Wegmans fanatics can relax. Coronavirus likely won’t delay opening of new Cary store.
During a pandemic, when so many businesses are closed and construction projects are slowed down or even put on hold, it’s only natural that a hardcore Wegmaniac — a devoted Wegmans grocery store fan — would get a little nervous about a highly anticipated store opening.
But Cary shoppers can relax.
All is well at North Carolina’s newest Wegmans location on Davis Drive at Airport Boulevard.
A spokesperson for Wegmans confirmed on Wednesday that construction of the 103,000-square foot store in the Twin Lakes Center is proceeding as planned.
“We are still on schedule to open the first week in August barring any unforeseen circumstances,” said the spokesperson.
Wegmans did postpone the opening of a new store in Harrison, New York, originally scheduled for June. Harrison is located in Westchester County, the site of New York’s first COVID-19 “hot spot.” As of May 13, there have been 1,238 coronavirus deaths in Westchester County.
Cary’s Wegmans location will open August 2020
In late February, Wegmans announced it had 300 part-time positions ready to fill at the Cary store. In total, the store will employ about 450 people.
The opening date and time announced in February was for 7 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2.
The west Cary store will be the Rochester-based chain’s second North Carolina location, following the opening of the Wegmans on Wake Forest Road in Raleigh in September 2019 — an opening that broke the company’s first-day record for number of visitors. About 3,000 people waited in line for the 7 a.m. opening, with many camping out overnight, and more than 30,000 people came through the store on the first day.
Grocery stores have experienced increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, often expanding staff even while decreasing store hours. The Germany-based chains Lidl and Aldi opened new locations in the area in April. The Florida-based Publix chain plans to open a store in Clayton this year.
In addition to the Harrison, New York, store, Wegmans plans to open a store at Tysons Corner, Virginia, this year.
In North Carolina, Wegmans plans at a later date to open grocery stores in Chapel Hill (Spring 2021), Wake Forest and Holly Springs, as well as a second store in Cary.
This story was originally published May 13, 2020 at 3:13 PM.
