Last updated on July 7th, 2023
Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 131 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, Chattanooga and north Georgia. On Dec. 4, a new Food City store opened in Calhoun, Georgia, while ground was broken recently for two Tennessee stores, in Pigeon Forge and Knoxville.
Calhoun location
Located on Lover’s Lane, the 49,700-plus-s.f. supermarket is the retailer’s first location in Calhoun. A Starbucks and a pizzeria can be found inside the new location, with plenty of seating in its café.
“While we operate a number of other locations in the area, we are certainly excited to join the Calhoun retail community and have the opportunity to serve its area residents,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and CEO.
Pigeon Forge location
The 53,900-plus-s.f. supermarket will be located at the intersection of Teaster Lane and Jake Thomas Boulevard and is expected to open next spring. The new store, which includes a Starbucks, will be the company’s seventh location in the area.
“We are proud to have served the residents of Sevier County and Pigeon Forge for a number of years through our existing locations. We’re extremely excited to have the opportunity to construct a new state-of-the-art Food City in Pigeon Forge,” said Smith.
“Our customers can expect to find the same smiling faces, top-quality products and competitive pricing they have come to expect from Food City, housed in a more energy-efficient model, along with some exciting new features and conveniences,” said Smith.
Knoxville location
In Knoxville, the 50,000-plus-s.f. supermarket will be located at the intersection of Oak Ridge Highway and Schaad Road and is expected to open next spring.
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to construct a new state-of-the-art Food City on Schaad Road to serve our loyal customers,” said Smith. “They can expect to find the same smiling faces, top quality products and low prices they have come to expect from Food City, along with some great new services and conveniences.”
“Our customers are certainly going to enjoy the expanded variety/selection and exciting new conveniences and services,” said district manager, Barry Brogan. The store will also include several other new features, which are currently still in design.
The store will be located in the new Grassy Creek mixed-use development project. Other tenants will include restaurants, a self-storage center and more. Grassy Creek is a Maddox Development project, headed by Steve Maddox of Knoxville.
Features of the Food City stores
Like the Calhoun store, the new Tennessee locations will have an in-store bakery/deli, complete with a hot food bar and a large café seating area. Full service meat and seafood departments will offer pre-marinated and seasoned oven-ready products, plus a complete selection of meats that are all-natural with no solutions added, including Certified Angus Beef and fresh sushi. In-house meat cutters will hand cut steaks and fresh meat to order. Expanded grocery, frozen food and produce departments will offer a selection of gourmet, international and specialty items. The Food City Floral Boutique will be staffed with a designer seven days per week, offering a full assortment of fresh-cut floral arrangements, bouquets, gift items and more. There will be traditional checkout lanes and self-checkouts.
All three stores will have a Food City Pharmacy equipped with a drive-thru and a Food City Gas N’ Go. The stores will feature several award-winning energy-saving concepts, ranging from energy-efficient glass cooler doors, parking lot lights and refrigeration systems to motion sensors and 100 percent LED lighting.
GoCart curbside pick-up service will be available at the Calhoun and Pigeon Forge stores. Customers can shop online at foodcity.com and pick up orders from the store or visit foodcitydelivers.com to take advantage of same-day service with Food City’s home delivery, powered by Instacart.
