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Coborn’s begins pilot program of salad bars with an edge

The high-tech units come with a variety of benefits

Bill Wilson, Senior editor at Supermarket News

March 25, 2024

1 Min Read
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The salad bar constantly rotates menu items for new options and offers seasonal varieties, and also offers plant-based proteins, grains, and seafood.Coborn's

Coborn’s Inc. is getting into the high-tech business with its salad bars. 

The St. Cloud, Minn.-based grocer is teaming with Swedish salad company Picadelli to offer next-generation salad bars at two of its stores in Sauk Rapids and Waite Park, and soon a total of 15 locations will be involved in the pilot program. 

The salad bars use digital signage and touch screens to show nutritional values of all ingredients and temperature-controlled food compartments to ensure food safety and less food waste. 

“This salad bar features innovative technology to keep food safe and prioritizes variety and proper food hygiene,” said Dennis Host, senior vice president of Marketing and Communications for Coborn’s. “During the COVID pandemic, we were forced to close almost all of our self-service salad bar offerings to ensure our guests’ safety.” 

The salad bar constantly rotates menu items for new options and offers seasonal varieties, and also offers plant-based proteins, grains, and seafood. 

Temperature hood sensors, shielding hoods, and an air flow refrigeration system are other features of the salad bar. 

Coborn’s Inc. has more than 135 stores spread throughout the Midwest. 

 

About the Author

Bill Wilson

Senior editor at Supermarket News

Bill Wilson is the senior editor at Supermarket News, covering all things grocery and retail. He has been a journalist in the B2B industry for 25 years. He has received two Robert F. Boger awards for his work as a journalist in the infrastructure industry and has over 25 editorial awards total in his career. He graduated cum laude from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a major in broadcast communications.

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