That’s one more “Farm Fresh” gone. A little more than a year after the chain was sold off piecemeal by its corporate parent, Supervalu, one of several independent stores to keep the Farm Fresh name and its fan-favorite fried chicken has closed.
Chris Lee, who had kept open three Farm Fresh locations, confirmed he had closed the store at the corner of Holland and South Rosemont roads in Virginia Beach on Thursday.
The store’s produce sections and refrigerated sections were reportedly emptied in recent weeks, and signs in the store declared “all sales final,” but the store still carried its sought after fried chicken.
Lee, who also operates Grand Mart International Foods off Newtown Road in Virginia Beach, said the lease expired and he opted not to renew. He said he had been subleasing the space from Farm Fresh’s former corporate owner, Supervalu, which was sold to United Natural Foods Inc. last year.
The large Farm Fresh was the anchor of the Chimney Hill Center, which is managed by Glazer Properties in New York.
After buying it and the other two locations, Lee had stocked much of the stores with international produce and products, as well as adding “international foods” below the large “Farm Fresh” sign outside the Chimney Hill store.
Lee said the Chimney Hill store was “just not performing.”
He said he’s keeping the other two stores, at 4000 Victory Blvd. in Portsmouth and 353 Chatham Dr. in Newport News, where business has been better.
Another competing independent buyer with no relation to Chris Lee kept two Farm Fresh stores open off Diamond Springs Road in Virginia Beach and at 115 Norge Lane near Williamsburg.
Kimberly Pierceall, 757-550-1903, kimberly.pierceall@pilotonline.com
![RICHMOND — The owner of Tarrant’s Cafe in downtown Richmond is a 20-year veteran of the city’s food scene. She started out waiting tables – now she owns four Richmond-area restaurants and is the CEO of RVA Hospitality. Liz Kincaid maintains her urban locations, And Dim Sum, Tarrant’s and Bar Solita, but she’s also found success in the Henrico County suburbs with Tarrant’s West. “Compared to my downtown restaurants, it’s more successful with sales, its guest counts are higher, people are more willing to go out there,” Kincaid said. The restaurant industry experienced significant technology and operational changes since the […]](https://www.pilotonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/And-Dim-Sum.jpg?w=467 "RICHMOND — The owner of Tarrant’s Cafe in downtown Richmond is a 20-year veteran of the city’s food scene. She started out waiting tables – now she owns four Richmond-area restaurants and is the CEO of RVA Hospitality. Liz Kincaid maintains her urban locations, And Dim Sum, Tarrant’s and Bar Solita, but she’s also found success in the Henrico County suburbs with Tarrant’s West. “Compared to my downtown restaurants, it’s more successful with sales, its guest counts are higher, people are more willing to go out there,” Kincaid said. The restaurant industry experienced significant technology and operational changes since the […]")
