Celebrity Chef Antonia Lofaso serves as the first Chef’s Counter brand ambassador, bringing elevated flavor experiences to Albertsons Cos. customers

Albertsons® Companies, Inc. (NYSE: ACI) today announced the launch of its latest Own Brand, Chef’s Counter™, designed to bring chef-inspired flavors and tastes to customers in a convenient, easy and affordable way. Created to meet growing consumer demand for cooking meals at home with adventurous flavors and globally inspired ingredients, Chef’s Counter is first debuting with a flavorful selection of ready-to-cook marinated meats to help food lovers turn their culinary inspirations into reality. Chef’s Counter is exclusively available now in Albertsons Cos. stores including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, ACME and Shaw’s, just in time for Memorial Day weekend and the kickoff to summer grilling season.

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Celebrity Chef Antonia Lofaso serves as the first Chef’s Counter brand ambassador, bringing elevated flavor experiences to Albertsons Companies customers. (Photo Courtesy: Albertsons Companies)

“At Albertsons Cos., we are committed to inspiring our customers by delivering innovative products to elevate their culinary experiences,” said Omer Gajial, EVP of Merchandising and Chief Digital Officer at Albertsons Cos. “With our new Chef’s Counter brand, we recognized an opportunity to enhance our Own Brands portfolio of marinated offerings and tap into the growing consumer interest in international-inspired foods. Chef’s Counter offers shoppers restaurant-quality recipes, enticing flavors and new mealtime possibilities, all with the convenience, ease and value of cooking at home.”

To celebrate the launch of Chef’s Counter, Albertsons Cos. has partnered with renowned chef and TV personality Antonia Lofaso as the brand’s first ambassador. Through curated social content, Lofaso will share her passion for flavor, creativity and approachable cooking. Her perspective as both a celebrated chef and a working mom embodies the essence of the brand – bringing elevated, yet efficient and affordable, everyday meals to the home.

“I’m delighted to partner with Albertsons Cos. for the launch of Chef’s Counter as their featured chef brand ambassador,” said Chef Antonia Lofaso. “Growing up in a family rich with diverse culinary flavors and traditions, my love for cooking was deeply rooted from an early age. I am excited to see a national grocer making it easier and more accessible for everyone to explore new, adventurous flavors and recipes, celebrating the joy of culinary exploration and fine eating.”

Chef’s Counter features pre-seasoned and marinated meats that make it easy for customers to create delicious chef-inspired meals for maximum taste with minimum effort, ready in about 20 minutes. Shoppers will enjoy mouthwatering lemon peppercorn, zesty Italian-style and smoky BBQ chicken breasts, along with juicy chicken thighs in savory teriyaki-style or refreshing cilantro lime flavors. Rich mesquite or aromatic garlic herb flavors enhance tender boneless pork loin chops. For beef lovers, there’s chimichurri and smoky buttery garlic beef sirloin steaks as well as carne asada beef flap steak, each bursting with flavor. For additional variety, Chef’s Counter provides meal starters including balsamic peppercorn beef tips, chimichurri pork tenderloin medallions and tangy orange chicken breast strips, offering even more delicious meal-time options.

Chef’s Counter flavor profiles were thoughtfully inspired by consumer research and emerging trends, ensuring a delightful mix of familiar favorites alongside exciting and adventurous choices. The products were also designed to serve the diverse needs of Albertsons Cos.’ foodie customers, offering distinctly memorable and sensorily evocative experiences and trend-forward flavors that are often challenging to replicate. For instance, the Chef’s Counter carne asada beef flap steak was crafted to evoke a distinct restaurant experience with its authentic taste.

Additionally, Chef’s Counter is introducing a collection of shoppable recipes to simplify meal planning for customers. Shoppers can access these recipes by scanning the QR code on the product packages or by visiting the Albertsons Cos. store websites or apps.

Chef’s Counter can be found in the self-service meat section of the store and ranges in prices from $4.99 for boneless pork loin chops in mesquite or garlic herb flavors to $12.69 for carne asada.

In 2026, Albertsons Cos. will expand its Chef’s Counter line by introducing premium selections in the deli and frozen sections, along with globally inspired products in the center store.

The launch of Chef’s Counter is supported across Albertsons Cos.’ digital and in-store channels with dynamic creative, social content featuring Lofaso and culinary inspiration that encourages customers to simmer, sear and sauce in ways they never imagined possible.

Chef’s Counter is the latest addition to the company’s Own Brands portfolio, which includes trusted household names such as Signature SELECT®, O Organics®, Overjoyed™, Overjoyed Boutique™, Lucerne®, Open Nature®, Primo Taglio®, waterfront BISTRO®, Soleil® and Value Corner®.

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About Albertsons® Companies, Inc.

Albertsons Companies is a leading food and drug retailer in the United States. As of February 22, 2025, the Company operated 2,270 retail stores with 1,728 in-store pharmacies, 405 associated fuel centers, 22 dedicated distribution centers and 19 manufacturing facilities. The Company operates stores across 34 states and the District of Columbia under more than 20 well known banners including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, ACME, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci's Food Lovers Market. The Company is committed to helping people across the country live better lives by making a meaningful difference, neighborhood by neighborhood. In 2024, along with the Albertsons Companies Foundation, the Company contributed more than $435 million in food and financial support, including $40 million through our Nourishing Neighbors Program to ensure those living in our communities and those impacted by disasters have enough to eat.

Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Haggen and Balducci's Food Lovers Market are registered trademarks of Albertsons Companies Inc. or its subsidiaries. ACME, Carrs, Kings Food Markets, Shaw's, and Star Market are trademarks of Albertsons Companies, Inc. or its subsidiaries. Albertsons associated logos, product names and services are trademarks of Albertsons Companies, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Chef Antonia Lofaso

Chef Antonia Lofaso is the Executive Chef and Owner of three acclaimed Los Angeles restaurants: Black Market Liquor Bar (Studio City, California), Scopa Italian Roots (Venice, California), and DAMA (Downtown Los Angeles, California). Though diverse in cuisine and style, each of her restaurants combines deep-rooted, personal culinary traditions with the influence of her globetrotting adventures and formal French training. After competing in Food Network’s Tournament of Champions for the past five seasons, Lofaso has emerged victorious as the Season 6 Champion! She’s best known as the Co-Host of Worst Cooks in America: Celebrity Edition–Heroes vs. Villains, and the Host of Beachside Brawl. Lofaso also regularly appears on Guy’s Grocery Games, Supermarket Stakeout, Beat Bobby Flay, Chopped, and has made her mark on Bravo’s Top Chef and CNBC’s Restaurant Startup. In addition to her thriving restaurant businesses and television career, Lofaso is also an entrepreneur who has launched two highly specialized and successful business endeavors: Chefletics, an athletic-inspired line that has redefined the traditional fit and function of kitchen apparel, and Antonia Lofaso Catering, which has executed high-end dining events for up to 2,000 people.

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