There is a bit of a foodie tug-of-war going on.
And the ropes are stretched between grocery stores, restaurants and fast food.
That’s because nationwide consumers are increasingly turning to food markets for already-prepared or grab-and-go meals rather than dining in or ordering from restaurants, according to a report from grocery retail trade group FMI—The Food Industry Association.
FMI has the stats to back it up. The report says diners choosing deli-prepared foods instead of restaurants more than doubled from 2017 to 2025, increasing from 12% to 28%.
And 23% of shoppers said they are eschewing chewing meals at fast-food or fast-casual restaurants.
So what’s the big difference? Nowadays we think of the grocery store delis, hot food buffets, sushi counters, pizza kiosks, soup and salad bars, and cases with ready-to-eat items as a legit option to traditional restaurants.
And some recent developments have possibly been feeding the trend.
Aldi started rolling out seven new ready-made meals in October (expected to be nationwide by January 2027).
Restaurant chains such as Wendy’s, Pizza Hut, Red Lobster, Papa John’s, Bahama Breeze and Starbucks have either already closed or plan to soon close hundreds of locations.
On the other hand, grocery stores such as Winn-Dixie, Joseph’s Classic Market, Whole Foods, Plum Market, Publix and Doris Italian Market & Bakery tell the South Florida Sun Sentinel that they have noticed increased interest in their prepared foods sections and some are expanding the category.
“There is definitely a trend of more people purchasing prepared foods versus food to cook at home,” said Jacqueline Alfano, Doris Italian Market & Bakery’s marketing and administration director. “We find that families, working parents and young professionals choose the convenience of already-prepared foods.”
John Acierno, president of Joseph’s Classic Market, said, “Prepared foods have always been central to the Joseph’s experience, and customer interest remains strong. People appreciate the convenience of enjoying chef-prepared meals without the time commitment or price of dining at a restaurant. That combination of quality, convenience and value continues to resonate with our customers.”
The Winn-Dixie Company says it has seen success and has gone bigger with the category in some locations.
“We have seen growing customer interest in convenient meal solutions, particularly options that provide an easy lunch or help families put dinner on the table with less preparation,” said Shawn Sloan, vice president of fresh merchandising. “Our signature Lip Lickin’ Chicken offerings have seen strong growth, reflecting customer demand for convenient, great-tasting meal options. We have also expanded our grab-and-go assortment in many stores to provide customers with even more convenient choices.”
And stores keep tweaking the category.
“Global flavors are huge right now,” said Brian Henly-Shepard, Whole Foods’ prepared foods senior category merchant. “We rotate cuisine sets on our hot bar, including Indian, Caribbean, Asian and Latin, and guests can’t get enough. Bold, portable Latin handhelds are also among our most popular items.”
This fall — in its pre-packaged format — Whole Foods launched two new pizzas, a Traditional Margherita and a Spicy Italian Meat & Ricotta as well as a Thai Peanut Chicken wrap. Henly-Shepard said this month they are debuting some holiday and winter soups like Beef Bourguignon Stew, Mushroom Gnocchi Soup, Chicken Pot Pie Soup, White Chicken Chili and Dan Dan Noodle.
Publix is a longtime proponent.
“Prepared foods have been part of the Publix experience for decades, with offerings evolving over time as customer preferences have changed,” said Lindsey Willis, Publix spokeswoman, supporting South and Central Florida. “What began with traditional deli selections has expanded to include a broad assortment of freshly prepared entrées, grab-and-go meals, sushi, salads, fresh-cut fruit, specialty sandwiches and other convenient meal options.”
Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel
Managing partner Mingqi Jiang holds a king crab for sale at RD3 International Market. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Mingqi Jiang, one of the partners behind RD3 International Market with locations west of Boca Raton and Lake Worth, said they plan to add more locations throughout Palm Beach and Broward counties.
A notable part of those plans is the continued rollout of the In-Store Cooking Service in which customers can (for an additional $15 to $20) have a chef cook their seafood — lobster, crabs, fish and more — to then take home.
It was Helene Kraus’ first time at RD3 International Market in Boca Raton.
“My child actually turned 2 today … and he’s next door at [indoor playground] La La Land and I had read about this place. I love Asian supermarkets. I love authentic cuisine. And I thought I would give it a try while I was here. It saves time. It’s convenient, especially when you have a 2-year-old who really doesn’t understand the patience of waiting for food to get cooked, so that helps for sure.”
