Stop & Shop is updating its in-store hot food bars to help make dinner planning easier and more affordable.

According to the Ahold Delhaize-owned supermarket chain, the refreshed self-service stations include new comfort food options, globally inspired proteins and an expanded selection of sides available at the peak dinner hours of 4–7 p.m. daily.

New protein options range from black pepper steak and bone-in ribs to Thai coconut chicken thighs and pork burnt ends — all prepared sous vide. Side dishes such as macaroni & cheese, collard greens, buttered corn, baked beans and mashed potatoes round out what Stop & Shop bills as a full “meal solution center.”

As part of the update, the price of hot bar items will drop from $10.99 per pound to $9.99 per pound. The lower price point aims to help deliver “greater value to customers looking for convenient meal options without sacrificing quality or variety,” the banner said.

The refreshed offering will roll out at more than 250 Stop & Shop stores that currently have hot bars, according to the company.

Diners dig deli-prepared foods

Stop & Shop said the move aims to enhance its popular assortment of lunch and dinner options, such as hand breaded fried chicken, bone-in wings and boneless chicken.

Headquartered in Massachusetts, Stop & Shop operates more than 350 supermarkets in the Northeast. Within New Jersey, the chain has 47 locations.

It cited data released last year by FMI – The Food Industry Association showing that grocery shoppers are growing more interested in buying deli-prepared foods in supermarkets in place of restaurant meals.

More than a quarter of consumers who took part in the survey said they buy deli-prepared foods from grocers instead of going to a restaurant, up from 12% in 2017.

As customers balance increasingly busy schedules, convenient meal solutions at their local grocery store have become more important than ever.
— Lee Nicholson, chief merchant, Stop & Shop

Stop & Shop Chief Merchant Lee Nicholson said, “Younger shoppers in particular are looking for more variety and restaurant-quality options when it comes to prepared meals. As customers balance increasingly busy schedules, convenient meal solutions at their local grocery store have become more important than ever.”

He went on, “Our hot bar updates provide more variety, strong value and the convenience shoppers are looking for when it’s time to put dinner on the table.”