Schnuck Markets grows Local Grab and Go program with Black-owned restaurants

St. Louis-based Schnuck Markets is expanding its grab-and-go meal partnerships with locally owned restaurants, now with a focus on teaming up with Black-owned businesses.

To assist St. Louis-area eateries hit hard financially during the coronavirus pandemic, Schnucks in late April 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 — Revel Kitchen, Crispy Edge, Seoul Taco, Nudo House, Crushed Red and Hot Box Cookies — to deli grab-and-go coolers and the frozen department at selected Schnucks stores in the St. Louis market.

Schnucks said Thursday that customers now will find offerings from area Black-owned restaurants Royally Baked, The Fattened Caf, Patty’s Cheesecakes, Bold Spoon Creamery, Cathy’s Kitchen and Ms. Piggies’ Smokehouse at designated stores.

“We’re committed to supporting our neighboring restaurants at a time when many are struggling because of pandemic restrictions on space and occupancy,” explained Andy DeCou, specialty deli category manager at Schnucks, who said he and other Schnucks associates sought more local restaurant owners interested in partnering with the grocer to extend their reach to customers. “After reading ‘Black-Owned Restaurants to Support in St. Louis Right Now’ in Feast Magazine, we called these restaurateurs and invited them to sell their unique offerings in our stores.”

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Of the new restaurants joining the Local Grab and Go program, Bold Spoon Creamery has menu items at five Schnucks stores, Royally Baked at seven stores, The Fattened Caf at three stores, Patty’s Cheesecakes at four stores, Cathy’s Kitchen at five stores and Ms. Piggies’ Smokehouse at four stores.

Bold Spoon Creamery founder and owner Rachel Burns displays her company's ice cream at a Schnucks store.

St. Louis-based Bold Spoon Creamery is offering pints of its lemon curd, roasted peach, garden mint, goat cheese and fig, and salted chocolate ice creams in the frozen section at Schnuck stores in Woods Mill, Lindbergh, Ladue, Des Peres and Richmond, Mo. According to Rachel Burns, founder and owner of Bold Spoon Creamery founder, the partnership with Schnucks provides “an exceptional opportunity” to her small business.

“As a St. Louis native, I’ve been coming to Schnucks my entire life. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to partner with Schnucks, a local business that shares our mission of supporting other local businesses,” said Burns, who operates family-owned Bold Spoon Creamery with her husband, son and brother. “We use local ingredients in all of our ice cream, so this partnership not only helps us, but many other local businesses just like ours as well.”

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The six additions bring the participating food vendors in the Local Grab and Go program to 13. Schnucks also has added St. Louis-based Field to Fire (recently rebranded from Kitchen Kulture), offering its yellow tomato gazpacho and green tea soba noodles with roasted mushroom and tofu at stores in Kirkwood, Hampton and Richmond, Mo. Plans call for the grocer to add several more restaurants in the coming weeks.

Overall, Schnuck Markets operates 113 stores in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa.