Target opened a new store in Cookeville, Tennessee, in October, bringing an expanded selection of fresh produce, meat and dairy to a previously unserved market an hour east of Nashville.
The approximately 128,000-square-foot store features the retailer’s enlarged fresh grocery assortment along with a Starbucks Café, Drive Up, Order Pickup and same-day delivery through Target Circle 360.
It is one of eight stores Target is opening this fall and among more than 30 planned for 2026, spanning markets from North Carolina to Utah to New York, as the company works its plan to add 300 new stores by 2035.
The store director, referred to as Holly C. in the blog post about the new store, joined Target about five years ago. She has built a team of 150 – about 90 percent of them new to Target. She said the opening offered the chance to start with a clean slate and impact a new community by giving people opportunities. The store sits near Tennessee Tech University, serving students alongside families.
The store’s first hire was a Cookeville native, now a human resources expert at the location. Referred to as “Ashley J,” she described the city as a kind and friendly community in the heart of Tennessee. Before the store opened, her Target runs meant a 90-minute drive.
Ahead of the opening, the Cookeville team volunteered with the local Humane Society, and the store is supporting local nonprofits with Target GiftCard donations, part of the retailer’s presence in Tennessee, where nearly 5,000 team members work in 32 stores.
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