Lowes Foods, a grocery store chain based in the Carolinas, has announced it will build its first Greenville-area store at the intersection of Suber and Hammett Bridge roads in Greer.
Greenville is the first new market for Lowes Foods, and the new store will introduce its new design concept. The company has a strategy to remodel all existing stores and expand into two or three additional markets by 2019. The grocery store chain currently has 97 locations in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
Key features of the Greer store will include special in-store areas called the Lowes Foods Originals, which include: Chicken Kitchen, Sausage Works, Pick & Prep, The Beer Den, The Cakery, Boxcar Coffee & Chocolates, and the Community Table. In addition, the Greer store will feature a wide assortment of organics, premium aged beef, bulk foods, fresh pizza, paninis, and chef-inspired prepared foods. The store will also offer a Lowes Foods-To-Go online personal shopping service.
“Our Greer store will be very focused on supporting local, while providing exceptional attention to our guests,” said Tim Lowe, Lowes Foods president. “Our commitment to local includes offering produce sourced through our partnership with over 250 local farmers, and featuring a wide assortment of unique local products found throughout the store.”
A focal point of the new Greer store will be Lowes Foods Community Table, where shoppers can gather to sample, enjoy and learn how to prepare local foods. The Beer Den will feature a craft beer collection where guests can purchase 64-ounce growlers and then have them filled with craft beers direct from the tap. The Chicken Kitchen will include a variety of prepared chicken, including wings, fried and fresh-roasted chicken.
“When hot chicken comes out of the rotisserie oven at Lowes Foods, our animated chicken chandelier signals the start of our special chicken celebration,” Lowe said. “Our Chicken Kitchen hosts will perform our own version of the Chicken Dance and invite guests to join in. It’s a lot of fun.”
Lowe said the store’s Pick & Prep area is one of his personal favorites and gives shoppers the feeling of “having your own personal sous chef. … Shoppers select their fruits or vegetables from our produce department. Next, our Pick & Prep hosts use their advanced knife skills to chop, slice or julienne them — however they are needed for recipes or snacks. Cooks can even customize their mix of Pick & Prep items for a recipe or pick up a prepared selection.”
Lowes Foods is planning for additional sites in the Greenville area and hopes to make more announcements before the end of the year.
