PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — A Farm Fresh store in Portsmouth is officially back up and running.
The Victory Boulevard location was among several in the region that closed earlier this year after Kroger and Food Lion purchased the stores from SUPERVALU, Inc.
Virginia Beach resident Chris Lee told 10 On Your Side he bought the Portsmouth location with the intention of having it reopened this month. Lee also acquired Farm Fresh locations in Virginia Beach and in Newport News.
On Friday, the Victory Boulevard store reopened to the delight of many customers. Mayor John Rowe attended a ribbon cutting ceremony Friday to kick-off the store’s grand re-opening.
“Closer, convenient, I mean what more can I say? The chicken is great, the prices is great, the salad is great, so I love it,” one customer told 10 On Your Side.
“It’s just a local brand, everybody is so used to, I mean they grew up with the brand. I mean I’ve been here all my life and it’s the brand I know,” Lee explained when asked why he was passionate about reviving the store.
Lee says the employees are familiar faces.
“Most of them actually have worked at this store, so a lot of the customers already recognize all the employees here,” he said.
While shoppers were excited to get their necessities from a place they know and love, it was clear many were there for one thing — the fried chicken.
“It’s the best chicken, it’s the best chicken we got, and everybody’s happy it’s come back,” said customer Brenda Morrisette.
“It’s very good, I love it,” said another customer in line, Phillis Britton.
The line of people who were deprived of the Farm Fresh fried chicken wrapped into the produce section Friday afternoon.
Lee says it was a no brainer to bring the chicken back.
“It would’ve been crazy without that fried chicken. They’d probably be here strangling me right now,” he joked.