<strong>From staff reports
Photos by Bob Sofaly</strong>

Following its acquisition of 62 BiLos/Harveys across the Carolinas and Georgia last year, Food Lion reopened the BiLo at 860 Parris Island Gateway as a Food Lion store on Wednesday, March 17.

The new Food Lion, open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, will employ approximately 75, according to a release from the company.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to open this new store in Beaufort, a community I have served for many years,” Store Manager Brandon Collins said in a release. “It gives me great pleasure to be able to provide great service and opportunities to the community. Our neighbors can count on us to provide a great shopping experience and a welcoming environment for years to come. I am honored and excited to serve this community, embrace its culture and share many more memories together.”

Food Lion did not acquire the Boundary Street BiLo, and BiLo has announced the store will close April 4.

[caption id="attachment_49013" align="alignright" width="1020"]<a href="https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/03172021-Food-LIon-2_edited-1-1.jpeg"><img class="size-large wp-image-49013" src="https://staging.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/03172021-Food-LIon-2_edited-1-1-1024x755.jpeg" alt="" width="1020" height="752" /></a> Bob Sofaly photo<br />Following the grand opening of the new Food Lion in the Parris Island Gateway shoppling center, officials within the Food Lion Grocery Store chain pose for pictures. Here, from left are Keri Wilhelm, Director of Merchandising; Tammy Freeman, Perishable Manager; Brandon Collins, Store Manager; Grant English, Director of Operations and Billy Williams, Divisional Vice President.[/caption]

“We regularly assess our store footprint to ensure we deliver the products and services our neighbors need at the everyday low prices they expect,” Food Lion External Communications Manager Matt Harakal said in an email. “We have a strong presence in the region and are always looking for opportunities to deepen that connection. If we have anything to share about (this specific location), we will keep you notified.”

The Parris Island Gateway store offers an expanded variety of South Carolina offerings, such as fresh produce from W.P. Rawl Farms from Pelion, S.C., Columbia’s-own Cromer’s Popcorn and Iron City Coffee freshly roasted in Blythewood, S.C. A list of additional local vendors with products in the new store can be found at https://www.foodlion.com/in-our-community/local-goodness/south-carolina/.

To help invite neighbors into the new store, welcome gifts were provided to firefighters at the Burton Fire Department and Port Royal Fire Station; faculty and staff at Riverview Charter School and Port Royal Elementary School; and staff at the Beaufort County YMCA.

Through Food Lion Feeds – the retailer’s hunger-relief initiative – the retailer donated $1,500 to Allen AME, which is an agency of the Lowcountry Food Bank. The church will also regularly receive food from the new store to distribute to neighbors in need through Food Lion Feeds’ industry-leading food rescue program.

Food Lion Feeds has donated the equivalent of nearly 750 million meals since 2014 to food-insecure neighbors.