers whose prepared food content includes strong photography, accurate nutritional information, customization options and compelling meal descriptions will enjoy greater digital discoverability.

In the AI economy, dinner solutions become even more valuable than individual products.

The Future Belongs to Meal Solutions

Consumers continue demonstrating that value is no longer determined by price alone.

Today's value equation includes:

* Time savings

* Convenience

* Quality

* Portability

* Personalization

* Easy cleanup

* Family acceptance

Retailers that successfully merchandise Ready-2-Eat meals, Heat-N-Eat entrees and customizable meal components across every shopping channel—physical stores, mobile apps, delivery platforms and AI-assisted commerce—will be best positioned to capture tomorrow's food dollars.

The future of grocery isn't centered on selling more ingredients.

It's centered on helping consumers answer one simple question every day:

What's for dinner?

The retailers providing the easiest, freshest and most customizable answer will continue winning customer loyalty while driving both top-line sales and bottom-line profits.

Three Grocerant Guru® Insights

1. Dinner Has Become the New Competitive Battleground.

Consumers increasingly choose retailers based on who can solve tonight's dinner problem fastest—not who offers the lowest price on pantry staples. Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions are becoming the primary driver of shopping frequency and customer loyalty.

2. Customization Is the New Family Meal.

Families no longer expect everyone to eat the same entrée. Successful retailers merchandise meal components that allow consumers to mix, match, personalize and satisfy multiple tastes while still sharing one meal occasion.

3. Digital Discovery Must Lead to Fresh Prepared Food.

Whether consumers begin shopping through a retailer's app, a third-party marketplace or an AI-powered shopping assistant, the retailers that consistently feature differentiated fresh prepared foods and complete meal solutions will cultivate customer migration, increase basket size, and build stronger long-term brand loyalty.

Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru®

For international corporate presentations, educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions. His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking will leave success clues for all. For more information visit www.GrocerantGuru.com , www.FoodserviceSolutions.us or call 1-253-759-7869

Dining-Out While Eating-In Is Winning Every Day for Food Retailers

2026-07-06T00:02:00.000-07:00

For years restaurant operators focused almost exclusively on one metric—getting "butts in seats." Today, the marketplace tells a very different story.

At the Grocerant Guru®, we've consistently said:

"The consumer is dynamic, not static."

That statement has never been more relevant.

Today's consumer doesn't think in terms of restaurants versus grocery stores. They simply ask:

"Where can I get the best meal with the least amount of friction?"

That single shift has permanently transformed food retail.

The fastest-growing opportunities today sit squarely in the Ready-2-Eat (RTE) and Heat-N-Eat (HNE) fresh prepared foods category. Consumers are purchasing restaurant-quality meals to enjoy wherever they happen to be—at home, at work, at youth sporting events, or while traveling.

The dining room is no longer the center of the restaurant business.

The consumer's kitchen is.

Industry research throughout 2024, 2025 and into 2026 continues to reinforce several powerful trends:

• Off-premise sales now account for a substantial percentage of restaurant revenue across quick-service and fast-casual brands.

• Consumers continue to value convenience, portability, flavor consistency and value over traditional dining occasions.

• Smaller meals, meal bundles, snack-sized offerings and mix-and-match meal solutions continue to outperform traditional entrée-only thinking, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials.

• Fresh prepared foods remain one of the strongest traffic-driving departments in supermarkets, convenience stores and club stores as consumers increasingly replace cooking from scratch with professionally prepared meals.

Perhaps most importantly, consumers are becoming increasingly brand loyal—not location loyal.

If they love your food...

They want to enjoy it:

✔ At home

✔ At work

✔ At the park

✔ During family gatherings

✔ While traveling

✔ During game day

The question every food retailer should be asking isn't:

"How do we get customers into our restaurant?"

Instead ask:

"How do we get our brand into more eating occasions?"

Winning brands understand that every meal occasion represents incremental revenue.

Breakfast has become portable.

Lunch has become flexible.

Dinner has become customizable.

Late-night has become delivery.

Snacking has become a meal.

