History
K-VA-T Food Stores traces its history to 1955, when company founder Jack Smith opened his first 8,800-square-foot (820 m2) Piggly Wiggly store in Grundy, Virginia with the help of three special stockholders: his father, Curtis Smith, uncle, Earl Smith and cousin, Ernest Smith.
In 1963, Smith added a second store in South Williamson, Kentucky, followed by a newly constructed third location in Pikeville, Kentucky in 1965, and a store in Prestonsburg, Kentucky in 1967.
The company continued to grow steadily until 1984 when they acquired Quality Foods, a 19-store chain (founded in 1918), that operated under the Food City name. The Smiths adopted Food City as the new nameplate, along with its heritage, for all of their stores going forward.
In 1989, Food City purchased the 43-store White Stores chain based out of Knoxville, TN, more than doubling the size of the company.
In 1998, Food City acquired the 11-store Kennedy Piggly Wiggly chain as well as full control of Mid-Mountain Foods, the current K-VA-T distribution center. The following year, Winn-Dixie pulled out of the Knoxville market and sold their seven stores to Food City. In February 2006, Food City announced the purchase of eight Bi-Lo locations in Knoxville, Maryville, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
K-VA-T celebrated its 50th anniversary November 17, 2005 by opening a 46,500-square-foot (4,320 m2) store in Vansant, Virginia, just outside of Grundy.
On October 15, 2008, K-VA-T opened its 100th store in Rogersville, Tennessee. The company celebrated this event by sending a special commemorative I-beam to every store in the company where employees signed it as a goodwill gesture for the new store. The beam sits above the entrance way in the 100th store.
In December 2010, K-VA-T purchased Old Town Market in Tazewell, TN as a replacement store for their New Tazewell, TN location.
The largest Food City ever opened on February 22, 2012 in Bristol, Virginia. The store is 58,000 square feet (5,400 m2) and 8,000 square feet (740 m2) on the 2nd floor.
In March 2012, K-VA-T announced the signing of the lease for their first location in West Virginia in the city of Bluefield, West Virginia., but decided in August 2012 against renovating the former Kroger location due to it not being cost effective.
In April 2012, K-VA-T opened their first Food City Express food and fuel station in Coeburn, Virginia offering items typically stocked in a convenience store.
In August 2012, K-VA-T opened their first Food City Wine and Spirits liquor store in Pikeville, Kentucky.
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