6 Grocery Stores Where the Salad Bar is the Star
Grocery stores all serve the same purpose, but the experience at every chain vastly differs. While some offer a no-frills shopping trip others lure customers in with thoughtful curated events or an enticing salad bar, but let's be honest–not every grocery store salad bar lives up to customer's wants. Some don't have a well maintained bar with fresh produce or a good variety. Nobody wants to pay for a salad bar that doesn't have a nice selection of vibrant crunchy veggies or poor quality hot items that look uneatable. While it's pricey to operate a successful salad bar, some chains are trying to enter the market and are stepping up.
To meet the growing demand for healthy, quick yet customizable meals on the go, many stores are pouring money into technology and high quality food to attract customers. Here's six grocers setting new standards for salad bars.
Weis Markets
Weis Markets has over 200 stores located in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, and West Virginia. The chain has always been a fan favorite thanks to their diverse variety, affordable prices, top-notch items and friendly customer service.
But the grocer is elevating the store experience further by focusing on salad bars and offering a unique experience. A few stores have installed Picadeli salad bars in the Northeast locations to provide fresh produce with enhanced tech such as AI-based reordering, QR-code scanning for freshness and hygiene features to ensure food safety.
However Weis Markets takes their salad bar game to the next level by employing a team of dietitians to help create healthy options and who customers can chat with for a free nutrition consultation, cooking class or community event, per their website.
Schnucks Markets
Schnucks Markets is a family-owned chain that was founded in St. Louis in 1939 and has since grown to 114 stores across four states: Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. While many stores shut down salad bars due to the pandemic, Schnucks Markets announced in 2023 they were adding Picadeli–an AI-powered salad bar to 22 stores, which have since launched and customers love it.
"Schnucks new salad bars are so good and have a ton of options," a Redditor wrote.
Another user agreed and shared, "I like the Picadilly one at Schnuck's. Expensive but tasty."
Coborn's
The first Corbon's opened in Sauk Rapids, MN in 1921 and has grown to 77 employee-owned stores throughout the Midwest and the chain is another one trying to attract customers with the Picadeli tech savvy salad bars.
According to Grocery Dive, Coborn's is in the process of adding Picadeli in 15 stores to offer a customizable salad experience with tech features like self-closing hoods and sanitizing stations. Some have already launched and shoppers are happy with the upgraded salad bar.
A Yelp reviewer raved, "Coborn's salad bar is outstanding. Fresh salad: three different types of lettuce. Many different veggies including fresh pasta salads. Hard boiled eggs, croutons, pepitas, sunflower seeds. 4 different dressings. Nice price $9.99."
Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee is an employee-owned Midwest-based grocery chain that's been recognized as the No. 1 best grocery store in the U.S.by USA Today 10 Best in part because of their impressive salad bar. The grocer partners with local farmers to provide fresh produce and the expansive salad bar is not over priced.
According to Hy-Vee's website, a pound of fresh salad is just $3.79 every day.
Whole Foods
Whole Foods hasn't enlisted the latest technology, but instead has always focused on selling high quality items and fresh produce, so it's no surprise that their salad bar continues to blow the competition away. While it's not cheap, Whole Foods provides a wide variety of organic produce, grain-based bowls and several choices for proteins like grilled chicken, salmon and tofu that caters to health-conscious shoppers.
There's also an olive bar, which sets apart their salad bar from others, plus, you can always find unique toppings, roasted veggies and different hot bar items like samosas you can't get at other chains. In addition, there's plenty of vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Although the price is a major downside, people still love to treat themselves to a Whole Foods salad bar.
On Reddit a shopper wrote, "Even though it leaves me financially ruined I just want to say I LOVE THE WHOLE FOODS SALAD BAR. It is a source of endless joy and it's so delicious. If I ever feel like splurging this is my go to."
Another user also commented about the high cost and wrote, "A Whole Foods salad box is definitely one of my guilty pleasures! All the options! …think my total was $22 once."
Albertsons
Albertsons is another popular chain who is using Picadeli's smart salad bars in several Safeway, ACME, and Kings stores in Washington, D.C., Maryland and New Jersey, according to Supermarket News.
"Picadeli has created an innovative, technology-forward solution to address the strong demand for healthy, affordable foods that can be customized quickly," said Jewel Hunt, group VP of deli foodservice for Albertsons, in a statement per Supermarket News. "Fresh meal solutions is a category where we are continuing to differentiate our offerings, and by introducing Picadeli, we are giving our customers a great option for healthy meals at an affordable price."
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