Expansion planned for Elizabethton Food City   

From Staff Reports

  Plans are now under way for an extensive expansion and remodel for the Elizabethton Food City, located in the Village Plaza shopping center.
  "Our customers are going to discover a much improved Food City," commented Steve Smith, president and chief executive officer of K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc., Food City's parent company. "While our customers can rely on the same top quality products, courteous service, friendly faces and competitive pricing they have come to expect from Food City, they will find a wider variety of products and conveniences."
  With completion expected in early 2005, expansion plans call for an additional 10,000 square feet to be added to the existing unit, bringing the total square footage to 47,000. All departments will undergo an overhaul as well. Remodels are scheduled for the bakery/deli, including a larger sit-down café and hot food bar, floral boutique, video and expanded produce, health and beauty care, meat, grocery and frozen food departments. The store will also be outfitted with a new interior design concept, complete with large department signage, contemporary check-out design and a new store-wide color scheme.
  "Enlarging our departments allows us to greatly enhance the variety and selection of items contained within each department and the additional square footage will allow customers to maneuver more easily through the store," stated Rick Bishop, district manager.
  The store will also be equipped with the added convenience of a Food City pharmacy, where a registered pharmacist will be on hand to meet prescription needs and answer health-related questions. Customers can stop by the Food City Gas N' Go for gasoline.
  The store will be equipped with four self-checkouts as well, allowing customers to scan their items and pay for their purchases unaided, should they wish to do so.
  "We are very excited about the additional services and selection the expansion will bring to our customers," commented Jeff Black, store manager. "I think our shoppers are really going to enjoy the added conveniences."
  The Tennessee Department of Transportation granted approval for installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Broad Street and North East Street to accommodate the store's expansion.
  Transportation Commissioner Gerald Nicely advised city administration in May that the department's traffic division felt the signal was warranted following a review of K-VA-T's proposal to expand the Broad Street store. Approval was contingent on Food City's closure of existing street access points on the property, according to Nicely.
  The expansion is expected to generate up to 50 additional jobs at the store, according to Food City officials. With 10,400 employees, K-VA-T Food Stores now ranks as the largest employer in the Tri-Cities Tenn./Va. region. The company operates 88 retail food outlets throughout the tri-state regions of Southeast Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee.