Lowes Foods will build its newest concept grocery store at Riverside Commons. The "Chicken Kitchen" features employees performing a chicken dance when each chicken comes out of the rotisserie oven.
Gloria Fair
Lowes Foods will build a 42,500 grocery store across the street of Riverside High School and at the corner of Hammett Bridge Road and Suber Road.
The new concept store, to be built at the corner of Hammett Bridge Road and Suber Road, will be 42,500 square feet and employ about 100. Tentative opening is spring 2016.
A 10,000-square-foot strip mall is also planned for the site, according to developers from Gemini Real Estate, who met with city officials last year.
At least three Lowes stores will be in the “Greenville market,” according to a Lowes announcement. Lowes will open a store in the city of Greenville and a third store to be named later. Lowes also announced it expects to enter two to three new markets.
“It’s a big effort and big move for (Lowes) to move in the Greenville market,” a Lowes spokesperson said. “I would think in the next four to six weeks there should be some activity announcing where the sites will be.”
There are more than 200 homes planned or under construction in the Riverside area. A 300-plus apartment complex on Brushy Creek Road adjacent to Century Park, is maneuvering through the city’s commissions.
Lowes Foods, a Winston-Salem, N.C.-based company is in the midst of a comprehensive growth strategy that includes accelerating investment in rebranding existing stores and building new stores. Its more than 100 stores are in the Carolinas and Virginia.
As part of its overall investment strategy, Lowes announced it will leave the Gastonia, N.C, market.
“We are very excited about the future of Lowes Foods and these decisions are important as we continue to invest and build for future growth,” said Tim Lowe, president of Lowes Foods. “We regret that this decision will impact our store teams, their families, and our valued guests in Gastonia. Where possible, Lowes Foods’ team members will be offered positions at other Lowes Foods store locations, or otherwise assisted.”
CORRECTION: The Lowes Food stores in Greenville have not be identified at this time by the company's marketers and developers. Only the Riverside Commons grocery has been confirmed.