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After years of rabid anticipation, mostly by Charlotte transplants, Wegmans supermarket is finally under construction in Charlotte.

On Wednesday morning, Tim Goldbach of Indian Land, S.C., snapped photos of the site at 11550 N. Community House Road. Goldbach says he comes out every three or four weeks to check on the progress.

Wearing a Josh Allen No. 17 Buffalo Bills jersey and a team baseball cap, the Buffalo native said he’s looking forward to being less than 10 minutes for Wegmans. He misses the store’s offerings, such as its chocolate cake and cheese cave.

“Wegmans is the Disney of grocery stores,” Goldbach said excitedly. “A year from today, at 2 o’clock in the morning, I’ll be here in this parking lot waiting to walk into the store with my grocery list to do my shopping at Wegmans for the first time.”

An invite-only groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday for the grocery store on the east side of Ballantyne. Wegmans Ballantyne store will be the Rochester, N.Y.-based company’s first location in Charlotte. The south Charlotte store is expected to open next fall.

“I’m more than thrilled to be inviting you all back here in roughly 12 months to welcome you in as customers,” vice president of real estate Dan Aken said during the ground breaking.

Wegmans is investing $34.7 million in the 112,162-square-foot store, a Mecklenburg County building permit filing shows. Wegmans purchased the over 14-acre property for $5.5 million in January, Mecklenburg County property records show.

Wegmans has partnered with local general contractor Frampton Construction Co. as the builder. The project will create more than 250 construction jobs, Wegmans said.

Wegmans plans to hire about 450 people at the Charlotte grocery store. The majority of hiring begins about six months from opening, Aken previously told the Observer.

Mecklenburg County Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell said her first job at age 15 was at a grocery store. Her children all had grocery store jobs in high school, she said. And this new store near a high school, will provide jobs for teens.

“I really see how this a place where you can rise up, there’s a pathway for mobility,” said Rodriguez-McDowell, who also chairs the Economic Development Committee.

What people are saying about Wegmans in Charlotte

After years of speculation by Northeast transplants and others around town, Wegmans confirmed plans in April 2024 that it would be coming to Charlotte. Aken said then that Wegmans had received hundreds of requests for a store in the Charlotte area.

“I’m sure there’s going to be hundreds of people here for the opening,” Goldbach said.

A Facebook group named “Bring Wegmans to Charlotte” was created nine years ago and has nearly 8,000 followers.

Last month, Ren Jones asked: “Are we tailgating for the grand opening?” to overwhelming responses of “Yes” and “I’m in.”

“I already told my boss I was taking the day off work so I could be there for grand opening! I mean business!,” Rachel Moore said.

Some even proposed camping overnight for the opening. “I plan to pack the dogs in the car & sleep in the parking lot overnight!” Geri Rosman said.

As Wegmans farthest store in the South, it’s also drawing people from out of state.

“Planning on driving up from Bethlehem, Georgia for opening, stay at hotel and go back the next day,” Maureen Gubbins said. “Will be easier to stock up on groceries than driving to Chapel Hill for them. Can’t wait.”

In a separate online poll Aug. 14 that asked “who is seriously considering tailgating for grand opening?” 70% said yes likely and 30% said maybe.

Others, though, like Kevin Lasher said he plans to stay away from the store for a month after it opens, to which Tim Scroger agreed. “I’ve seen two open when I lived in Pennsylvania. Lines out the door. I can wait a month,” he said.

About Wegmans grocery stores

Wegmans already is looking to expand in the Charlotte market with three to five stores, Aken previously told the Observer. Wegmans is considering a couple dozen locations including SouthPark, Huntersville and Cornelius.

Wegmans opened its first store in North Carolina six years ago in the Raleigh area. It has since captured the No. 6 spot by marketshare in the Triangle area, News & Observer reported, behind Walmart, Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Target and Costco, respectively.

The 108-year-old, family-owned Wegmans supermarket chain has about 5,400 employees and 110 stores in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Delaware and Washington, D.C.

Along with traditional grocery options, the store will have a market café with indoor and outdoor seating.

“This day has been a long day coming,” said John Barton, president of developer Northwood, which owns 530-acres in Ballantyne.

Discussions with Wegmans had been taking place “very quietly” for eight years, Barton said.

