Wegmans will open its first North Carolina store Sunday, Sept. 29, at 1200 Wake Towne Drive in Raleigh.
With the Raleigh opening, New York-based Wegmans will operate 100 stores New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts.
The North Carolina opening has been a long time coming for residents of Raleigh and surrounding areas. According to Wegmans, “eager residents…have called, emailed and posted online comments since plans to bring Wegmans Food Markets to North Carolina were announced back in 2016.”
Store Manager Hallie Johnston said that more than 24,000 Raleigh customers, as of Sept. 24, already had signed up for Wegmans Shoppers Club via the store’s website and app.
“I love the collaborative spirit of Raleigh,” Johnston says. “The businesses and communities here work together to make the area a great place for everyone to live, work, and play. I can’t wait for Wegmans to be part of this community.”
The store employs about 450. In addition to more than 4,000 organic choices throughout the store, Wegmans Raleigh will offer a variety of restaurant foods prepared by Executive Chef Rob Santiago and his culinary staff of 120.
“I’m excited to show people what we offer that’s not available here today,” Santiago says. “Family dinners can be tricky, and our customers will be able to come in and find something that makes everyone happy, whether it’s from The Burger Bar, fresh sushi, a made-to-order salad, authentic Italian pizza, a submarine, or anything off one of our hot and cold food bars.”
With plans moving forward for five additional stores in the Raleigh-Durham area, including the West Cary location on Davis Drive opening in 2020, Wegmans’ hiring and training efforts remain ongoing.
Wegmans started as a produce cart in 1916. Today, fourth-generation leadership is in place—Colleen Wegman was appointed CEO in 2017. The company has been named one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For by Fortune magazine for 22 consecutive years, ranking number three in 2019. The company was also ranked number one for corporate reputation among the 100 most visible companies, according to the 2019 Harris Poll Reputation Quotient study.
