Earlier today, company officials announced plans to construct two new Food City locations in the Chattanooga market area.  The first location includes a 53,000 sq. ft. supermarket at the intersection of Broad Street and W 13th Street in downtown Chattanooga and is expected to open by Spring of 2023.  

“We are certainly proud to work with the City of Chattanooga and River City Company to develop this very unique project.  We are confident that this will be a very enjoyable and fun place to dine and shop, as well as a complimentary addition to the neighborhood,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer.  “In addition to great food, we anticipate being able to offer beer and wine in a friend-welcoming atmosphere,” adds Dan Glei, Food City senior vice president of merchandising/marketing.

The downtown Chattanooga store will include an in-store bakery and deli offering fresh baked goods, deli meats, cheeses, hot foods, fireplace, fresh sushi, hickory smoker, pizza oven, Asian wok, fresh food bar offering a variety of soup, salad and fruit selections, a beer and wine tasting station, expanded outside dining area, and one of the company’s largest seating areas, with over 115 total seats.  The food court will offer a restaurant-quality experience for breakfast, lunch, and dinner into the evening.  Full-service meat and seafood departments will offer pre-marinated/seasoned oven ready products, a complete selection of top-quality meats, including Certified Angus Beef.  In-house meat cutters will be available to hand cut steaks and fresh meat to order.  Expanded grocery, frozen food, and produce departments will go well beyond the normal fare with a huge 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.  Rapid checkout service will be provided by five check-out lanes and ten self-checkouts.  The location will also feature a Food City Pharmacy, equipped with a private consultation room and walk-up outdoor pick-up window, Starbucks café, offering a wide assortment of blended hot and cold coffees and beverages, as well as an assortment of tasty breakfast sandwiches and pastries, and convenient home delivery services for customers wishing to shop online.  Several award-winning energy saving concepts will also be included, ranging from energy efficient glass cooler doors, parking lot lights, and refrigeration systems to motion sensors, and 100% LED lighting.   

“Successful communities offer a complete mix of uses—with jobs, goods, services, and culture accessible within a short walk or bike from home,” said Mayor Tim Kelly. “As Chattanooga continues to grow, this new Food City is a shining example of how quality urban design and land use can make our downtown more livable and connected—and, by bringing fresh healthy food to a neighborhood that needs it, more equitable.” 

In order to conform to downtown Chattanooga’s Form Based Code requirements, this unique Food City anchored mixed use project will also consist of approximately 16,000 sq. ft. of two-level retail and office space along Broad Street and six two story town houses along W. 13th Street.  

“River City Company is excited to welcome Food City to Broad Street in Downtown Chattanooga! By listening to community voices and using urban design principles, the store will match local architecture and serve as a tremendous asset – providing fresh and healthy food within walking distance to downtown residents and employees,” said Emily Mack, River City Company president and chief executive officer.

Food City’s second location, a 54,000 sq. ft. supermarket and Gas n’ Go fuel center will be located at the intersection of Ringgold Road and Bales Ave. in East Ridge, TN.  The new store will replace the company’s existing location across the street and is expected to open early Summer of 2022.  

The East Ridge store will include an in-store bakery and deli offering fresh baked goods, deli meats, cheeses, hot foods, large café seating area, fireplace, fresh sushi, hickory smoker, pizza oven, fresh food bar offering a variety of soup, salad and fruit selections, and full-service catering and event planning.  Full-service meat and seafood departments will offer pre-marinated/seasoned oven ready products, a complete selection of top-quality meats, including Certified Angus Beef.  In-house meat cutters will be available to hand cut steaks and fresh meat to order.  Expanded grocery, frozen food, and produce departments will go well beyond the normal fare with a huge 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.  Rapid checkout service will be provided by six check-out lanes and seven self-checkouts.  The location will also feature a Food City Pharmacy, equipped with a private consultation room and walk-up outdoor pick-up window, Food City Gas N’ Go including diesel fuel, GoCart curbside pick-up, Starbucks café, offering a wide assortment of blended hot and cold coffees and beverages, as well as an assortment of tasty breakfast sandwiches and pastries, and a Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union (TVFCU) in-store branch bank location.  Several award-winning energy saving concepts will also be included, ranging from energy efficient glass cooler doors, parking lot lights, and refrigeration systems to motion sensors, 100% LED lighting, and open rafter ceilings. 

“We’re extremely proud to partner with the City of East Ridge to convert a somewhat blighted piece of property in the Border Region District into a modern state-of-the-art supermarket and we’re hopeful that the project will serve as a catalyst to promote other development in the area as well,” says Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer.  

Officials with the city believe the amount of added services the new store plans to offer will draw shoppers from well beyond the East Ridge area, including the Brainerd area, Missionary Ridge, and parts of North Georgia.  “We are extremely excited for the construction of a new Food City and Gas N’ Go,” said Brian Williams, Mayor of East Ridge.  “It has been a pleasure working with Food City regarding this new development.  The additional services, products, and jobs the new store will provide to our area is incredible.  We have been diligently working to attract and recruit new development in this area.  I too, believe this modern state-of-the-art Food City supermarket will be a catalyst for additional new development on the West end of East Ridge.  We thank Food City for their continued belief and support in East Ridge.”

Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 137 retail supermarkets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama.