A grocery store that Greensboro residents have waited seven years for is planned for Freeman Mill Square, at 819 W. Florida St. near West Florida Street and Freeman Mill Road.
The date is the latest in a string of estimates that never held. According to WhatNow, the roughly 52,000-square-foot shopping center was purchased for $1.5 million in November 2018 and originally targeted an April 2020 opening. As reported by WFMY News 2, the property had once been condemned.
The project encountered plumbing and electrical problems. Construction restarted in 2024 under general contractor S&S Contracting of N.C. Inc. and wrapped up in 2025, though developers have still been working through permitting since then.
Utility Upgrades Were the Final Hurdle
Even after construction finished, one obstacle kept the doors closed. As reported by the Greensboro News & Record in December 2025, obtaining sufficient electrical utility capacity to power the market's commercial refrigeration units and meat room was a primary physical obstacle late in the project.
The roughly 15,000-square-foot store is expected to employ at least 15 full-time workers once open, the same report notes.
A Neighborhood Long Without a Nearby Grocer
The store is being developed to serve a neighborhood with limited access to fresh food. Food deserts have been identified near Freeman Mill Square.
That local reality lines up with countywide numbers. According to N.C. Cooperative Extension data citing Feeding America, Guilford County recorded an overall food insecurity rate of 15.2% in 2023 — representing 82,510 people — while 22.5% of children in the county, or 27,110 kids, faced food insecurity. Guilford County contains 24 census tracts designated as food deserts under USDA standards, with 17 of them in Greensboro alone, according to the Greater High Point Food Alliance.
The need has only grown more acute this year. Food assistance demand among Guilford County nonprofits rose 20% in 2026 as federal SNAP rolls in North Carolina shrank by more than 110,000 participants since September 2025, as reported by WFMY News 2 in August 2026, leaving more households searching for affordable local grocery options as benefits shrink.
A Century-Old Brand Built on Self-Service and Fresh Meat
Piggly Wiggly itself carries some retail history that predates the modern supermarket. Founded in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1916 by Clarence Saunders, it became America's first true self-service grocery store, letting customers select their own merchandise from open shelves using shopping baskets rather than handing a list to a clerk. Today, C&S Wholesale Grocers owns the Piggly Wiggly brand name and licensing rights.
Quamar said he was drawn to the brand's self-service history and its fresh meat market format, which includes on-site butchers, and he described the Greensboro store as a pilot project, per WhatNow's reporting. If it succeeds, the development group is considering bringing the same model to other underserved areas across the Triad.
A 50,000-square-foot store in Tallahassee, Florida, was rebranded as Piggly Wiggly Food for Less, according to Hoodline.
More Tenants Could Follow
Developers have discussed possible future tenants for the center.
The push to fill grocery-anchored centers reflects a broader pattern of investor interest in Greensboro retail. Hoodline reported in April 2026 that commercial real estate investors paid $25 million for the 100,000-square-foot Adams Farm Shopping Center, underscoring how grocery-anchored properties have remained resilient commercial assets even as other retail categories struggle.
