Food City representatives and City of Huntsville officials broke ground for a new grocery store in North Huntsville on Wednesday, May 8.

The groundbreaking marked the third of six planned grocery stores the chain committed to building in Huntsville.

Food City will be “creating growth, success, and opportunity for this community,” said Crystal Baker of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce.

North Huntsville has recently seen a lot of growth, and the grocery chain’s investment in the community is timely.

According to District 1 Council Member Devyn Keith, that area has needed a grocery store for a long time.

The Council Member said the area residents he has talked to are excited about the new store.

“A lot of people are going to be signing up for Food City’s loyalty program,” said Keith.

Mayor Tommy Battle emphasized the growth in North Huntsville. “There are more things happening in the area than ever before,” said Mayor Battle.

The North Huntsville store will be located at 10210 North Memorial Parkway and will employ nearly 200 people.

According to Food City President and CEO Steven C. Smith, the grocery chain’s six Huntsville stores will employ over 1000 team members.

The 56,000-square-foot store on North Memorial Parkway will include a pharmacy, a café, a full-service meat department, an in-store sushi chef, and a Starbucks.

Food City is a privately held company under the corporate banner K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. Twelve percent of the company is employee-owned through profit sharing.

It was the second groundbreaking of the day for Food City representatives visiting Huntsville. In the morning, they broke ground for a Food City on Governors Drive.