Many people have gotten used to a more hands-off approach to grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, ordering staples online and minimizing trips to the store.

Bob Mariano, the former head of some of Chicago’s biggest grocery chains, is betting some are eager to get back to shopping — and dining — in person.

His new store, Dom’s Kitchen & Market, is set to open Tuesday morning in a converted strip mall at 2730 N. Halsted St. in the Lincoln Park area. The team is already planning additional locations with a goal of growing the model in the Chicago area before expanding elsewhere.

“We want to be a place where customers can gather and get great food,” said Mariano, co-CEO and co-chairman of Dom’s Kitchen & Market.

It’s the second store concept from Mariano, 71, who launched his namesake chain in 2010 and led both the Dominick’s and Roundy’s chains before retiring as CEO of Roundy’s five years ago. He partnered on the new store with Don Fitzgerald, 59, a former executive at Dominick’s, Roundy’s and Mariano’s, and Jay Owen, 48, a descendant of Dominick’s founder Dominick DiMatteo and managing partner at DOM Capital Group.

Despite their backgrounds, Dom’s bears little resemblance to Mariano’s, the nearest of which is about half a mile away.

At 17,800 square feet, Dom’s is roughly one-third the size of a traditional grocery store. A significant portion is dedicated to prepared foods and spots to eat, drink or attend a wine tasting or cooking demonstration.

It’s not the place for a weekly stock-up trip, or to find big brand-name products like Cheerios or household goods like paper towels.

Customers can find those products anywhere, including online, Fitzgerald said. Dom’s is focused on specialty items, including local, organic and natural foods, as well as prepared foods customers can eat at the store or bring home, he said.

At the store’s center are open kitchens with stations for soups and sandwiches, sushi and poke bowls, and Roman-style pizza from Bonci. At a station dubbed Plant Butcher, customers can order salads and juices or have employees chop produce to limit meal prep at home, for a fee. A cafe with a walk-up window will serve Intelligentsia and Metropolis coffee in the morning and cocktails, wine and beer from Hopewell Brewing Co. and Dovetail Brewery in the evening.

Dom’s plans to stream in-store cooking classes and demonstrations on social media.

The store has fresh produce and meat departments, cheese and charcuterie and a bakery with goods from local brands like La Fournette, Molly’s Cupcakes and Big Fat Cookie. There’s also a display dedicated to companies working with Chicago food business incubator The Hatchery.

Bill Bishop, co-founder of Barrington-based grocery industry consulting firm Brick Meets Click, said the store’s focus on prepared foods would resonate with shoppers who lacked the time or skills to make interesting meals at home but don’t want to eat out all the time.

“People want to continue to eat at home. They like the idea of not having to go out or provide a tip,” he said.

The team behind Dom’s started making plans for the store about 2½ years ago. Focus group research suggested customers wanted stores that would teach them about food and provide inspiration for meals, Owen said.

The pandemic helped Dom’s make the decision to skip salad and hot bars and focus on individual prepared meals. In another nod to health concerns, the store has a HEPA air filtration system and installed devices that scan employees’ hands to make sure they’re washing them effectively.

About 10% of grocery spending is done online, which is higher than before the pandemic, according to Brick Meets Click.

Dom’s plans to ease into online sales. At first, the store will take advance orders for coffee before expanding pickup to prepared foods and eventually all items.

They are still evaluating whether to offer home delivery but don’t plan to partner with third-party companies like Instacart. “We don’t want to put our brand in someone else’s hands,” Fitzgerald said.

While Dom’s, like other employers, found hiring tougher than usual, it’s close to its goal of hiring 160 people. Wages start at $15.50 per hour, though jobs requiring more specialized skills pay more.

The team is working on plans to open two additional locations and eventually intends to expand further.

“We have to see how it functions,” Mariano said. “We want to grow in Chicago, and then we’ll look elsewhere.”

lzumbach@chicagotribune.com