Compare Foods, a banner of Aurora Grocery Group, opened two stores in North Carolina, bringing its total to 29.
On Dec. 20, 2023, it opened one in Concord. On Friday, Feb. 9, it celebrated the opening of one more in Charlotte with a new concept.
“It’s a store like a community center where customers can come in, buy a coffee, have a meeting in the dining room, buy their lunch, take dinner home,” said Omar Jorge Peña, president of Aurora Grocery Group, in an interview with Abasto about the Charlotte store.
Aurora Grocery Group comprises 42 stores under the banners Compare Foods, GalaFresh Farms, and Gala Foods.
As a result, Compare Foods stores hold assortments of the group’s recently launched private label brand, Gala.
Jorge Peña explained that the idea is to offer additional services in addition to stocking the pantry. There is a cafeteria, a Mexican restaurant called El Aztlán, and another Caribbean-type restaurant, Cayo Caribe.
“It’s going to be a model for us in any new location or remodeling we do in other supermarkets in the region,” said Jorge Peña about the store that began as a project almost two years ago.
It has its traditional bakery, butcher, seafood, and assorted aisles with typical Latin American products. In the produce area, it also offers spices and grains in bulk.
The store has five traditional counters and five self-checkout counters.
For this year there are plans to open other stores.
“We have a growth plan where we are going to open 2 or 3 stores in New York,” added Jorge Peña.
Also, they may add two more in Florida.
The Peña Family opened its first store in 1989 in Freeport, NY.
Related Article: Eligio Peña And a Dream Called Compare Foods
AURORA GROCERY GROUP LAUNCHES OPENING PLAN
Aurora Grocery Group plans to grow and have more stores with a new business model.
The family-owned company with over 40 years of supermarket experience is in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and North Carolina under the Compare Foods, GalaFresh Farms, and Gala Foods banners.
Each Aurora Grocery Group store is independently owned and operated and employs close to 500 people.
Jorge Peña explained that there is an opportunity to continue to grow.
“We have a concept, a business model that has worked quite well for us, and there is an opportunity to expand the scope of the services we offer through a search program for new entrepreneurs,” he added.
With this new business model, they want to expand their banners to Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
For more information, call Aurora Grocery Group at 980-355-0871.