ShopRite owners serve it up Fresh to Table

A pair of ShopRite owners have rolled out Wakefern Food Corp.’s “Fresh to Table” meal solutions sections to more stores.

Fresh to Table, unveiled in fall 2020, is a store-within-a-store concept that spotlights meal solutions and healthy, on-trend foods in a variety of grab-and-go formats. Designed within each supermarket’s footprint, the retail format melds elements of the produce and fresh food departments to provide a one-stop-shopping experience for different meal occasions, including sections called Prep & Eat with ready-to-cook items, Heat & Eat with ready-to-heat and -serve items, and Grab & Eat ready-to-eat meals. Prominent signage makes it easier for customers to navigate the space and select meal items.

RoNetco Supermarkets Inc., based in Ledgewood, N.J., and owned and operated by the Romano family, said last week it has launched Fresh to Table at its ShopRite locations in Newton, Sparta, Byram Township, Mansfield Township and Succasunna, N.J.

“Fresh to Table offers a whole new way for customers to access fresh foods and take home easy-to-prepare meals,” Dominick Romano, vice president and chief operating officer of RoNetco Supermarkets, said in a statement. “The combination of wholesome seasonal foods, an outstanding variety of products and convenience is designed to help our customers find the meal solutions they are looking for at the best possible price.”

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Also part of Fresh to Table is the One Stop Dinner Shop area, which showcases five-ingredient meals devised by ShopRite chefs and dietitians. Meal offerings change weekly. ShopRite chefs and dietitians also draw from fresh departments across the store — including meat, seafood, produce, bakery and others — to highlight on-trend and seasonal foods for the Tasty & Trending section, aimed at encouraging shoppers to explore unique and healthy food options. Items change every couple of weeks. The multipurpose Fresh to Table space, too, includes new specialty foods from Wakefern’s Bowl & Basket and Wholesome Pantry own brands.

Edison, N.J.-based ShopRite Supermarkets Inc. went live with Fresh to Table at its ShopRite store in Warwick, N.Y., last month. The company owns and operates 36 ShopRite supermarkets in New York’s Hudson Valley and Capital Region as well as in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

“We’re excited to expand our fresh food offerings at the ShopRite of Warwick with our Fresh to Table department,” commented Steve Savas, president of ShopRite Supermarkets. “Fresh to Table is a unique new store experience that provides delicious, fresh-made meals and chef-prepared dishes along with nutritious ingredients to make preparing wholesome meals an easy, no-stress task for our customers.”