Food City (K-VA-T)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (Supermarkets) |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founder | Jack Smith |
| Headquarters | Abingdon, Virginia , United States |
Area served | Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia |
Key people | Steven C. Smith (President and CEO) |
| Products | Groceries, private label items, convenience store products, fuel |
| Owner | K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. |
| Parent | K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. |
Food City is a supermarket chain based in the United States, with locations spanning Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. It operates under the ownership of K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc., a privately held corporation that is family and employee-owned, with a 13% employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). The company’s headquarters are located in Abingdon, Virginia. Alongside Food City, K-VA-T manages the Food City Distribution Center, which it fully acquired in 1998, Misty Mountain Spring Water, LLC, and several limited-assortment grocery outlets such as Super Dollar Food Center, Food City Express, Gas'N Go convenience stores, and Food City Wine and Spirits liquor outlets. Numerous Food City locations also include Gas'N Go fueling stations.
The chain offers a wide range of private label items under various brand names including "Food Club," "TopCare," "That's Smart!," "Food City Fresh!," "Full Circle," "Crav'n Flavor," "Paws Happy Life," "Simply Done," and "Wide Awake Coffee Co.," many of which are associated with the Topco cooperative brand program. Food City holds exclusive distribution rights for regional products like "Kay's Ice Cream," "Moore's Classic Snacks," "Terry's Classic Snacks," "Kern's Bread," and "Lay Classic Meats."
History
K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. was established in 1955 by Jack Smith, who launched his inaugural Piggly Wiggly store in Grundy, Virginia, with financial backing from family members Curtis, Earl, and Ernest Smith. The company expanded into Kentucky throughout the 1960s by opening additional locations.
A major phase of growth occurred in 1984 when the company acquired Quality Foods, a chain of 19 stores operating under the Food City banner, which subsequently became the corporation’s flagship brand. In 1989, Food City doubled its footprint by purchasing the White Stores chain of 37 outlets based in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Further expansion took place in 1998 with the acquisition of the Kennedy Piggly Wiggly chain consisting of 11 stores and full ownership of its distribution center, Mid-Mountain Foods. After Winn-Dixie exited the Knoxville market in 1999, Food City took over seven of their former stores. In 2006, eight BI-LO supermarkets in Tennessee markets such as Knoxville and Maryville were added to the portfolio.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2005, K-VA-T opened a new store near Grundy. By 2008, the company reached a milestone of 100 stores with a new opening in Rogersville, Tennessee. In December 2010, Old Town Market in Tazewell was acquired to replace an existing location.
In July 2015, Food City acquired 29 BI-LO stores from Southeastern Grocers across Chattanooga and Northern Georgia. This acquisition was accompanied by plans to invest over $40 million in upgrades and to introduce Gas'N Go fuel stations at many sites. That October marked the opening of K-VA-T’s first store in Georgia and unveiled its largest Food City location to date in Johnson City, Tennessee.
November 2017 saw the launch of Food City's first in-store Starbucks at a new Athens, Tennessee site; by April 2024, the company operated 60 Starbucks cafes within its stores. K-VA-T earned recognition for its marketing efforts by receiving the Outstanding Marketer award from the National Grocers Association in February 2020.
In June 2020, K-VA-T announced plans for a new supermarket in Albertville, Alabama—its fifth state presence—with that store opening in April 2021. In August 2022, Food City expanded further by acquiring Cooke’s family stores—including Fresh n’ Low and Cooke's Food Store and Pharmacy—located in Greater Cleveland, Tennessee and Georgia. These locations were either consolidated or replaced by larger Food City stores by January 2025 to enhance market penetration and streamline operations.
Headquarters
From its inception in 1955 until the 1970s, K-VA-T operated its corporate headquarters out of Grundy, Virginia. Subsequently, the company shifted its base to Abingdon, Virginia, where it gradually expanded its operations across five separate facilities within Abingdon and Washington County.
