Food Lion Sets Fall Opening Dates Across the Carolinas and Georgia, Signals More Growth in 2027

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Published September 24, 2026

Bakery and deli area with prepared foods, baked goods and hot case displays — Bakery and deli area inside a Food Lion grocery store.

Food Lion has filled in much of its fall expansion calendar, with new grocery stores opening across North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia through December, while the company is already preparing another round of growth in 2027.

The Salisbury, North Carolina-based grocer plans to open 10 new stores during 2026. Four opened earlier in the year, followed by a second wave of six locations. The first of that group opened Sept. 23 in Summerfield, North Carolina.

Food Lion provided North Atlanta Star with updated dates and addresses for the remaining stores.

Where Food Lion is opening next

The Charlotte store will open Oct. 7 at 5706 Wyalong Drive.

Georgia follows one week later. Food Lion plans to open its Lavonia store Oct. 14 at 12260 Augusta Road.

The Greenville, South Carolina, store is scheduled for Oct. 21 at 2111 North Pleasantburg Drive, Suite A.

Two more South Carolina openings will follow later in the year. A Hilton Head Island store at 93 Matthews Drive is planned for November, while a store at 3855 SC-86 Highway in Easley, serving the Wren area, is expected to open in December. Exact dates for those two locations have not yet been set.

Food Lion said the new locations include a mix of ground-up stores and conversions of existing grocery properties.

More Food Lion stores are coming in 2027

The company would not identify specific cities or states for its next round of openings, but confirmed that the 2026 expansion is intended to lead directly into additional growth.

“Food Lion began the year with four new store openings and will finish strong with an additional six new locations across the Carolinas and Georgia,” a Food Lion spokesperson told North Atlanta Star. “This growth will serve as a runway into 2027, as the company prepares to open more new stores within its 10-state footprint.”

Food Lion currently operates more than 1,100 stores across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

The company said it is not yet ready to disclose which markets are being considered for 2027.

Hiring underway across several departments

Food Lion did not provide North Atlanta Star with estimated job totals for each new store or starting pay ranges.

The company said it is hiring for part-time, full-time and management positions, including customer service and Food Lion To Go, deli and bakery, produce, grocery, perishable departments and prepared-meal operations.

Produce department with bananas, apples and other fresh fruit displays — Food Lion said new stores will include produce, grocery and prepared-food departments as hiring continues across the region.

Prepared-meals section with refrigerated cases and overhead Meals Made Easy signage — Food Lion said its stores will include prepared-meal operations as part of the chain’s latest growth push.

The stores will also include self-checkout alongside staffed registers, online pickup and home delivery. Food Lion said regional products from growers and manufacturers in Georgia and the Carolinas will be included through its Local Goodness program.

Food Lion storefront with brick facade, blue awning and glass entrance doors — Food Lion storefront with brick facade and blue awning.

The expansion comes as the grocery chain continues investing in both new locations and existing stores, positioning 2026 as the beginning rather than the end of its latest growth cycle.

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