A Meijer store in Brighton, Michigan, opened a sushi and craft beer bar Feb. 7. Hissho Sushi and Bell’s Brewery teamed with the retailer to introduce the brand-new concept to the market. 

“This is a great opportunity to provide customers another option to consider while shopping our stores,” says Becky Bronkema, Meijer’s director of merchandising.  “We offer fresh to-go options including pizza, sandwiches and sushi at most of our stores already, so we envision the instore restaurant concept to allow local neighbors to meet friends, have a quick business meeting or just grab a quick snack while checking grocery shopping off their list of to-dos.” 

Supermarket prepared foods are the fasting growing sector of the foodservice industry, according to the Food Marketing Institute. Research conducted by Hissho found that consumers want more than product variety and competitive pricing. They also want an experience. 

The new 840 square-foot instore restaurant will offer customers fresh, hand-rolled sushi, hot appetizers, and even morning breakfast options, with a changing list of craft beer on tap. The sit-down dining experience is staffed by a team of 15 associates. 

“With this new concept, Hissho Sushi is redefining the experience of a customer’s evening at their local grocery store,” says Dan Beem, CEO of Hissho Sushi. “It is our commitment to deliver hand-crafted, premium sushi that’s prepared by local chefs daily to Meijer shoppers. The Hissho Sushi & Craft Beer Bar allows us to go even further, providing one-of-a-kind experiences where shoppers can conveniently enjoy our products, a local craft beer and get in their weekly grocery run.”