Consumers no longer organize their day around traditional meal periods—they organize it around their schedules.

That's why successful operators are investing in:

· Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions

· Meal bundles designed for families

· Portable packaging

· Limited-time flavors that create social engagement

· Digital ordering and loyalty integration

· Fresh prepared foods that travel well without sacrificing quality

At Foodservice Solutions®, we've long believed that restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores and club stores are no longer competing in separate industries.

They're competing for the same meal occasions.

The brands that understand this evolution—and build products around convenience without compromising food quality—will continue gaining market share.

The future belongs to brands that allow consumers to dine out while eating in.

Three Grocerant Guru® Insights

1. Convenience Has Become a Competitive Advantage
Consumers aren't replacing restaurants with grocery stores—they're rewarding whichever brand delivers the best combination of convenience, flavor, quality and value.

2. Every Meal Occasion Matters
Growth isn't coming from adding more dining rooms. It's coming from capturing more eating occasions throughout the day with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat solutions.

3. Brand Consistency Travels
Consumers expect the same great taste whether they're dining in, taking out, ordering delivery or enjoying your food at home. Consistent execution builds loyalty and repeat purchases.

Steven Johnson
Grocerant Guru®
Foodservice Solutions®
Tacoma, Washington

"Helping food retailers discover where consumers will eat next—not just where they'll shop next."

White Castle and Garage Beer Prove That Knowing Your Customers is the Ultimate Marketing Advantage

2026-07-05T00:05:00.000-07:00

In today's fiercely competitive food retail environment, the brands winning market share aren't simply selling products—they're selling identity, experiences, and occasions according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. White Castle's newest collaboration with Garage Beer demonstrates exactly what happens when a company truly understands its core consumer and confidently builds marketing programs around that knowledge.

This partnership is far more than another limited-time promotion. It represents an evolving playbook for customer engagement that blends foodservice, retail grocery, digital commerce, licensing, social media, and experiential marketing into one highly targeted consumer campaign.

Today's consumers expect brands to entertain as much as they expect them to satisfy hunger. White Castle clearly understands that today's "Craver" wants more than a Slider—they want to belong to a community.

That emotional connection has become one of the most valuable assets in food marketing.

The New Currency is Customer Identity

Consumers increasingly align themselves with brands that reflect their lifestyles, personalities, and values. Whether it is White Castle, Garage Beer, Buc-ee's, Trader Joe's, Chick-fil-A, Raising Cane's or Dutch Bros Coffee, successful brands cultivate passionate communities rather than simply transactional customers.

White Castle's collaboration leverages exactly that.

Instead of merely introducing another menu item, the company created an entire branded experience complete with:

· Exclusive merchandise

· Food bundles

· Frozen retail products

· Digital engagement

· Cross-brand storytelling

· Social media content

· Retail redemption coupons

· Future product launches

That approach dramatically extends customer engagement well beyond the restaurant visit.

The Super Summer Slider Starter Kit effectively transforms one purchase into multiple future purchase occasions.

That is smart marketing.

Why Food Bundles Continue Winning

Meal bundles continue gaining traction because consumers increasingly seek convenience, value, and simplified purchase decisions.

According to Circana, convenience remains one of the strongest drivers influencing food-away-from-home purchasing decisions, while value continues to rank among the leading purchase motivators across restaurant, convenience store, and grocery channels. Consumers are also combining multiple eating occasions throughout the day, creating more opportunities for bundled meal solutions.

Rather than asking customers to buy one item, White Castle assembled an experience that includes:

· Restaurant food

· Frozen grocery redemption

· Dessert

· Collectible merchandise

· Cross-brand engagement

Each component reinforces the others while increasing perceived value.

Consumers rarely evaluate these promotions strictly on price—they evaluate them on uniqueness.

Extending the Brand Beyond the Restaurant

One of the smartest elements of this collaboration is how it links foodservice with retail grocery.

The included coupons for frozen White Castle Sliders introduce another purchase occasion inside grocery stores.

This reflects one of the fastest-growing opportunities across food marketing today.

