Karns Quality Foods
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Supermarket |
| Founded | 1959 |
| Founder | David L. Karns |
| Headquarters | Mechanicsburg , United States |
Area served | Harrisburg metro region, Pennsylvania |
Key people | Andrea Karns (CEO, since 2024), Scott Karns (Chairman) |
| Products | Fresh and perishable foods, locally sourced produce, bakery items, supermarket merchandise |
Karns Prime & Fancy Food, Ltd., known commercially as Karns Fresh Foods since 2022 (previously Karns Quality Foods), is a family-owned supermarket chain that serves the Harrisburg metro region in Pennsylvania. The company's main office is located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
History
Established in 1959 by David L. Karns as a butcher shop in New Cumberland, Karns has consistently operated as a family-run grocery retailer with a strong focus on fresh and perishable products. The business expanded with a second store opening in Hampden Township in 1960. Karns locations feature fresh, locally sourced produce and bakery items alongside standard supermarket merchandise.
In September 2006, Karns grew its footprint by acquiring Fox's Markets stores in Middletown and Hershey, bringing the total number of stores to eight. Later developments included the opening of a ninth store in 2019 at a former Darrenkamp's location and a tenth store launched in December 2021 in Duncannon, which had previously been run by Mutzabaugh's.
The Central Penn Business Journal recognized Karns as the 35th largest privately owned company in central Pennsylvania in 2013 and listed it among the top ten privately held enterprises within Cumberland County in 2009.
In 2022, Karns introduced the Karns Beef Program through collaboration with Keystone Farm Future and JBS Foods to improve the sourcing and availability of local beef products.
Operations
Karns currently manages nine retail outlets across central Pennsylvania, including sites in Lower Paxton Township, Lemoyne, Hampden Township, Boiling Springs, New Bloomfield, Middletown, Carlisle, Newberry Township, and Hershey.
David L. Karns, the founder, retired as CEO in 1989, entrusting leadership to his son Scott Karns who had been part of the company for twelve years at that time. In May 2024, Andrea Karns, Scott's daughter and third-generation family member, was appointed CEO. Scott Karns remains actively involved as chairman of the board.