Ralphs and Kitchen United MIX open first location

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ralphs and Kitchen United MIX announced today the opening of the first kitchen center in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. Customers can build their freshly prepared, on-demand restaurant meals from any or all of the participating restaurants to satisfy even the pickiest eaters.

"When our customers think of food, they think of Kroger," said Dan De La Rosa, Group Vice President of Fresh Merchandising for Kroger. "The Kitchen United collaboration provides the fresh, on-demand meals our customers crave. It is one more innovative example of how Kroger is fulfilling its commitment to anything, anywhere, anytime."

The Los Angeles location is the first of the Kroger-Kitchen United collaboration. Additional locations in Texas are anticipated to open later in the month.

"We couldn't be prouder that Kroger and Kitchen United chose to open the collaboration's first location in Ralphs," said Kendra Doyel, Vice President - Merchandising, Ralphs. "Our customers come to us to find the freshest food and to answer the all-important 'what's for dinner?' question. This collaboration provides our customers one more simple meal solution that they can pair with Ralphs' fresh products."

The kitchen center will enable customers to place an order digitally using Kitchen United's proprietary MIX platform via web, mobile, or an in-person ordering kiosk. Customers can then pick up their meal onsite or have it delivered. Restaurant staff will prepare the orders and delivery service fees will be determined by third-party providers.

"We proudly operate successful ghost kitchens across the country and will apply that expertise to reimagine takeout and delivery within Kroger stores," said Michael Montagano, Chief Executive Officer of Kitchen United. "Our work together provides millions of Kroger customers access to their favorite restaurant cuisines in a convenient supermarket format, while providing Kitchen United and our restaurant partners a high-touch, interactive storefront. We are excited to bring this creative solution to the Westwood community."

The off-premise restaurant kitchen is located in the Westwood Ralphs at 10861 Weyburn Avenue, Los Angeles, Calif. 90024. Shoppers can choose to mix and match their meals from Fresh Brothers, Bushi by Jinya, Sajj Mediterranean, Doghaus and more. Customers can place their orders from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., 7 days a week. For a complete list of restaurants, hours and ordering information, please click here.

The off-premise restaurant kitchen is the first to open after Ralphs' parent company Kroger and Kitchen United announced its national partnership in August 2021. This innovative approach brings fresh, restaurant-quality meals directly to Ralphs shoppers.

"We first partnered with Kitchen United MIX in Pasadena," said Geoff Goodman, CEO of Fresh Brothers. "Their operations team is wonderful to work with and their collaboration with Kroger so ground-breaking, we jumped at the opportunity to be part of this innovative offering in the heart of Bruin country. With UCLA just steps away, along with strong residential, office and healthcare audiences, we felt this would be an ideal fit for our brand. We're very excited to be part of the Westwood Village community."  

About Ralphs
At Ralphs, a company of The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are 18,000 associates in 184 stores who serve customers daily through a seamless shopping experience throughout Southern California and the Central Coast. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site

About Kitchen United MIX
Founded in 2017, Kitchen United is a leading provider of restaurant hub technology, streamlined logistics and turn-key commercial kitchen space that empowers foodservice operators to tap into the growing off-premise business opportunity and offers consumers a first-of-its-kind to-go experience. The company offers a value-driven, low-risk way for emerging and established restaurant brands to enter into new markets, grow revenue through off-premise dining and expand delivery areas. For additional information, please visit: http://www.kitchenunited.com.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.