> both restaurants and grocery chains co-opted the idea of meal kits and then had the built in neighborhood loyalty.

This is the big thing. I can walk into a Stop and Shop or an ACME or a Shopright and buy a meal kit on my way home, and they usually have a decent selection. They aren't gormet, but they are fit for human consumption ;).

I can just throw it all into a skillet, saucepan/pot, or an instant pot and have it done in 30 minutes without chopping/dicing/slicing.