Kroger finds new ways to connect with shoppers

No one knows if the Kroger Co. can cook up a secret sauce strong enough to combat online encroachment from grocery rivals like Amazon and Walmart. But we are learning more about the secret kitchen where that sauce will be made. Kroger’s Culinary Innovation Center is now up and running in a nondescript building at 9th and Elm streets Downtown. Inside is a high-tech kitchen that fills the place with aromas from new recipes that will be deployed in Kroger delis, meal kits, in-store bistros and Kitchen 1883, a freestanding restaurant concept that Kroger is now testing in Union, Kentucky. In charge of it all is Teri Rose, a 29-year Kroger veteran who was promoted in December to senior director of culinary development.