Source: Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Business

New York – Supermarkets want to convince customers to visit stores for lunch or dinner — not just for a grocery haul. For decades, grocery stores have included hot food and salad bars, delis and sandwich stations. But in recent years, many grocers have started adding sit-down restaurants, food halls and craft beer on tap, giving rise to the term “grocerants.”

“The grocerant game is something that almost every retailer with larger stores should be playing,” said Diana Sheehan, vice president at marketing research firm In context Solutions. “Restaurants have become one of the most successful ways for retailers to stand apart.”