Ingles Market in Â鶹´«Ã½ won’t be reopening in March.
The Â鶹´«Ã½ Ingles was expected to reopen in March, Store Manager Keith Flynn said previously. The store has been closed since Hurricane Helene caused flooding in late September.
Flynn said Feb. 20 it may be April or May before the store reopens to shoppers. He said there has been an issue with getting equipment, so the reopening date is uncertain.
The Â鶹´«Ã½ Ingles Market is one of a number of businesses in Burke County that was forced to close due to damage caused when Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina. Several feet of water flooded the grocery store on Carbon City Road. After the hurricane, the store’s equipment, shelving and perishable food were removed, and the interior was emptied. The company planned to give the store a remodel before opening.
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Ingles Market on Carbon City Road in Â鶹´«Ã½ is currently undergoing a remodel. The store will likely reopen in late spring. The store was originally expected to reopen in March.
Flynn said the concrete floor has been cut out to run all the piping and wiring for the new freezers, refrigerators, and new area for produce and the deli.
“It’s getting close to where it’s supposed to be,†Flynn said.
The pharmacy and meat departments will be about where they were before, Flynn said.
The Starbucks kiosk will be located where it was, with produce behind it and to the right, he said. He said the produce section will extend to where aisles 3 and 4 were previously located.
The floral department will be to the left of the Starbucks kiosk, he said.
The deli and bakery will be where the produce department was previously, in the right front corner of the store, with tables and an eating area next to the deli, Flynn said.
The aisles will shift to the left and the frozen foods section will be near the pharmacy entrance, he said.
“It will be a nice layout, I think,†Flynn said.
The 230 full- and part-time employees were placed at other stores, from Marion and Black Mountain to Lincolnton and Dallas, until the Â鶹´«Ã½ store reopens, Flynn said.
“All my employees are really anxious to get back to it,†Flynn said.
Among those employees, 10 moved on to other jobs. Flynn said he expects the store will hold a job fair when ready to reopen.
Chunks of concrete sit to the side of Ingles Market in Â鶹´«Ã½ after it was removed to make way for new electrical wiring and piping.
“We’ll definitely have to hire people, because I expect to do more business,†Flynn said.
When the employees and customers come back to the remodeled store, there will be new cash registers, Flynn said. The store will still offer self-checkout.
“I’m excited for when it starts and get back and get going again,†Flynn said. “It will be good to see some old faces.â€
The Â鶹´«Ã½ store is one of four across the company that was forced to close due to damage from the hurricane. The other three locations were Swannanoa, Newland and Spruce Pine.
