/ 35.682678; -80.511744 Food Lion is an American grocery store chain headquartered in Salisbury, North Carolina , that operates over 1100 supermarkets in 10 states of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States, employing over 63,000 people. It was founded in 1957 as Food Town, a single grocery store in Salisbury.
Is there a Food Lion in Virginia?
Dairy section of a Food Lion in Hampton, Virginia . The Food Lion name was adopted in 1983; as Food Town expanded into Virginia , the chain encountered several stores called Foodtown in the Richmond area. Expansion into Maryland would have been a bigger problem since about 100 independent, but affiliated, stores were called Food Town.
The chain’s history can trace back to 1972 , when its namesake founder Reid Boylston opened his first store in Barnwell, South Carolina. Most of these stores were all formerly branded as Food Lion stores and continue to carry Food Lion branded goods and use the Food Lion infrastructure.
What was the original name of Food Lion?
The Food Lion name was adopted in 1983; as Food Town expanded into Virginia, the chain encountered several stores called Foodtown in the Richmond area. Expansion into Maryland would have been a bigger problem since about 100 independent, but affiliated, stores were called Food Town.
What is the history of Food Lion?
Food Lion was founded in 1957 in Salisbury, North Carolina, as Food Town by Wilson Smith, Ralph Ketner, and Brown Ketner .
What was food lion original name?
The now ever popular grocery store Food Lion was first founded 50 plus years ago in 1957 in the small town of Salisbury, North Carolina. Originally known as Food Town , Wilson Smith, Ralph Ketner, and Brown Ketner were the great minds who started this now multi-million dollar company.
An answer is that because Delhaize had a lion in its logo, Food Town had asked to use it on product labels and new store signs . Ralph Ketner realized “lion” needed only two new letters and the movement of another in the chain’s signs. On December 12, 1982, Ketner announced the name change to “Food Lion,” and by the end of March 1983, all stores had been rebranded.
Food Lion was originally launched as Food Town, retaining that name until 1983 when they decided to adopt a new name to avoid conflicts with another Food Town chain in the Richmond, VA area and a series of (unrelated) Food Towns in Tennessee as they expanded. The lion in the logo was borrowed from the chain’s parent company, Delhaize .
Is food Lion owned by Ahold?
Food Lion LLC is a grocery store company headquartered in Salisbury, North Carolina, that operates more than 1,100 supermarkets in 10 states of the Southeastern United States under the Food Lion banner. Is currently owned by Ahold Delhaize after it was acquired by the Delhaize Group in 1974.