“We’re very happy that this is the first location that they picked Ballantyne,” he said. “It’s going to be great for the community and we’re very glad you’re here.”

Charlotte’s grocery store competition

Wegmans will face robust competition from nearly 730 grocery stores, including expansions by Publix and Sprouts Farmers Market, to capture a piece of the $10.4 billion market in the Charlotte region.

Discount giant Walmart has dominated the field for six years, followed by Matthews-based grocer Harris Teeter and Salisbury-based Food Lion.

Wegmans will definitely steal shoppers from nearby grocers, grocery guru Phil Lempert previously told the Observer, saying, “I would not want to be within a mile of the Wegmans store.”

This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 1:33 PM.

CHARLOTTE, NC — Reid’s Fine Foods, led by owner Tom Coker alongside his son and COO, Thomas Coker, will open a new location at 14015 Conlan Cir, Charlotte, NC 28277 in Ballantyne. Coker told Business Debut the site will be the company’s fifth store, all located in the Charlotte market, with construction well underway and an opening targeted for early next year.

Coker described the Ballantyne unit as a “full-service store” with a butcher shop, a chef’s case, and a wide range of gourmet foods. The on-site restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, shifting to more of a wine-bar format in the evenings with reservations available.

At lunch, guests can build their own salads or order made-to-order options; the broader menu spans pasta, steaks, sandwiches, salads, and wraps. A hot bar is planned for quick meals “in about 10 minutes,” along with a wide offering of prepared meals. Seating is expected to be around 110. “We’re not a grocery store; we’re a specialty food store,” Coker said.

The Ballantyne store will include a coffee bar at the front of the shop and a full range of gift baskets—continuing a popular part of Reid’s retail program.

Reid’s Fine Foods has been a Charlotte staple in 1928. He purchased the brand name in 2010 after the last remaining store closed and retained several key butchers, chefs, and wine staff, and reopened in Myers Park in 2011. Since then, the company has added stores every two to three years, with a focus on retail specialty-foods and a refined restaurant menu. Coker noted the team studied specialty markets in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles while rebuilding the brand.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 30, 2025 — , today announced that it has signed a 10-year lease with Northwood Office for 91,464 square feet of office space in Ballantyne. TD's expansion of its corporate presence represents the growing number of colleagues living and working in the greater Charlotte area and the bank's commitment to operations in the Southeast.

The lease comprises three floors in the Harris Building at 13024 Ballantyne Corporate Place plus an additional suite on the ground floor. Together, these spaces will provide working and meeting space for up to 540 colleagues as well as high-end space to meet with clients. Additional features of TD's new office space will include a grab-and-go café, wellness areas, lactation rooms, sit-stand workstations and a hospitality suite.

“Charlotte continues to grow in population and top talent, and our TD employee base in the region also has expanded in recent years,” said Chris Ward, Regional President of the Mid-South Metro and Head of U.S. Small Business Banking for TD Bank. “The Queen City is a vibrant area for our colleagues to live, work and play. We’re excited to continue deepening our relationships and ties within the area while welcoming new colleagues and talent to Charlotte.”

TD's new space in the Harris Building more than triples capacity both in rentable square feet and colleague seats. The bank's current offices in the Irby Building seat 111 colleagues within 18,514 square feet.

“We’re excited to support TD's continued growth and success at Ballantyne. Their expansion speaks to the energy and opportunities here and reinforces the value this community provides,” said John Barton, President of Northwood Office. “We look forward to what's ahead as they continue to make a significant impact.”

TD colleagues will move from the Irby Building to the Harris Building starting in July 2026. In addition to the class A office space, TD Bank has five stores in Charlotte, four of which are TD's community store format that includes dedicated space for local nonprofits to host workshops and meetings with the bank.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the largest banks in the U.S., providing over 10 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at approximately 1,100 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Auto Finance, a division of TD Bank, N.A., offers vehicle financing and dealer commercial services. TD Bank and its subsidiaries also offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth^®. TD Bank is headquartered in Mount Laurel, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US and www.twitter.com/TDNews_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us.

Martha A. Gaston, APRSenior Corporate Communications Manager, TD Bankmartha.gaston@td.com

A national Ferrari convention will tie-up traffic on a busy south Charlotte road each morning and afternoon Monday through Wednesday, Sept. 22-24, according to the state Department of Transportation.