Restaurant brands continue expanding into grocery through:

· Frozen entrees

· Sauces

· Seasonings

· Snacks

· Ready-to-heat meals

· Licensed grocery products

Consumers increasingly expect to enjoy restaurant-quality foods wherever they choose to eat—at home, at work, during game day, or while entertaining.

The line separating restaurants and grocery stores continues to disappear.

That intersection is what Foodservice Solutions® has described for years as the growing Grocerant movement.

Occasion Marketing is Becoming the New Loyalty Program

Summer remains one of the strongest promotional seasons for food marketers.

Consumers gather around:

· Backyard barbecues

· Sporting events

· Tailgates

· Concerts

· Holiday weekends

· Family celebrations

White Castle and Garage Beer positioned their collaboration squarely within these social occasions.

They're not simply selling Sliders.

They're selling gatherings.

They're selling memories.

They're selling shared experiences.

Consumers remember experiences far longer than they remember discounts.

Authentic Partnerships Matter

Consumers immediately recognize when brand collaborations feel forced.

This one doesn't.

Both companies share:

· Ohio heritage

· Loyal fan communities

· Casual personalities

· Strong social media engagement

· Accessible pricing

· Everyday indulgence

That authenticity gives the collaboration credibility.

Consumers reward authenticity with trust.

Trust builds frequency.

Frequency builds lifetime customer value.

The Economics of Fan Marketing

According to multiple loyalty studies from Bond Brand Loyalty, Deloitte, and PwC, emotionally connected consumers spend more, recommend brands more often, and demonstrate significantly higher retention than purely price-driven shoppers.

Likewise, FMI research continues to show that consumers increasingly blur the distinction between eating at home and eating out, creating demand for portable, ready-to-eat and heat-and-eat meal solutions that fit multiple occasions.

That is precisely why collaborations like this work.

They create emotional engagement while simultaneously driving traffic across multiple channels:

· Restaurant visits

· E-commerce

· Grocery freezer aisles

· Social media

· Future limited-time offers

Every customer interaction creates another opportunity for incremental sales.

This is What You Do When You Truly Know Your Customer

Many companies spend millions gathering customer data.

The best companies actually use it.

White Castle clearly understands who its core customer is:

Someone looking for fun.

Someone who enjoys sharing experiences.

Someone who appreciates nostalgia.

Someone who embraces indulgence.

Someone proud to wear the brand.

Rather than chasing every consumer, White Castle chose to celebrate the customers who already love them.

That strategy often delivers a stronger return than trying to become everything to everyone.

Great brands don't simply acquire customers.

They cultivate advocates.

Those advocates become marketers.

And those marketers drive profitable growth.

As I've often said, successful food retailers don't just satisfy hunger—they create occasions worth repeating.

Three Insights from Foodservice Solutions® and the Grocerant Guru®

1. Know Your Customer Better Than Anyone Else.
When brands truly understand their primary target market, they stop competing on price alone and begin competing on emotional connection, lifestyle, and memorable experiences. Customer intimacy remains one of the most sustainable competitive advantages in food marketing.

2. Every Promotion Should Create the Next Purchase.
The smartest promotions don't end with today's sale. White Castle's integration of restaurant food, grocery redemption, merchandise, and future collaborations extends the customer journey across multiple channels, increasing both top-line revenue and long-term customer lifetime value.

3. The Future Belongs to Brands That Build Communities, Not Just Customers.
Foodservice success increasingly comes from creating brand advocates rather than simply processing transactions. When companies combine authenticity, convenience, value, portability, and social engagement, they strengthen loyalty while driving both top-line sales and bottom-line profits—the foundation of every successful Grocerant strategy.

Trader Joe's at the Intersection of Innovation, Price, and Discovery

2026-07-04T00:04:00.000-07:00

If there is one food retailer in America that consistently proves consumers don't have to choose between innovation, quality, and price, it is Trader Joe's according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® Tacoma, WA-based Foodservice Solutions®.

While many retailers continue chasing competitors, Trader Joe's continues building something far more valuable—a culture of discovery. Every shopping trip feels like a treasure hunt, where shoppers willingly explore new flavors, new formats, and new meal solutions because they trust the Trader Joe's brand.

