Wegmans is coming: We got an early look into the Charlotte region’s first store
For Charlotte, Wegmans “eve” is around the corner.
The Rochester, N.Y.-based grocery store chain is preparing to open its first Charlotte store in Ballantyne at 11550 N. Community House Road. The grocer, which boasts a cult-like fanbase, will welcome shoppers at 9 a.m. on Oct. 14.
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“It’s really exciting because every time I pull in, I always see one or two people thinking we’re open, and they’re walking in with their reusable bags to start shopping,” said Kyle Benken, service team leader. “And it breaks our hearts to say you’ve got to wait another week or so.”
Wegmans Food Markets provided a sneak peek for media outlets on Thursday for the 110,000-square-foot store as eager fans prepare to line up for the first day.
Front-end manager Kaliyah Ramirez is also looking forward to the big day.
“We want to be able to provide that incredible customer service that we do offer, and we just want everyone to love shopping here as much as we do,” Ramirez said.
Wegmans is a major draw for Northern transplants, particularly those from New York, offering a familiar taste of Upstate and Western New York.
The store features dedicated cheese counters, specialty bakeries, and expansive prepared-meal and restaurant concepts.
At nearly double the size of a standard supermarket, the location includes 644 parking spots and about 40 registers. The checkout lineup features 15 full-service lanes, 18 self-checkouts, and five additional self-checkout kiosks in the Market Café.
Here is what you can expect at the new Charlotte location.
In addition to traditional groceries, Wegmans offers customers a variety of restaurant-style foods prepared on-site by chefs throughout the day.
Prepared options include fresh sushi and poke bowls, a pizza shop, hot and cold subs, breakfast sandwiches, and a “Hot Bowls Station” featuring complete meals with 20 to 40 grams of protein and a serving of vegetables in every bowl.
The store also features produce, seafood shipped daily from East Coast fishing partners, ready-to-cook entrées, pre-marinated meats, a full-service meat department and a bakery offering cakes, specialty desserts, donuts, bagels and more.
Wegmans carries international specialties from across the globe, including Latino, Asian, Indian, Korean, Caribbean, South American and European foods. Its beverage selection includes roughly 2,000 wines and nearly 1,000 domestic, craft, and imported beers.
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The Wegmans Cheese Shop and its pre-packaged Mediterranean bar are fan favorites. The cheese department features premium varieties aged in Wegmans’ own Cheese Caves, while the Mediterranean section includes imported and domestic olives, fresh mozzarella, marinated mushrooms, artichokes, roasted peppers and antipasti.
Wegmans offers online shopping with options for both curbside pickup and delivery.
Additional store departments include a floral shop, health and wellness products, and a home and entertaining section stocked with kitchen tools, greeting cards, gift cards, and toys.
Brothers John and Walter Wegman founded their food business in Rochester, New York, starting with John’s produce company in 1916 and Walter joining a year later.
“As soon as you walk in the door, you see our produce department, which is going to be packed full of vibrant fruits and vegetables, and that really goes right back to our roots,” said JP Prinzivalli, Charlotte service area manager. “In 1916, we opened as a produce cart, so that’s what we’re most proud of.”
The company opened its first warehouse in 1928, incorporated as Wegmans Food Markets in 1931, and made headlines in 1930 with a flagship store that combined groceries, specialty departments, and a 300-seat cafeteria. Wegmans opened its first suburban location in 1941.
Today, Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a regional supermarket chain with 114 stores across the East Coast.
The Charlotte region is already home to more than 700 grocery stores, dominated by major players like Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Walmart, Target, Publix, and Whole Foods. However, as Wegmans enters the market, the new contender is generating the most excitement.
Wegmans invested more than $34 million in the store building and purchased the 14-acre property for $5.5 million, according to Mecklenburg County property records.
And there’s more to come.
In September, Wegmans signed an agreement to purchase property in Cornelius for a second location in the Lake Norman area. Details regarding property costs and opening timelines were not immediately available.
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Wegmans plans to open three to five stores in the Charlotte region.