“Expect delays,” read two portable NCDOT message boards on Johnston Road.

The Ferrari Club of America gathering at Ballantyne Country Club could cause delays during club events Monday morning and afternoon, NCDOT spokeswoman Jen Goodwin told The Charlotte Observer.

“Drivers should plan for extra travel time,” she said.

North Carolina State Highway Patrol troopers requested NCDOT place the message boards on Johnston Road, Goodwin said.

Troopers also requested NCDOT help with traffic control Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, when up to 60 Ferraris enter Interstate 485 Outer from Johnston Road and proceed to Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, Goodwin said.

“The processions will return to Ballantyne both afternoons on I-485 Inner, so we’ll be working with our state and local partners to keep all drivers safe,” Goodwin said in an email Friday.

Ardrey Kell High delays possible, principal says

Ballantyne Crossing Avenue and northbound Johnston Road (Highway 521) will be closed anywhere from 6:30 to 8 a.m and 3 to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Ardrey Kell High School principal Susan Nichols said in a message to students, parents and staff Friday night.

“Please allow extra time, expect possible bus/carpool delays and consider alternate routes,” Nichols wrote. “Bus-related tardies will be excused.

The annual gathering includes such events as a fashion/jewelry show and presentation of the Coppa Bella Macchina award to owners of Ferraris “in exceptionally good working order, with every component and accessory working precisely as delivered from the factory under driving conditions.”

One of the largest financial institutions in North America is lending a hefty boost to Charlotte, North Carolina's office market after committing to a deal that will more than triple its corporate presence in the area.

TD Bank, a subsidiary of Canada's Toronto-Dominion Bank, signed a 10-year deal for just shy of 91,500 square feet at the Harris Building in the city's Ballantyne area, the company confirmed. The agreement represents the latest in a string of leases the Charlotte area has landed in recent months that have helped propel the market back toward pre-pandemic levels of activity and solidified its standing as one of the nation's strongest financial capitals.

For TD Bank, the deal means it will play a game of musical chairs with two Northwood Investors-owned Ballantyne buildings. The company has been leasing a little more than 18,500 square feet in the Irby Building at 11325 N. Community House Road for about a decade, but plans to hop across the corporate park to its new space starting in July next year.

"Charlotte continues to grow in population and top talent, and our TD employee base in the region also has expanded in recent years," Chris Ward, a TD Bank regional president and the head of small business banking in the United States, said in a statement. He added that the city "is a vibrant area for our colleagues," and the expanded office will help deepen the bank's ties within the area while supporting its future growth and investments there.

The firm's new address at 13024 Ballantyne Corporate Place can accommodate as many as 540 employees, significantly more than the roughly 110 people in its current space.

Unlike major U.S. markets facing a cobweb-ridden development pipeline, Charlotte experienced an unprecedented burst of new construction that has collectively added about 6 million square feet of top-quality office space over the past five years.

Of that total, about 1.2 million square feet was completed last year alone, creating a particularly challenging environment for developers competing for a smaller, post-pandemic pool of tenants with plenty of options to choose from.

However, there's an emerging sense of urgency among companies that are weighing expansions or the chance to swap out their current space for a nicer option. While vacancy is still stuck at a record high of more than 14%, new leasing volume across the country is beginning to resemble pre-pandemic averages, the bulk of which has been concentrated among premium office properties.

Financial institutions such as TD Bank have led the recent burst of activity across the Charlotte area.

Cryptocurrency platform Coinbase recently chose a Shorenstein Properties-owned building to establish a corporate foothold in the Charlotte area, long regarded as one of the nation's most established financial hubs. Others such as SouthState Bank, Trimont, AssetMark, Citigroup and First Horizon have also recently signed deals to upgrade their office spaces, expand their regional footprints, or, similar to TD Bank, ink agreements that accomplish both.

Job growth across the financial and professional services industries is expected to bolster that leasing momentum, helping to drive new leasing activity as demand among new-to-market tenants and existing ones has steadily climbed throughout the year.

Companies have collectively signed on for more space than they've offloaded for the past four consecutive quarters, according to CoStar data, a streak the Charlotte market hasn't been able to hit since 2018.