That trust has become one of the company's greatest competitive advantages.

Today's consumers are balancing inflation, higher grocery bills, restaurant fatigue, and increasing interest in eating meals at home. Yet they still crave restaurant-quality flavors and unique food experiences. Trader Joe's sits squarely at the intersection of those consumer demands.

Unlike most retailers that compete primarily on price or assortment, Trader Joe's competes on curiosity.

Discovery Has Become the New Loyalty Program

Most grocery chains spend millions building loyalty programs that reward shoppers after the purchase.

Trader Joe's creates loyalty before the purchase through product discovery.

Consumers routinely visit stores without a shopping list because they expect to find something new.

That strategy is particularly powerful today.

Recent food industry research shows:

· Nearly 80% of U.S. consumers continue preparing most evening meals at home.

· Consumers increasingly seek affordable indulgences rather than expensive restaurant visits.

· Private label sales continue setting records, surpassing $270 billion annually in U.S. grocery sales.

· Younger consumers, particularly Millennials and Gen Z, actively seek limited-time flavors and globally inspired foods.

Trader Joe's anticipated these behavioral shifts years before many competitors.

Private Label Is the Brand

More than 80% of Trader Joe's assortment carries its own brand.

That single decision changes everything.

Instead of competing shelf-by-shelf against national brands, Trader Joe's competes against itself.

Every new frozen entrée...

Every globally inspired snack...

Every premium dessert...

Every ready-to-heat meal...

...reinforces the Trader Joe's identity rather than someone else's.

That creates stronger margins while allowing the retailer to invest more aggressively in quality ingredients and innovative product development.

Few retailers have mastered this model as effectively.

Innovation Never Stops

Many consumers still remember "Two Buck Chuck."

Introduced in 2002, Charles Shaw wine became one of the most successful value beverage launches in American retail history, eventually selling hundreds of millions of bottles while fundamentally changing consumer expectations around affordable wine.

That wasn't luck.

It was an early example of Trader Joe's ability to identify the intersection of value and consumer psychology.

Today, innovation continues across virtually every department.

Frozen international meals.

Restaurant-inspired appetizers.

Premium coffee.

Globally sourced cheeses.

Seasonal bakery items.

Unique sauces and condiments.

Plant-forward offerings.

Protein-rich snacks.

Creative beverages.

Each new item encourages exploration while reinforcing the retailer's reputation for offering something shoppers simply cannot find elsewhere.

Prepared Foods Continue Winning

One of the biggest shifts occurring across food retail is the migration toward Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions.

Consumers want convenience without sacrificing flavor.

Trader Joe's frozen meals, refrigerated entrees, salads, wraps, soups, and meal components fit directly into what I have long called the Grocerant niche.

Consumers no longer think in terms of grocery shopping versus restaurant dining.

They simply ask:

"What's for dinner?"

Trader Joe's answers that question every day with affordable meal solutions requiring little preparation while delivering restaurant-inspired flavor profiles.

That is exactly where future food growth continues.

Packaging Matters More Than Ever

Packaging has become part of the product experience.

Consumers increasingly value:

· Portion control

· Easy preparation

· Less food waste

· Portability

· Freezer convenience

· Sustainability

Trader Joe's continues refining package sizes and merchandising around real-world eating occasions rather than traditional grocery categories.

That strategy aligns perfectly with today's consumers, who often build meals by combining multiple components instead of purchasing one complete entrée.

Seasonal Products Create Excitement

Few retailers execute seasonal merchandising better.

Whether Pumpkin Season, holiday appetizers, ube products, Korean-inspired flavors, or globally influenced desserts, Trader Joe's transforms limited-time offerings into annual events.

Consumers don't merely purchase products.

They anticipate launches.

That anticipation creates social media engagement, word-of-mouth marketing, and repeat visits without relying heavily on traditional advertising.

Price Still Wins

Inflation has permanently changed consumer purchasing behavior.

Even as inflation moderates, shoppers remain focused on value.