Kraus, who lives in Coral Springs, didn’t know about the In-Store Cooking Service. “That is very cool,” she said upon being told. “You don’t see that. I don’t know of anywhere else that does that.”
Jiang added, “Since last year, we’ve seen steady, consistent growth in revenue from our cook-to-order service, reflecting increasing customer demand for freshly prepared meals.”
Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel
Manager Mingqi Jiang prepares ginger and scallion crab at RD3 International Market. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
They’re not the only ones seeing that kind of customer demand. Through the Sun Sentinel’s Let’s Eat, South Florida group on Facebook, several shoppers shared their preferences for prepared foods from food markets as opposed to dining in or ordering from restaurants.
Davie’s Jaime Quick finds that the prepared foods in grocery stores are better for the family’s budget.
“I am feeding two adults, two big kids and a toddler,” she said. “I have been purchasing Little Big Meals from Fresh Market and family meals from Whole Foods for over a year now. They provide four servings of protein and two sides for $25 and $35, respectively. The stores are making meals that are as good or better than most fast-casual restaurants — think Flanigan’s, Applebee’s, Chili’s — for less money than it would be to go out to eat. And no tipping required.”
Price is also a dealmaker for Maxine Sue, who lives in Boynton Beach.
“Definitely, yes. It feels recent, in that the steep increases are eye-catching,” she said. “The prices haven’t crept up, they’ve jumped. As we age, we all think back fondly to the food prices of your youth or young adulthood. I’m old enough to remember the 15-cent slice of pizza and 10-cent Coke.
“But the price increases in restaurants are dizzying. The availability of menus online means that prices are displayed that are so off-putting that I often am deterred from venturing to a restaurant that has been recommended to me or that I’ve heard about,” she said. “Appetizer prices often now appear to be what entrees used to cost. And entrees often start at almost $30. No thanks. I see it even when I go out for a brunch or lunch.”
Rod Stafford Hagwood/South Florida Sun Sentinel
Prepared foods at Winn-Dixie in Fort Lauderdale. (Rod Stafford Hagwood/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Dawne Richards said that she’s dining out, going to fast-food eateries and using DoorDash for home delivery less and less these days.
“What led me to cutting back is primarily the cost, followed by a desire to eat more healthily,” she said, adding that her go-to was deli wings and grab-and-go sandwiches at Publix, but now she’s expanded her choices.
“Sometimes I’ll grab something from their hot bar, such as egg rolls, lo mein or some of the chicken dishes, or their roast chicken. I really like their sweet potato fries but haven’t seen them in awhile,” the Pompano Beach resident said, before adding that she’s also tried the prepared/heat-at-home meals. “I’ve had their meatloaf, which I really like, and their chicken parmesan breasts and chicken parmesan nuggets.”
Diane Scaturo Watkins lives near where the cities of Sunrise and Weston meet and praises the ready-to-go shopping at both NetCost Market in Hollywood and Mango Tree Supermarket in Davie. “I love NetCost because I get to experience different types of foods from their extensive hot/cold take away area. Unfortunately I go when I’m hungry so I overbuy …. some doesn’t make it home.”
As for Mango Tree Supermarket, she said: “There is a small area for prepared foods, but I mostly go for hard-to-find items. I like that each aisle is literally a different country to obtain hard-to-find or unusual items.”
Here’s more from food retailers about this trend and their stores.
Plum Market
What prepared foods are offered?: “We offer a comprehensive, chef-driven selection including a full-service hot bar, expansive cold signature/salad bars, house-made sushi, artisanal sandwiches and wraps, and a curated grab-and-go case featuring heat-and-serve entrees, seasonal vegetable sides, and clean-label proteins,” said Marc Jonna, co-founder and president of Plum Market, which has locations in Aventura and Palm Beach Gardens. “All items are prepared using natural, organic and clean-label ingredients.”
Is there an increase in customer demand?: “Yes, we’ve seen significant growth across our ready-to-eat and ready-to-heat categories. Guests are increasingly seeking high-quality, convenient alternatives to traditional restaurant dining without sacrificing ingredient standards, which has driven sustained demand across our hot bar, showcase cold recipes, and grab-and-go stations.”
Is it mostly take home or dine in the store?: “While a notable portion of our lunch crowd enjoys dining on-site utilizing our indoor cafe and outdoor patio seating, the majority of our overall volume — especially during the evening peak — consists of guests taking meals home or back to the office.”
