Tutta Bella, QFC Partner on Trendy ‘Grocerant Concept

Seattles Tutta Bella Neopolitan Pizzeria and grocer QFC are the latest entrants in the booming grocerant space.

The pizza chain, which operates five restaurants in the Puget Sound region, will open a restaurant this summer inside the new 50,000-square-foot QFC at the Kirkland Urban development, a mixed-use project almost near completion. QFC opened there in May.

Supermarkets across the country have been adding restaurants in recent years to attract millennials, drive foot traffic and create an in-store experience for shoppers. According to retail analytics firm The Robin Report, conventional supermarkets are increasingly offering food options and dining areas. A Whole Foods store in New York offers several restaurant options under one roof, including an Italian eatery, a sushi restaurant and a seafood bar.

Kroger, which owns QFC, recently announced it would open restaurants in several of its stores in Ohio.

The Tutta Bella space inside Bellevue-based QFCs Kirkland Urban store was designed by Seattle-based Graham Baba Architects, which also designed the Deep Dive Bar inside Amazons Spheres and Melrose Market and Chophouse Row, both in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. The menu will be similar to Tutta Bellas standalone locations.

This partnership will greatly enhance our customers experience, said QFC President Suzy Monford.