Trader Joe's continues demonstrating that value does not mean "cheap."

Value means delivering exceptional quality relative to price.

Consumers increasingly compare restaurant meals costing $18 to $25 with complete Trader Joe's meal solutions feeding two or more people for significantly less.

That comparison favors retailers capable of delivering restaurant-quality flavors with grocery economics.

Trader Joe's understands this better than almost anyone.

The Grocerant Future

The lines separating grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, and foodservice continue disappearing.

Consumers don't care about industry classifications.

They care about solving meal occasions.

Trader Joe's has quietly become one of America's most successful Grocerants by delivering restaurant-inspired foods, innovative beverages, premium private label products, and affordable meal solutions that consumers trust.

The retailer proves that food discovery drives traffic, private label builds loyalty, and innovation creates sustainable growth.

As food retailers continue searching for the next competitive advantage, they should spend less time watching competitors and more time studying why consumers happily drive past multiple supermarkets simply to discover what's new at Trader Joe's.

That is not an accident.

It is a carefully cultivated business model built at the intersection of innovation, price, and discovery.

Four Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Discovery Is the New Destination. Consumers increasingly choose retailers that surprise and delight them with new flavors, seasonal offerings, and globally inspired meal solutions.

2. Private Label Builds Brand Equity. Trader Joe's proves that exclusive products create differentiation, improve margins, and strengthen customer loyalty better than competing solely on national brands.

3. Ready-2-Eat Is the Future of Grocery. The fastest-growing retailers will continue expanding fresh prepared foods, Heat-N-Eat meals, and mix-and-match meal components that simplify dinner decisions.

4. Price + Innovation + Trust = Sustainable Growth. Consumers reward retailers that consistently deliver exciting food experiences at affordable prices. Trader Joe's has demonstrated that this formula creates long-term customer loyalty without relying on deep discounts or complicated loyalty programs.

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

Couche-Tard's Circle K: A Grocerant Success Story

2026-07-03T00:03:00.000-07:00

How One Convenience Store Chain Quietly Changed Food Retail Forever

By the Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson

For decades, many retailers believed convenience stores existed for one purpose—fuel, cigarettes, soft drinks, and lottery tickets. Food was often an afterthought consisting of roller grill hot dogs, packaged sandwiches, and impulse snacks.

Those days are gone.

Few companies have done more to redefine convenience food than Alimentation Couche-Tard through its global Circle K banner. While many industry observers focus on fuel volumes or store acquisitions, the real transformation has occurred inside the store, where fresh prepared food has steadily evolved into a major growth engine.

From the perspective of the Grocerant Guru®, Circle K represents one of retail foodservice's great success stories because it understood something many competitors missed:

Consumers don't simply want convenience—they want restaurant-quality food available wherever they happen to be.

From Convenience Store to Food Destination

Circle K's evolution didn't happen overnight.

Founded in 1951 in El Paso, Texas, Circle K spent decades building a reputation as a traditional convenience retailer. The game changed dramatically after Canada's Alimentation Couche-Tard acquired Circle K in 2003.

Rather than merely growing through acquisitions, Couche-Tard began standardizing operations while investing heavily in fresh food, beverages, digital technology, loyalty, and customer experience.

Today Circle K operates more than 16,000 stores in over two dozen countries, making it one of the world's largest convenience retailers.

Yet scale alone doesn't explain its success.

The company recognized earlier than many competitors that consumers increasingly viewed convenience stores as legitimate meal destinations rather than emergency shopping stops.

That insight changed everything.

The Rise of the Grocerant Economy

Years before "food-to-go" became fashionable, the Grocerant Guru® discussed how consumers were blurring the lines between restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, and meal solutions.

Today's consumer doesn't ask:

"Where should I shop?"

Instead they ask:

"Where can I get something good to eat right now?"

That shift fundamentally altered food retail.

Circle K embraced this consumer behavior by steadily expanding:

· Fresh grab-and-go meals

· Made-to-order sandwiches

· Pizza programs

· Breakfast offerings

· Premium coffee

· Cold beverages

· Bakery products

· Meal bundles

· Limited-time offers

· Digital ordering

· Loyalty rewards

The result is a foodservice platform that drives repeat visits throughout the day.

