The Kroger Co. has launched a new food delivery service that will offer fresh meals on-demand with no service or delivery fees. The concept, called Kroger Delivery Kitchen Powered by ClusterTruck, is the result of a partnership with the software-driven, delivery-only restaurant service. The company subsidiary, which will offer multiple menus from one central scratch kitchen in each city, will initially launch in Indianapolis and Carmel, Indiana and Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, Kroger’s King Soopers banner in Colorado has rolled out its own version called King Soopers Delivery Kitchen Powered by ClusterTruck.
“The way our customers order and receive meals is evolving, and ClusterTruck’s innovative culinary and digital design is cracking the code for the future of profitable meal delivery,” said Yael Cosset, Kroger’s CIO. “Kroger is leveraging ClusterTruck’s advanced technology to ensure our customers don’t have to sacrifice quality and value for convenience when it comes to meal delivery. Kroger Delivery Kitchen Powered by ClusterTruck will allow our customers to access restaurant-quality fresh and delicious meals like never before and without having to pay excessive service or delivery fees.”
According to ClusterTruck co-founder and CEO Chris Baggott, the company model seeks to fix the model used by third-party delivery services like Grubhub and DoorDash by utilizing software to streamline when the food is made and how quickly a driver can deliver it. The food is made in ClusterTruck’s and now Kroger’s own kitchens which helps with that efficiency.
Baggott says the partnership with Kroger is just in the beginning phase, but he is hopeful to see growth in the near future. “This is a ‘crawl, walk, run’ partnership.The first thing we want to say is ‘Can we work together? Do we like each other? Is this going to be compatible going forward? Will consumers buy from Kroger Delivery Kitchen?’ You know, the idea would be, ultimately, that Kroger would open kitchens all over the country; Kroger would repurpose kitchens that already exist in stores. The sky’s the limit.”
“ClusterTruck’s ultra-fresh and quick made-from-scratch meals set them apart in the food delivery landscape,” said Suzy Monford, Kroger’s group vice president of fresh. “Kroger Delivery Kitchen customers can order pizza or Pad Thai on the same order and get it delivered hot and fresh, within minutes of the meals being prepared. We are excited to work together to bring this partnership to life to provide our customers with real food delivered to their door step!”