Company officials broke ground Aug. 8 on the new Food City on Lucas Ferry Road in Athens, Alabama.
The 57,000-square-foot retail supermarket, which will create 180 new jobs, is expected to open next spring. The store is the company’s fifth location of six planned for the Huntsville market area.
“Our first four Huntsville locations have been very well received, and we would like to thank our valued customers for the great welcome they have shown our company. We are excited to be adding a fifth location in Athens to better serve the residents of Huntsville and Limestone County,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and CEO.
The location will include an in-store bakery and deli, complete with a hot food bar, large café seating area, fireplace, Asian wok, fresh food bar offering a variety of soup, salad and fruit selections, hickory wood smoker, fresh sushi and in-store catering options. Full-service meat and seafood departments will offer top-quality meats, Certified Angus Beef and in-house butchers to hand cut steaks and fresh meat to order. Expanded grocery, frozen food and produce departments will feature a large selection of specialty, gourmet and vegan items.
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The Food City floral boutique will be staffed with a designer seven days a week, offering a full assortment of fresh-cut floral arrangements, bouquets, gift items and more. Curbside pick-up and home delivery will be available for customers shopping online. The store will also include a pharmacy, Food City Gas N’ Go and a Starbucks cafe offering an assortment of blended hot/cold coffees and beverages.
The new location also will feature several energy saving concepts, ranging from energy-efficient glass cooler doors, parking lot lights and refrigeration systems to motion sensors and 100 percent LED lighting.
“Our customers can expect to find exceptional customer service and top-quality products at the lowest possible prices, along with great variety/selection and some exciting services,” Smith said.
About Food City
Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 161 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia and Alabama.