CHICAGO, March 25, 2026 - Regional grocer Stop & Shop this week announced a major upgrade of its in-store hot bars, a move the Ahold Delhaize-owned supermarket chain said it hopes positions it as a “dinner destination.”
The refreshed self-serve dinners and sides feature comfort food options and globally inspired proteins, which will be served from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily, the Quincy, Massachusetts-based grocer said in a statement.
In rolling out the update, Stop & Shop also said it would lower the price of hot bar items by $1, to $9.99 per pound.
New protein options, some of which are cooked sous vide, include black pepper steak, Thai coconut chicken thighs, white wine mushroom chicken thighs, bone-in ribs and pork burnt ends, the grocer said. Updated side dishes include mashed potatoes, buttered corn, baked beans, collard greens, and mac & cheese.
“As customers balance increasingly busy schedules, convenient meal solutions at their local grocery store have become more important than ever,” Stop & Shop Chief Merchant Lee Nicholson said. “Our hot bar updates provide more variety, strong value, and the convenience shoppers are looking for when it’s time to put dinner on the table.”
Stop & Shop operates more than 350 stores across Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey, about 250 of which are equipped with hot bars with dinner and lunch offerings such as hand-breaded fried chicken and boneless chicken in several different sauces.
The hot bar makeover comes as consumers are increasingly turning to supermarkets as prepared meal destinations.
The share of shoppers choosing deli-prepared foods over restaurant meals more than doubled from 2017 (12%) to 2025 (28%), according to a retail foodservice report released by FMI – The Food Industry Association last fall.
What’s more, retail foodservice dollar sales rose 1.6% to $52.1 billion year over year in 2025, FMI found.
“Having a signature item helps retailers ground their value proposition to the consumer,” Andrew Brown, senior manager of industry relations at FMI, said in releasing the report. “This helps reduce decision fatigue, and if you deliver on quality and taste, you will have customers coming back again and again for that exact item.”
Plus, Stop & Shop’s decision to debut an upgraded prepared protein assortment comes at the right time: Consumers are protein-obsessed right now, particularly those taking GLP-1 drugs for weight loss.
Fast-casual chain Chipotle Mexican Grill, for example, launched its first High Protein Menu late last year. The platform features a High Protein Cup, which is simply a container of Adobo Chicken boasting 32 grams of protein.
Chipotle executives told analysts last month that orders featuring extra protein increased 35% and the chain’s double protein promotion during the fourth quarter drove a record digital sales day.
Heather Lalley is the director of communications for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association. A lifelong journalist, Lalley has previously worked with industry publications including Restaurant Business, CSP Daily News, Supermarket News and Foodservice Director.