In October 2013, K-VA-T unified its administrative functions into a newly constructed, four-story headquarters spanning 140,000 square feet at 1 Food City Circle in downtown Abingdon. This complex sits on a 17-acre site and incorporates elements of previous structures, including an updated parking garage. In November 2017, the company gifted its former Abingdon office building to the Barter Theater.
Super Dollar Food Center
The limited-assortment grocery format known as Super Dollar Discount Foods was introduced by K-VA-T in Wytheville, Virginia, in 2008. The original store was torn down in 2020 to facilitate the development of a new Food City location. This format grew through both new store openings and conversions of smaller Food City outlets across Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. Beginning in May 2017, all Super Dollar Discount Foods stores were rebranded to Super Dollar Food Center. As of March 2022, five Super Dollar locations were operational, including one featuring a Gas'N Go fuel station.
Express by Food City
K-VA-T launched the Express by Food City convenience store concept in June 2020 by transforming an older site in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee into this new format.
Food City Wine & Spirits
The Food City Wine & Spirits liquor store chain was initiated by K-VA-T in August 2012 with its first location in Pikeville, Kentucky. Expansion continued with a second store opening in Louisa, Kentucky in August 2015, followed by additional outlets in Whitesburg (May 2020) and Middlesboro (September 2021). These stores represent a strategic move to diversify the company’s retail portfolio.
Convenience stores
In April 2012, K-VA-T entered the convenience store sector by launching Food City Express in Coeburn, Virginia, repurposing a former Exxon gas station. Growth continued under the Gas'N Go brand with locations established in Elizabethton, Morristown, Bristol, Oliver Springs (Tennessee), and Pikeville (Kentucky), with the most recent opening occurring in June 2023. This expansion aligns with K-VA-T’s integrated retail strategy targeting both convenience retail and fuel sales.
Curt’s Ace Hardware
K-VA-T announced its entry into the hardware market in April 2022 with the introduction of Curt’s Ace Hardware stores. Initial locations included sites in Abingdon and Bristol (Virginia) as well as Piney Flats and Elizabethton (Tennessee), leveraging the acquisition of Mize Farm & Garden Supply in Gray, Tennessee. The first Curt’s Ace store opened its doors in Bristol, Virginia in June 2022. By early 2025, the chain had grown to thirteen stores, including conversions of former grocery locations in Ocoee, Tennessee and Galax, Virginia. This expansion strengthens K-VA-T’s market presence while broadening its product and service range.
Fresh n’ Low/Cooke's Food Store & Pharmacy
In October 2022, K-VA-T acquired four Fresh n’ Low stores along with Cooke's Food Store and Pharmacy in Tennessee plus one Fresh n’ Low location in Georgia. By June 2023, construction began on two larger replacement stores for the Candies Creek and Ocoee Fresh n’ Low sites under the Food City brand. Cooke's Food Store and Pharmacy closed in December 2023 after a nearby Food City was expanded. By January 2025, all Fresh n’ Low outlets had been consolidated into remodeled or larger Food City establishments.
Oldtown Market
Following the 1984 acquisition of Quality Foods, K-VA-T rebranded the Piggly Wiggly store in Galax, Virginia, as Oldtown Market. This particular location was sold in 1989 to its former management team. It is important to note that this Oldtown Market is separate from the Old Town Market in Tazewell, Tennessee, which K-VA-T acquired and rebranded in 2010.
Valu Foods
The Sweetwater, Tennessee outlet was transformed by K-VA-T into Valu Foods, a discount warehouse-style store. This location ceased operations in 1999.
While It Lasts
One store in Sevierville, Tennessee, closed its doors in 2005 but reopened shortly thereafter under the name While It Lasts. This outlet functioned as a clearance store for surplus items from the Bi-Lo acquisition that were not carried by standard Food City stores. It ultimately shut down in 2006.
Community involvement
Food City was honored with the Community Service Award from Supermarket News in 2008, recognizing its charitable efforts and positive influence on local economies. Steven C. Smith, president and CEO of K-VA-T, received the Tennessee Grocers & Convenience Store Association’s Grocer of the Year award in 2009 for outstanding leadership. In 2013, Food City earned the Dale Carnegie Leadership Award for excellence in service, employee development, and dedication to community engagement.
