Convenience retailer Royal Farms will open its first c-store in North Carolina in May. This announcement comes about five months after the company revealed its plans to expand into the Tar Heel State.
The store, located at 6511 Caratoke Highway in Grandy, is in a community on the far eastern side of the state, according to Royal Farms’ website. The location will feature both regular and ethanol-free fuel in the forecourt, as well as the chain’s fried chicken program inside the store, which includes made-to-order bone-in fried chicken, chicken tenders, chicken sliders, breakfast sandwiches and more.
To celebrate its entrance into North Carolina, Royal Farms donated beverages, protein bars, snacks and toilet paper to the Lower Currituck Food Pantry. The company also held a soft opening event at the location, according to the announcement.
“We are thrilled to expand into North Carolina and bring our dedication to supporting the communities we serve with us,” Frank Schilling, director of marketing for Royal Farms, said in the announcement.
Royal Farms revealed its expansion into North Carolina in November, with plans to open stores in New Bern, Greenville, Lumberton, Kinston and Jacksonville. According to the company’s website, its locations in Greenville, Kinston and New Bern also will feature f’real Milkshakes and car washes in addition to the fuel and food options found at the new Grandy store.
Also in November, Royal Farms disclosed plans to open a store in Michigan — its first location outside the East Coast — sometime in 2023. There is currently no update on that location.
Founded in 1959, Baltimore-based Royal Farms operates more than 270 c-stores throughout Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia and West Virginia.