Fifth Third Bancorp seeks regulatory OK to open second Winston-Salem branch

Fifth Third Bancorp, a top-10 bank based in Cincinnati, has applied for regulatory approval to open a second branch in Winston-Salem.

The bank has submitted plans for a branch at 2899 Reynolda Road with the U.S. Comptroller of the Currency.

In March, a real-estate arm of Fifth Third paid $1.73 million for the 0.97-acre tract that once had a Bank of America Corp. branch as a tenant until it was closed in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fifth Third previously confirmed its first Triad branch will be at 1951 Battleground Ave. in Greensboro in the Irving Park Shops campus. It is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter.

The second branch is being located at 285 S. Stratford Road in Winston-Salem near the Krispy Kreme shop. It is scheduled to open in early 2027.

"Fifth Third Bank is committed to expanding our presence across North Carolina, with significant growth planned across the Triad region," said Tommy Lloyd, the bank's retail executive for North Carolina.

"We expect to open 10 new branches over the next 18 to 24 months as part of our continued investment in bringing more convenient and modern banking options to the communities we serve."

Fifth Third's planned entrance into the Triad is another example of out-of-state, national and super-regional banks taking on the stiff challenge of establishing a viable presence.

In December, Fifth Third became the ninth-largest U.S. bank by total assets at $294 billion following the completion of its $10.9 billion deal of Comerica Inc.

Fifth Third would become the 23rd retail bank with a presence in Forsyth County. Of those banks, five currently have just one branch in the county.

By comparison, Guilford County is served currently by 21 banks, including seven with just one branch.

Fifth Third has 86 branches in North Carolina, foremost in Charlotte and Raleigh, but also with a branch in Banner Elk, Sparta and West Jefferson in northwest N.C.

Upon the debut of its Winston-Salem and Greensboro branches, Fifth Third would have a presence in 18 of the 20 fastest-growing large markets in the country, including key regions in the Southeast, Arizona, California and Texas.

Fifth Third has set a goal of having 1,750 branches by 2030. It listed having 1,130 branches as of Dec. 31.

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 8:50 PM.