Animal shelters
Each year, Food City organizes the Pet Hunger Drive, encouraging customers to donate pre-packaged pet food to nearby animal shelters. The 2017 campaign set a new record by raising $109,000 to support shelters throughout the region.
CSX Santa Train
Since 1992, Food City has collaborated with the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce and CSX Transportation to back the Appalachia Santa Train. This program delivers over 15 tons of gifts to children along a 110-mile stretch of Appalachia, involving approximately 200 volunteers annually.
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
K-VA-T conducts an annual fundraising initiative where customers can purchase JDRF "sneakers" at checkout to contribute. By November 2018, Food City had donated more than $1.878 million to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
Locally grown produce and eggs
Food City allocates around $6 million each year toward purchasing produce from local farms within its trade region, which includes counties across Tennessee and Virginia. Since 2011, 95% of eggs sold by Food City have been supplied by Dutt & Wagner of Virginia, a family-run farm based in Abingdon; the remaining 5% consist of specialty items such as Egg Beaters.
Mission: ABLE
In partnership with NASCAR Champion Richard Petty since 2011, K-VA-T supports Mission: ABLE to aid Paralyzed Veterans of America. Shoppers’ contributions have surpassed $1.26 million, with all proceeds directly benefiting paralyzed veterans in the local community.
Race Against Hunger
The annual Race Against Hunger campaign has been hosted by Food City stores since 1992, generating over $350,000 each year for organizations addressing hunger relief within the region.
School Bucks
Originally introduced as Apples for the Students in 1990 and renamed Food City School Bucks in 2009, this program allows customers to support neighborhood schools by linking their loyalty cards to participating institutions. To date, Food City has awarded $21.4 million to more than 1,000 schools through this initiative.
Sports Sponsorships
Food City has maintained a significant role in sports promotion, notably backing the Tim Irwin/Food City Bass Tournament since 1988, an event that has generated over $1 million for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley.
The brand supports two prominent NASCAR races at Bristol Motor Speedway: the Food City 500 (NASCAR Cup Series) and the Food City 300 (NASCAR Xfinity Series). This partnership, active since 1992, ranks as the second longest race naming rights agreement within the Cup Series. The races have been renamed at times to honor individuals such as Jeff Byrd (2011), Steve Byrnes (2015), and to salute frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020). Additionally, Food City organizes Family Race Nights in Knoxville and Bristol ahead of NASCAR competitions.
Between 1995 and 1999, Food City was the sponsor for NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 car and subsequently for Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Busch Series vehicle, securing seven victories in the series along with a championship title in 1998. From 2005 through 2007, Food City sponsored the Hooters Pro Cup race held at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The company also served as the main sponsor for the Knoxville Open golf tournament until 2010.
In football sponsorships, Food City acted as a presenting sponsor for the 2016 Battle at Bristol game featuring Tennessee Volunteers versus Virginia Tech Hokies. That same year, it assumed title sponsorship of the Bucs at Bristol football game between ETSU Buccaneers and Western Carolina Catamounts.
In August 2023, Food City forged a 25-year partnership with the University of Tennessee Athletics Department. This deal includes naming rights for Thompson-Boling Arena, now designated as "Thompson-Boling Arena at The Food City Center," supported by a $20 million investment over ten years to deepen its involvement with Tennessee Volunteers sports programs.
Locations
As of October 2022, K-VA-T Food Stores, Inc. oversees operations of 153 retail locations spanning Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia. This portfolio consists of 132 Food City supermarkets, six Super Dollar Food Centers, four Wine & Spirits outlets, five Fresh n' Lows stores, one Cooke's Food Store and Pharmacy, plus five convenience stores. The company also operates more than 114 pharmacies within its stores and manages over 100 fueling stations, reflecting its broad business strategy and growing footprint in the Southeastern United States.