What do grocery stores do with their leftover hot deli food?!

Grocery stores are required to throw that food away. The people who work in the stores are not allowed to take excess food home. It's a sanitation thing - and the state governments are required to check on this from time to time also. My 3 sons all worked for one of the bigger grocery stores when they were in high school, so they knew a lot about what goes on in the stores. It's a shame that so much is wasted.

It's like a restaurant - if they can save it and serve it the next day (like some soups) they'll do that. Otherwise, they are required by law to throw it out.

I'm sure some grocery stores do try to donate left over food to local foodbanks or soup kitchens, but at least the place near me, the deli is open until 9pm, so I'm really guessing they just throw the food out if they can't use it the next day.

That's a good question. I would hope that they at least donate it the next morning to a food pantry for the homeless.

I used to work for the boys and girls club and we often got the day old breads, cakes and other goodies from the bakery section but never the hot stuff from the deli.

it would be a shame if they just throw it out... I'm going to watch your question to see what people say.

If it's a big grocery store like Wal-Mart, then they usually just throw it out. But if it's just a neighborhood store then they might throw it away or take it home.

Brother works at meijer

They eat it