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SUPREME COURT CO-CREATOR PRONOUNCES JUDGMENT

ATLANTA -- The Supreme Court concept -- the first restaurant-branded food court launched in a supermarket and closed after a year -- provided valuable lessons in what works and what doesn't when it comes to supermarket food service, according to Ira Blumenthal, co-creator and co-developer of the concept.The Supreme Court was launched in 1992 at a Ball's Price Chopper store in Kansas City, Mo., and

ATLANTA -- The Supreme Court concept -- the first restaurant-branded food court launched in a supermarket and closed after a year -- provided valuable lessons in what works and what doesn't when it comes to supermarket food service, according to Ira Blumenthal, co-creator and co-developer of the concept.

The Supreme Court was launched in 1992 at a Ball's Price Chopper store in Kansas City, Mo., and closed in a year due to some missteps in execution.

In an interview last week with SN, Blumenthal said if he were to re-invent the Supreme Court, he would design it for mostly off-premises eating.

He'd also cut down on "theater" and create very little of the product in-store. He'd bundle entrees and sides with beverages and desserts to make a meal. And then, he'd work harder at "commercializing" the concept in order to compete effectively with traditional food-service outlets, he said.

"I learned that, with certain exceptions, the supermarket is not going to become a destination restaurant for sit-down food business," Blumenthal said.

"Wegmans, a recognized supermarket food-service leader, has obviously relearned that, too. It's illustrated in their new store in Rochester, N.Y., which almost exclusively focuses on off-premise food service.

"The Supreme Court had too many tables and chairs. Marketing and selling restaurant-quality food doesn't necessarily mean one is in the restaurant business. Today, I would focus on credibility, appeal and brand recognition to make the supermarket a destination for meals," Blumenthal said.

He said that since The Supreme Court, supermarket chains such as Giant Food, Landover, Md.; Dominick's Finer Foods, Northlake, Ill.; Harris Teeter, Charlotte, N.C.; and Publix Super Markets, Lakeland, Fla., have developed what he considers the right formula for blending value-added components for assembly in-store with items that require more preparation and more labor.

"The Supreme Court had a state-of-the-industry kitchen with equipment capable of cross utilization and space enough to cook a banquet for 500. Almost everything was made from scratch, and as a result, our labor cost was sky high."

Now, technology is producing improved, value-added products that need only be assembled in-store and manufacturers also are willing to tailor-make entrees to specifications, he said.

"The more assembly and value-added components kits that a supermarket operator can use, the better," Blumenthal said. He also recommended sourcing some products fully prepared.

"Lasagna, for example, is a cumbersome item to make from scratch. With labor at a premium, it makes sense to outsource a product like that," Blumenthal said. "There are manufacturers who are making great lasagna and they'll make it to your specifications. One store might want it made with beef, another with pork," he added.

Successful supermarket operators, such as the ones Blumenthal cited, have to figure out which products should be outsourced and which should be kept in-house, he said. But there are some products, signature items, supermarkets may rightfully insist on producing themselves, he said.

"Publix's meat loaf is a case in point. There are good meat processors all over the country making good-quality meat loaf. You can get it fully or partially cooked, sauced, sliced. You name it," he said.

"But meat loaf is a product Publix wouldn't farm out because it's sacred to them," Blumenthal said. Boston Market, too, feels that way about its macaroni and cheese, he said. He said that company has turned down at least five manufacturers who couldn't duplicate its macaroni and cheese to its satisfaction.

With a cutback on in-store prep, a lot of "theater" goes, too, but that's OK, he said.

"There was a lot of display cooking at the Supreme Court, but I'd keep that to a minimum now. Supermarket chains such as H-E-B, Ukrop's, Wegmans, Byerly's, Gelson's and Publix primarily showcase the food, with very little theater," Blumenthal said. Theater is labor-intensive and today's meals shopper "doesn't have time to view an act anyway," he said.

It's the quality of the food that counts, he stressed.

"You can flip pizza dough and dice onions all you want, but the product may not live up to the customer's expectations. In the end, food wins because it tastes good," he said.

Blumenthal has changed his mind, too, about what's best to offer busy consumers. He said he would concentrate on bundling appetizers, soups, entrees, bread and dessert, et cetera, into a meal because that's what today's consumer wants.

"You had to do a lot of walking at The Supreme Court to buy a complete meal," he said. He cited a supermarket chain that is doing a good job of selling the whole meal.

"At a Ukrop's Super Market, in Richmond [Va.], I found one section where I could pick up an appetizer, salad and soup and then by walking a few more feet, I could pick out an entree, sides and some bread. Then I could walk a few more feet and add a dessert. Not only that, but many of the entrees had a starburst pressure-sensitive label on them, which entitled me to "cents off" on either a cold fountain beverage or a six-pack of soda."

One very positive lesson that came from The Supreme Court was that an anchor brand can help develop credibility that spreads to an unknown or proprietary brand in a food court, he said.

Kroger in Houston is putting Pizza Hut, KFC and Taco Bell, three restaurant brands, with The Sara Lee Sandwich Shoppe, a manufacturer brand, and then is adding a proprietary brand in some locations. "That's a great strategy," he said.

In conclusion, Blumenthal said he would concentrate on commercializing in-store food service by using strategies similar to those successful operators in traditional food service employ. Meal deals, combo meals, kids' clubs, birthday programs, aggressive sampling programs, menu boards with four-color art and photography, are all vital to compete successfully, he said.

Savvy marketing techniques are a must, he said. Vons Cos., Arcadia, Calif., for instance, has drive-through windows at several of its locations and Ball's Price Chopper is faxing the day's special in the food-service department to local businesses, he pointed out.

"The Supreme Court may have adjourned in 1993, but the lessons learned from this landmark case should help us all go on," Blumenthal said.