Piggly Wiggly is nearing its long-awaited opening at 819 W. Florida St., Greensboro, at the Freeman Mill Square shopping center near West Florida Street and Freeman Mill Road. According to the Triad Business Journal, the grocery store is scheduled to open October following approximately seven years of delays, beginning with a soft opening before a grand opening expected within the following 30 days.
The project dates to 2019, when S&S Capital LLC, Shehzad Quamar and Shahzad Akbar purchased the shopping center for $1.5 million. According to the Triad Business Journal, the group originally targeted an April 2020 opening, but the project was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, supply shortages and the need to resubmit plans following local code changes.
Construction on the approximately 15,000-square-foot grocery store restarted in 2024 under general contractor S&S Contracting of N.C. Inc. and was completed in 2025, according to the Triad Business Journal. The developers have since been working through the permitting process, while Quamar estimates the group has invested another $1.5 million to $2 million into the project beyond its original purchase price.
The new Piggly Wiggly is expected to employ at least 15 full-time workers, according to the Triad Business Journal. The publication reported that the Greensboro store will be operated by the same group running the Piggly Wiggly in Danville, Virginia, which was purchased in 2024 by Morrisville-based Foods Market LLC, associated with Ramhari Neupane, Madhav Mainali and Laxman Pokhrel of High Point.
The grocery store is being developed to serve a neighborhood where access to fresh food has been limited. According to the Triad Business Journal, the 27406 area is considered a food desert, and a study conducted by the developers found approximately 30,000 homes within a five-mile radius of the coming store. The developers identified the Food Lion at 1911 Coliseum Blvd. as the only grocery store serving that radius.
Piggly Wiggly is a grocery store brand, rather than a restaurant concept. According to the company’s official website, the brand was founded in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1916 by Clarence Saunders and became America’s first true self-service grocery store. The original store featured open shelves and shopping baskets, allowing customers to select their own merchandise rather than having clerks gather their orders.
The brand currently operates through independently owned grocery stores. According to Piggly Wiggly’s official website, there are more than 500 Piggly Wiggly stores across 18 states, with individual stores independently owned and operated under license from Piggly Wiggly LLC and C&S Wholesale Grocers LLC.
The brand has also maintained a connection to traditional grocery departments. According to the Triad Business Journal, the Piggly Wiggly format appealed to Greensboro developer Shehzad Quamar because of its history as a self-service grocery chain and its fresh meat market with an on-site butcher.
The Freeman Mill Square project is also being positioned as a potential starting point for additional development. According to the Triad Business Journal, Quamar described the Greensboro location as a pilot project, with the development group considering other underserved areas across the Triad if the store succeeds.
Meanwhile, work continues at the surrounding shopping center. The Triad Business Journal reported that developers were finalizing deals with three tenants while at least seven spaces remained available. The group is seeking healthcare facilities and other food businesses that could address demand in the surrounding area.
