Schnuck Markets serves up modern Asian cuisine via new restaurant partner

Extending its partnerships with local restaurants, Schnuck Markets plans to carry a line of pan-Asian grab-and-go entrees and appetizers from Sister Sister Kitchen in St. Louis.

Schnucks said Wednesday that the Sister Sister Kitchen items will be sold in the deli and prepared foods sections at all of its store locations. Offerings will include entrees such as General Tso’s chicken, vegetable lo mein and Singapore noodles along with appetizers like egg rolls, potstickers, crab rangoon and many others.

Part of St. Louis-based LuLu Restaurant Group, Sister Sister Kitchen describes itself as a contemporary restaurant concept offering a modern twist on favorite Asian dishes, including dim sum and vegetarian options in addition to appetizers and entrees.

“Sister Sister is combining recipes and family traditions to bring our shoppers their modern Asian favorites,” Geoff Wexler, vice president of deli and prepared foods at Schnuck Markets, said in a statement. “We’re proud to offer their high-quality, tasty foods to Schnucks customers in all of our stores.”

Overall, St. Louis-based Schnucks operates 111 stores in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.

Part of LuLu Restaurant Group, Sister Sister Kitchen bills itself as offering a contemporary twist on Asian favorites, including appetizers, entrees, dim sum and vegetarian options.

Sister Sister Kitchen was founded by Julia Li, whose family owns 20-year-old LuLu Restaurant Group. The company operates five Chinese restaurants, including one seafood restaurant and two express locations (both inside Dierbergs Markets stores), in the St. Louis area, where it also runs a food truck service and an Asian specialty market.

“Food brings people of all different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs together. St Louis is an incredible city with multigenerational immigrant families. I’m a proud Midwesterner and a proud Asian-American,” Li commented. “Inclusion is celebrating the mosaic of cultures and cuisines of all Americans, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to share the next generation of recipes with Schnucks customers.”

To help St. Louis-area eateries hit hard financially during the COVID-19 pandemic, Schnucks in April 2020 launched Local Grab and Go, a program to carry a selection of restaurant menu items at some of its supermarkets. The effort began with the rollout of meals, side dishes, snacks and other offerings from six local restaurants to deli grab-and-go coolers and the frozen department at selected Schnucks stores in the St. Louis market. Schnucks expanded the program in July 2020 to include offerings from local Black-owned restaurants.

Schnucks Local Grab and Go now has 22 partners, with foods ranging from Italian, barbecue, Asian, Filipino and American to ice cream, sauces and baked goods, displayed in the deli, frozen, bakery departments and local racks and center-store aisles in selected stores.