Kroger’s Dallas division enters restaurant supply arena

Through its Dallas division, The Kroger Co. has rolled out a new service to supply local restaurants.

Called Kroger Restaurant Supply, the offering connects restaurant operators with fresh food at wholesale prices, the Kroger Dallas Division said late yesterday. Kroger noted noted that service, now available in the Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) metropolitan area, is designed to provide restaurateurs with an alternative to ordering in large quantities carrying “highly variable” pricing and requiring deliveries on a set schedule.

Kroger Restaurant Supply offers non-fluctuating, competitive wholesale pricing; opportunities to buy items by the case or unit; and seven-days-per-week delivery, according to Kroger. The company said the new service makes it easier for local restaurants to keep customer-favorite items on the menu.

“Running a restaurant has always been difficult, and today it feels like it’s harder than ever,” Jay Scherger, director of the Kroger Technology & Digital/E-Commerce Accelerator at the Cincinnati-based supermarket giant, said in a statement. “This new service will bring our fresh assortment directly to regional businesses, all at consistent prices, product availability and delivery cadence they can count on.”

Potential Kroger Restaurant Supply customers include regional restaurants, bakeries and catering companies, Kroger said. The service offers free next-day delivery on all orders of $250 or more, and businesses can order by midnight and receive next-day deliveries seven days a week.

“Supply chain bottlenecks are impacting nearly every restaurant across the country,” commented Corey Mobley, executive director of the North Texas region of the Texas Restaurant Association. “This opportunity comes at a great time for small and independent restaurants. We’re proud to work with Kroger to strengthen our industry.” 

Restaurants and other foodservice customers can make their first order at kroger.com/restaurantsupply. The website said the service offers a “wide-range product assortment” and is geared toward smaller, more frequent orders, providing “flexibility that you won’t find with other comparable food suppliers.” Businesses must submit an EIN and Texas state tax ID to begin an order.

“Like our resident shoppers, we know our commercial customers want options and solutions that offer fresh food, consistent pricing and reliability,” stated Kroger Dallas Division President Keith Shoemaker. “When our DFW restaurants think food, we want them to think Kroger. We look forward to providing this new offering and extension of our overall grocery ecosystem.”

Overall, the Coppell, Texas-based Kroger Dallas Division has more than 15,000 employees and operates 109 retail food stores.