Blountville Food City hosting grand reopening Sept. 9

BLOUNTVILLE — An expanded Food City is formally opening next week. K-VA-T Food Stores officials will host flag raising and ribbon cutting ceremonies at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, to celebrate the newly expanded/remodeled Food City in Blountville. The grand re-opening celebration will include special pricing on select items throughout the store. "We are excited to be celebrating the completion of a significant remodel at our Blountville Food City. Our customers will find the same smiling faces, top quality products, exceptional customer service, and competitive pricing they have come to expect from Food City, along with some exciting new services and conveniences," Steven Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer, said in a news release. The store is at 1921 Highway 394 in a shopping center. More than 7,100 square feet of retail space has been added to the store, bringing the total square footage to more than 50,400 square feet and creating 40 new area jobs, according to the release. The expansion brings the addition of several new amenities, including a Starbucks café offering a wide assortment of blended hot and cold coffees and beverages and an assortment of breakfast sandwiches and pastries. The produce and food service departments have doubled in size to incorporate new services, including a large sit-down café, fresh food bar featuring a variety of soup, salad and fruit selections, hickory wood smoker, fresh sushi, expanded cheese shop, fresh popcorn and a fireplace. The pharmacy has been relocated to a new, larger space and is now equipped with a walk-up window. The floral department and fresh meat cases have also been expanded to make way for more variety and selection. "I would like to thank our loyal customers for their patience and understanding throughout the construction process," said the long-time store manager Brad Slagle. "I think they will agree that these exciting new services were well worth the wait." Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T, Food City's parent company, operates 163 retail outlets throughout Southeast Kentucky, Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee, North Georgia and Alabama.