Kroger Co.'s Kitchen 1883 could lead to other new restaurant concepts

Kitchen 1883, the Kroger Co.’s first attempt at launching its own restaurant concept, has debuted to one-hour wait times in Union, Kentucky. “We do a great brunch business on Saturday and Sunday,” said General Manager Jay Denham. “We have lots of families coming in, people coming in while their significant other goes next door and grocery shops.” The 94-seat restaurant is part of Kroger's larger attempt to gain what CEO Rodney McMullen has called “stomach share.” It’s developing in-store dining options that compete not only against other grocery chains but also in the larger $1.5 trillion food industry that includes restaurants. Kitchen 1883 is “a novel concept” that will benefit from being part of a brand new Kroger Marketplace store, said David Sheehy, a retail and restaurant specialist for Anchor Associates.