Cincinnati — Kroger has opened its Culinary Innovation Center in downtown Cincinnati. Kroger commenced construction on the 12,000-square-feet, LEED-designed Center in March 2017. The commercial kitchen features multiple cooking stations, spaces and capabilities, including technology that allows video streaming of educational sessions to Kroger associates across the country.
Kroger
Cincinnati and Blackburn, U.K. — The Kroger Co. and EG Group, a privately-held petrol forecourt convenience store retailer based in Blackburn, Lancashire, U.K., have agreed to the sale of Kroger’s convenience store business unit to EG Group for $2.15 billion. The companies expect to close the transaction during the first quarter of Kroger’s fiscal year.
Cincinnati — The Kroger Co. has named key leadership promotions to support Restock Kroger. Steve McKinney, currently president of the Fry’s Food Stores division, has been promoted to senior vice president of retail divisions for the company, effective February 5, 2018. Monica Garnes, currently corporate vice president of produce-floral merchandising, will succeed McKinney as president of the Fry’s division.
Cincinnati and New York — Murray’s Cheese and Kroger will open their 400th store location near Houston tomorrow. The iconic cheese shop, which opened in 1940 in New York, offers the finest selection of cheese, meat and specialty food items to Kroger, whose family of stores includes Fred Meyer, King Soopers, Dillons, Ralphs and QFC locations across the United States.
Cincinnati — The Kroger Co. has announced the retirement of Sukanya Madlinger, senior vice president of retail divisions, and the promotion of Calvin Kaufman to succeed her. Kaufman currently serves as president of Kroger’s Louisville, Ky., division. Kroger has also promoted Ann Reed to serve as president of Kroger’s Louisville division.
Restaurant Technologies Partners With Weis Markets, Fry’s Food Stores and Price Chopper
by Katie Lee
Minneapolis — Restaurant Technologies has partnered with three grocery brands: Weis Markets, Fry’s Food Stores and Price Chopper. Over the next few months, each banner is on track to use the Total Oil Management system, a technology that automates the entire life cycle of fryer oil. Restaurant Technologies has seen double-digit growth in the industry; in 2016 the system was installed in approximately 2,000 grocery locations, with another 350 completed in 2017 so far.
Cincinnati — The Kroger Co. has named Joe Grieshaber as its new president of Fred Meyer Stores, replacing Jeff Burt, who resigned on March 20, 2017 to become Target Corporation’s senior vice president of grocery, fresh food and beverage. Grieshaber had been serving as president of Kroger’s Columbus, Ohio, division.