Food City reportedly widening its Alabama footprint even further

Food City is hosting a company-wide hiring event on Thursday as the grocery retailer continues to expand its store count.

The Abingdon, Virginia-based grocery retailer is planning to open its second Alabama location in the city of Gasden later this summer.

In addition to the Gasden opening, Food City is looking to open six additional Alabama locations in the Huntsville area, AL.com reported on Tuesday. Food City will invest $90 million in the additional six store openings, which will create around 1,350 jobs, AL.com reported.

Food City currently operates a store in Albertville, Alabama, at 7200 U.S. Highway 431. The new "state-of-the-art supermarket" in Gadsden will be located at 1001 Rainbow Drive. The 53,700-square-foot grocery store will bring jobs and tax revenue for the citizens of the city of Gadsden as well as Etowah County, Food City said in a statement.

The company-wide hiring event will include both full-time and part-time positions.  Food City said it is planning to hire 1,200 people at various store locations as well as at its distribution center. 

Looking to update its brick-and-mortar storefronts, Food City broke ground in Virginia earlier this month on a new store in Pulaski. Expected to open in 2024, the 54,600-square-foot grocery store on East Main Street in Pulaski will replace the existing supermarket.

“We have served the residents of Pulaski and the surrounding county for the past 24 years, and we are excited to have the opportunity to build a new state-of-the-art Food City to better serve our loyal customers,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and CEO, in a statement.

Food City parent K-VA-T Food Stores operates 150 retail outlets in five Southeast states: Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.