Photo: Luby's
Luby's, the Texas-based cafeteria chain, will bring its famed Mac & Cheese to retail for the first time. But the dish will only reach the frozen food aisles of another Texas institution, H-E-B. Luby's Mac & Cheese, virtually unchanged since being introduced in the 1940s, along with a signature jalapeno version, landed in 270 of H-E-B’s 380 locations on Dec. 5.
"We're incredibly excited to embark on our first retail engagement with a brand that shares such a similar background and connection to the communities where it operates,” said Peter Tropoli, COO of Luby's, Inc., in a statement. “The opportunity to bring our home cooking into so many homes is a truly wonderful way to enter our eighth decade of business."
In early 2017, another Luby's signature item, “Fried Fish,” will reach H-E-B’s freezers. The block of cod is known to locals as “Square Fish."
"We're thrilled that two Texas traditions are joining together,” added Scott McClelland, president of H-E-B’s Houston division.
Partnering with local restaurants and food trucks is part of a larger movement by grocers to partner with local food suppliers. A recent article in the Orlando Sentinel notes how barbecue sauces, salsas and pasta sauces have seen the biggest restaurant-to-grocery store push within this trend because of their long-shelf life, but such partnerships can cover a wide range of categories.
The Orlando food truck, Sweet City Gelato, for instance, earlier this year entered into a partnership to bring gelato pints to select Lucky's Markets in Florida as part of the chain’s Lucky’s Loves Local initiative.
"Having the gelato in the food truck and in stores play off of each other," Sweet City owner Monika Tyler told the Orlando Sentinel. "Our truck is mobile advertising, and when we don't have it running, our fans can find it at the store."
- Luby's Celebrates 70 With H-E-B; Landmark Cafeteria Chain To Roll Out Famed Mac & Cheese Into The Frozen Food Aisles Of More Than 270 H-E-B Stores Around Texas – Luby’s/H-E-B/PR Newswire
- Restaurants, food trucks testing flavors on supermarket shelves – Orlando Sentinel
- Sweet City Gelato In Stores – Sweet City Gelato
- Orlando Food Truck Gets Gelato into Lucky's Market – The Daily City
- Lucky’s Loves Local – Lucky’s Market