SHOPRITE GIVES HOT FOOD TOUR

ROSEANNE HARPER

NORWALK, Conn. -- Japanese retail food executives seeking a cutting-edge hot food program were treated to one at a supermarket operated by Super Grade A ShopRite here.

The group of 40 foreign executives toured the hot food operation of a 65,000-square-foot ShopRite store owned by the Cingari family, which also owns and operates two other Grade A ShopRite units in Connecticut.

During the tour, the Japanese and American retailers discussed ideas for merchandising hot and cold prepared foods. The Cingari family's stores are supplied by cooperative wholesaler Wakefern Food Corp., Elizabeth, N.J.

The store was chosen for the visit by Nick Milillo, president of N.J. Milillo Associates, a retail food consulting firm based here that was serving as host to the visitors.

"At the Super Grade A ShopRite store, the group from Japan was very impressed by the variety of hot foods offered and by the cleanliness of the operation," said Milillo, who had helped the Cingari's launch their hot food program several months ago.

The Cingari program consists of 13 hot items that are served up fresh from an in-line, self-service hot table.

The station features open food production with Asian chefs stir-frying vegetables and chicken in woks. Hot entrees include several stir-fry chicken dishes as well as shrimp chow mein and store-made egg rolls.

A number of store-made comfort foods like glazed ham, meatloaf, roast turkey, baked scrod, sausage and peppers, lasagna, steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes fill out the menu. The food is priced at $3.29 a pound.

The hot bar is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. There is no seating area.

"It's all take-out, but it's not just lunch business. When we were there in the middle of the afternoon, there were at least 12 people at the hot bar," Milillo said.

The touring group was particularly impressed with how appetizing the food looked. "We stressed that the presentation is every bit as important as the food itself," Milillo said.

As long as the hot food bar is open and operating, the store keeps one dedicated associate on hand just to keeping the area clean and doing whatever else is needed to keep the food looking good.

Milillo said he made it clear to the visitors that not all ShopRite banner stores have hot food programs like the one they saw.

"We pointed out that all ShopRites are not alike, as are many of the units in large chains in this country. The Cingari's ShopRites are good examples of stores that have their own personalities," Milillo said.

Milillo had earlier conducted a seminar for the group from Japan on packaging, marketing ideas and innovative fresh food concepts at the Sheraton Hotel in nearby Stamford, Conn., and considered the store tour an exercise in the practical execution of those concepts.

The seminar was coordinated by Milillo's firm and Japan/ American/Canada Enterprises, an organization that encourages Japanese retailers to expand their knowledge by visiting other countries to study their business approaches.