BALLANTYNE, N.C. — Wegmans will open its first Charlotte-area grocery store Wednesday morning, but many loyal customers of the Rochester-based grocery chain began lining up as early as 5 o’clock Tuesday afternoon.
The massive 110,000-square-foot store will open in Ballantyne, just steps from the Ballantyne Bowl on North Community House Road.
Channel 9’s Joe Bruno got a sneak peek of the store ahead of opening day. It’s more than double the size of a typical grocery store. The new location has 664 parking spots and will bring 450 jobs to the area. Fortune names it the fifth best place to work in the country.
[ SNEAK PEEK: Wegmans Ballantyne location is set to hire 450 people for grand opening ]
The selection of Ballantyne for the first Wegmans location continues the neighborhood’s hot streak dating back to May 2020, when the city approved the Ballantyne Reimagined public-private partnership. About $111 million has been invested in the area, paving the way not only for Wegmans but for major corporate jobs from Citi, TD Bank, Daimler Truck Financial Services and SoFi Technologies.
Councilman Ed Driggs said decades-old decisions contributed to Ballantyne’s success as a destination for foodies and families.
“A couple of $100 million back in the 80s and 90s, and that was just to have a foundation, water supply, all those things, so that then people could build, and that’s what has happened,” Driggs said. “The return of that investment in terms of tax dollars has been huge.”
Grocery Wars
Wegmans’ Ballantyne location will join a long list of grocery stores already serving the Charlotte area. While there’s a lot of enthusiasm for its entry into the market, it will have to play catch-up to other stores.
According to 2026 data from Chain Store Guide, Walmart is the most popular grocer in Charlotte, accounting for $2.4 billion in sales across 32 stores. That’s followed by Harris Teeter, which has 60 stores that generate $1.695 billion. Food Lion is right on Harris Teeter’s heels with 109 stores generating $1.671 billion.
Customers say Wegmans is known for its produce and ready-to-eat meal section. The new grocer also includes a large cafe with seating for hundreds and a play area.
Store Manager Patrick McGuinness says the store’s workforce sets it apart.
“Our focus has always been our people,” he said. “Our people will take care of our customers, and as we continue to grow as an organization, the people are just doing an amazing job. They’re the ones that, for me, the opportunity to watch them open the door is so exciting.”
When a new competitor enters the market, shoppers will typically see changes in other grocery stores, like more fresh food items or more deals.
The Ballantyne location marks the fifth Wegmans in North Carolina. The company is looking into a location in Cornelius for a potential sixth location.
An estimated 30,000 people visited the Raleigh location on its opening day in 2019. McGuinness said he would not be surprised if Charlotte saw similar numbers.
Officers with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department will be in the area to direct traffic throughout the day.