Electrical parts installed, Food City has target date to open

Those who’ve either been to the Gadsden Mall or driven past 1001 Rainbow Drive recently have probably noticed that the lights are on at Food City.

That means Gadsden’s newest grocery store is back on target to open.

Steven C. Smith, Food City’s president and chief executive officer, confirmed on Monday that the electrical switchgear the company ordered more than a year ago had finally arrived and been installed, and the building has power.

The inability to get those parts — the various switching devices that control, isolate and protect power systems — because of continued supply line disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic had delayed the store’s planned late October debut.

Smith now anticipates the store opening around Feb. 1 — “that’s our goal” — although he said he'd likely have a more definitive date after the first of the year.

He said it's “going in the right direction,” and they were “ahead of schedule in a lot of ways” because having the store on pause gave them an opportunity to get those things done. “It’s just the little things that you couldn’t do until you got the humidity right, got the power on.”

Now that the electrical issue is rectified, he said, “We can finish up some of the painting and wallpaper. ... We’ve also got to get the cases up and running, make sure they’re cued in right.”

He said earlier that it would take roughly a month to stock the store.

Food City has been running social media ads for prospective employees, and Smith said, “We’ve had pretty good luck hiring people. Our regional vice president down there said they had a good week last week hiring folks, and we’re in the middle of training.”

He said they anticipate a staff of 200 or a little more, adding, “We’re expecting to have a really busy store and a good food service department there, which necessitates a lot of hands and bodies.”

The 53,700-square-foot store is in the former Sears space at the Gadsden Mall, although the site has been made freestanding.

It will be the Virginia-based chain’s second Alabama store; one opened in Albertville in 2021 and ground has been broken for locations in Fort Payne and Huntsville.

The City Council last year granted parent company K-V-A-T Food Stores an abatement of 2% in sales tax revenue from the city for 15 years, or $6.7 million, whichever comes first.

“We’re excited to make a good impression on the folks there in Gadsden and surrounding areas,” Smith said.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Gadsden's Food City back on target to open