Fresh Food Creates Frequency

Fuel may bring customers onto the property.

Food brings them back.

This simple truth has become one of Circle K's competitive advantages.

A commuter may stop for coffee in the morning.

Return for lunch.

Purchase an afternoon snack.

Fill up with fuel after work.

Then grab dinner on the way home.

Each visit creates another opportunity to strengthen customer loyalty while increasing basket size.

Foodservice creates reasons to visit that gasoline alone cannot.

Winning Multiple Dayparts

The most successful grocerants understand that consumers eat five to seven times each day.

Winning one meal is good.

Winning multiple eating occasions is transformational.

Circle K has expanded across virtually every daypart:

Morning
Fresh coffee, breakfast sandwiches, pastries and bakery.

Lunch
Fresh sandwiches, pizza, hot foods and bundled meals.

Afternoon
Energy beverages, snacks and grab-and-go items.

Dinner
Pizza, chicken, prepared meals and take-home meal solutions.

Late Night
Fresh food when traditional restaurants are closed.

Each eating occasion creates incremental revenue while improving customer loyalty.

Private Label Strengthens the Brand

Another important milestone has been Circle K's investment in proprietary food and beverage offerings.

Consumers increasingly associate the Circle K brand with:

· Premium coffee

· Polar Pop beverages

· Froster frozen drinks

· Fresh bakery

· Pizza

· Ready-to-eat foods

Private brands improve margins while giving customers exclusive reasons to visit.

That's exactly what successful grocerants do.

Technology Meets Convenience

Modern foodservice isn't simply about cooking food.

It is about removing friction.

Circle K has invested heavily in:

· Digital loyalty

· Mobile engagement

· Personalized promotions

· Self-checkout

· Frictionless payment

· Delivery partnerships

· Data-driven merchandising

Consumers increasingly expect convenience to be digital as well as physical.

Circle K continues moving in that direction.

Foodservice Is Becoming the Profit Engine

Across the convenience industry, prepared food generally produces significantly higher gross margins than packaged beverages or fuel.

That's why foodservice has become one of the industry's most important investment priorities.

As consumers continue replacing traditional restaurant visits with grab-and-go meals, convenience retailers capable of delivering restaurant-quality food quickly will continue gaining market share.

Circle K is exceptionally well positioned.

The Future Is "Anywhere Food"

The next evolution of food retail isn't about grocery versus restaurants.

It's about eating anywhere.

Consumers increasingly expect meals that are:

· Portable

· Affordable

· Fresh

· Fast

· Personalized

· Digitally connected

· Available whenever hunger strikes

Those expectations align perfectly with the Grocerant Guru® philosophy developed over three decades ago.

Prepared foods have become the bridge connecting grocery stores, convenience stores, restaurants, club stores, drug stores, dollar stores, and foodservice.

Circle K has become one of the strongest examples of that evolution.

Its transformation illustrates that convenience is no longer measured by proximity alone.

Today, convenience is measured by how quickly retailers solve the consumer's next meal occasion.

Retailers that recognize this reality will continue winning market share.

Those that don't risk becoming merely another place to buy gasoline.

Four Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. Foodservice Drives Loyalty Better Than Fuel Alone

Fuel may attract first-time visits, but consistently delivering fresh, high-quality prepared foods creates repeat customers and long-term loyalty.

2. Every Daypart Is a Growth Opportunity

Retailers that successfully compete for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, and late-night eating occasions maximize both traffic and profitability.

3. Private Brands Build Competitive Advantage

Exclusive food and beverage offerings differentiate retailers, improve margins, and create compelling reasons for customers to return.

4. The Future Belongs to the Grocerant

As consumer shopping habits continue to merge grocery, restaurant, convenience, and digital commerce, retailers that master Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat meal solutions will be best positioned to capture the next generation of foodservice growth.

Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru®

"Success today isn't about selling more products—it's about solving more meal occasions."