Popular prepared dishes?: “Top guest favorites include our chef-crafted salmon, all-natural Bell & Evans Air-Chilled chicken offerings, turkey meatballs, wild-caught pole tuna salad, Asian garlic Miracle Noodles, custom salad bar creations, fresh house-made sushi, our homemade mashed potatoes and house-made guacamole.”
Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel
Customer Victor Su, of Boca Raton, waits for food at RD3 International Market. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
RD3 International Market
How long have your stores been here?: “Our Lake Worth location has proudly served the South Florida community for over six years,” Mingqi Jiang said. “Our newest location in Boca Raton opened its doors on Aug. 1, extending our reach to even more customers in the area.”
Prepared food feedback?: “Our customers have shared several reasons for choosing us over dining out. Two of the most common are affordability and freshness — they appreciate being able to select their ingredients and have them cooked to order, ensuring both quality and value.”
Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel
Freshly cooked ginger and scallion crab is prepared for a customer at RD3 International Market west of Boca Raton. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Joseph’s Classic Market
Prepared foods flavor profiles?: “We remain true to our Italian roots while offering a wide variety of cuisines and flavors,” John Acierno said. “Our rotating hot buffet includes specials inspired by Asian and Latin cuisines, both of which are especially popular. We are also seeing growing demand for meals that are healthy and nutritious without sacrificing flavor.”
Popular prepared dishes?: “Salmon from our carving station is one of our most popular dishes. Italian favorites such as chicken parmesan, chicken marsala and Italian meatballs are also consistent bestsellers.”
When did this category start for you?: “Prepared foods have been at the heart of Joseph’s since the company began nearly 20 years ago. Our founder, Joseph Acierno, recognized the potential of this category well before prepared foods became a major focus in the supermarket industry. Since then, our selection has continued to evolve in response to changing tastes and lifestyles, but our emphasis on quality, freshness, and value has remained constant.”
Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel
Ernest Laporte buys prepared cooked food at Whole Foods Market in Fort Lauderdale. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Whole Foods
What’s popular in SoFlo?: “Guests in South Florida gravitate toward bold flavors that reflect the region’s cultural diversity,” said Brian Henly-Shepard. “Best-liked items include Caribbean Jerk Chicken Legs, Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken Legs, Calabacitas Squash — one of our most popular vegetable items — Chicken Tikka Masala and Orange Chicken on the Hot Bar. In grab-and-go, Cuban-Inspired Beef Empanadas and Caribbean Mango Shrimp Salad are consistently popular. The same bold Latin, Caribbean and global flavors you find across the local restaurant scene.”
Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel
Grab-and-go prepared food is available for sale at Whole Foods Market in Fort Lauderdale. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Doris Italian Market & Bakery
What prepared foods are offered?: “We have a wide selection of prepared foods including pasta dishes such as penne marinara, linguine with garlic and oil, orzo with mushrooms and spinach, and many others,” Jacqueline Alfano said. “We offer meat, poultry and seafood dishes for protein including chicken parmesan, chicken francese, meatballs, marinated London broil and salmon. Among the side dishes and vegetables available in our prepared foods case are roasted potatoes, green beans in garlic and oil, roasted vegetables, stuffed peppers, chicken salad, tuna salad and marinated artichoke hearts. We also have a salad bar with fresh soup, prepared salads, lettuce/greens and toppings to make your own salad. We offer freshly made custom subs and paninis in our deli as well.”
Popular prepared dishes?: “Our chicken salad is very popular and currently trending on social media as a few influencers have tried it and posted reviews. Also, our staple items including chicken Milanese and pasta alla vodka are always popular.”
When did this category start for you?: “When we opened our Plantation location on Broward Boulevard in 1991, we included a small prepared foods section. Our Plantation store merged into our current Sunrise location in 2009. Since 1991, we have included a prepared foods section in all of our locations. It started as a very small portion of our deli. We dedicated a 12-foot section in the deli case originally. It has grown over the years due to the demand and success of it. To put it in perspective, our newest location in North Palm Beach has a 36-foot section in the deli in addition to the salad bar, olive bar and café offerings.”
Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel
The price of food per pound is displayed at Whole Foods Market in Fort Lauderdale. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel
A customer buys freshly made soup at Whole Foods Market in Fort Lauderdale. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Rod Stafford Hagwood/South Florida Sun Sentinel
The Lip Lickin’ Chicken in the deli/prepared foods department at Winn-Dixie in Fort Lauderdale. (Rod Stafford Hagwood/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Dining and Cooking