Kroger opens second restaurant kitchen with Kitchen United

The Kroger Co. has opened a Kitchen United MIX ghost kitchen inside a Kroger supermarket in Houston, marking its second location with restaurant hub operator Kitchen United.

Located in the Kroger store at 1035 N. Shepherd Dr. in Houston, the new kitchen center enables customers to place orders online or through a mobile device or an in-person ordering kiosk using Kitchen United’s MIX platform and then pick up their meals on-site or have them delivered. Restaurant staff prepare the orders, with delivery service fees set by third-party providers.

Currently, customers can choose from 15 eateries, including local and national restaurant brands such as Burns Original BBQ, The Rustic, Fuddruckers, Buca di Beppo, Dog Haus, Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop, MrBeast Burger, Snowfox, Bad-Ass Breakfast Burritos, Wing Zone, The Impossible Shop, Joe Leo, Bad Mutha Clucka, Plant B and Jailbird. Shoppers also can mix orders from multiple restaurants and have their purchases grouped on one receipt. The location operates Sunday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“We are thrilled and proud to be the first Kroger location in Texas to launch this exciting and innovative partnership,” Laura Gump, president of Kroger’s Houston division, said in a statement. “‘What’s for Dinner?’ is a question that’s always on the minds of our customers, and being able to offer a fresh and tasty selection, paired with friendly service, is the experience we strive to provide each day. This partnership emphasizes how we continue to advance our ‘Fresh for Everyone’ strategy.”

Related:Ralphs debuts restaurant kitchen in Westwood L.A. store

The Kitchen United Mix in the Kroger Houston store, situated in the city’s The Heights neighborhood, follows the early January opening of the companies’ first restaurant kitchen inside a Ralphs supermarket in Westwood, Calif. Kroger and Pasadena, Calif.-based Kitchen United announced their national partnership last August.

“Kitchen United MIX is proud to introduce our multi-restaurant ordering platform to more shoppers through our newest grocery installation with Kroger,” stated Kitchen United CEO Michael Montagano. “We recently launched our first ‘store within a store’ at a Ralphs in Los Angeles, and it’s been incredibly popular. Kitchen United MIX is revolutionizing the way people order takeout, and we’re thrilled to provide this one-of-a-kind experience to Kroger shoppers in The Heights neighborhood of Houston. By partnering with Kroger, we now offer Houstonians a variety of delicious meals for delivery as well as for pick up as they shop.”

Related:Kroger to serve up restaurant meals on demand in ghost kitchen partnership

The Kitchen United partnership marks the second on-site ghost kitchen collaboration that Cincinnati-based Kroger has announced since the fall of 2020. That October, the grocer unveiled plans to launch two ghost kitchens with ClusterTruck inside stores in metropolitan Indianapolis and outside Columbus, Ohio, for on-demand delivery of freshly prepared meals. The rollout followed a pilot of a meal service — dubbed Kroger Delivery Kitchen Powered by ClusterTruck — from off-site “scratch kitchens” in late 2019.

“Our customers know they can count on Kroger as a destination for the freshest meal solutions,” commented Dan De La Rosa, group vice president of fresh merchandising for Kroger. “The Kitchen United collaboration provides another simple, on-demand meal option within our stores. It is one more example of how Kroger is fulfilling our commitment to anything, anywhere, anytime.”