Food Lion and the city of Burlington are continuing to build their relationship with three Food Lion locations scheduled to undergo renovations this year.

The company has strong North Carolina ties. It was founded in Salisbury, North Carolina, only about an hour drive from Burlington, and has over 500 locations across the state. Earlier this year, Burlington announced it would be the new location for a new Food Lion distribution plant, marking the biggest economic investment in Burlington’s history. The food distribution plant is around an $860 million investment and is estimated to bring 500 new jobs to the area. Food Lion’s investment into Burlington expands with upgrade projects scheduled for three locations throughout the city. 

The City of Burlington approved three commercial renovation permits for Food Lion stores in January 2026. The South Church Street location lists about $9,100 in fees and names Farris Interior Installation Inc. as the contractor. The store at 1780 W. Webb Ave. lists a similar fee and is contracted with STH & Associates Inc.

The third location on Ramada Road totals about $10,433 in fees and is also contracted by Farris Interior Installation Inc. The building permit fee for that location is slightly higher, reflecting a larger estimated renovation cost due to the size and scope of the project.

Vaughn Shaffer, senior project manager for Alliance Architecture of the Triad, an architecture firm located in Winston-Salem,  filed the application for the South Church Street location. Shaffer said he has designed and filed about 140 permits for Food Lion stores over the past 11 years. He said the projects focus primarily on interior renovations and updates while maintaining the company’s consistent store design.

“They try to keep a consistency about the stores,” Shaffer said. “It’s kind of like going to McDonald’s. You want the McDonald’s in Burlington to look the same as the McDonald’s in Randleman.”

Burlington Economic Development Director Adam Shull said the store renovations reflect that expanding partnership.

“That relationship is one we’re building on in a huge way, and we view it as our opportunity to be a great local partner so that they thrive for years to come,” Shull said.

Shull said Food Lion’s investment in Burlington could help lay the groundwork for future development in the area. He said the partnership also demonstrates the city’s ability to support large projects. Burlington is a steadily growing area with the population growing about 9% since the 2020 census. Annually the population in the area increases by an average of 1.53%, with the median household income also rising 2.15%. 

“This is going to help all parts of Burlington, the entire community, and Alamance County and Guilford County for that matter,” Shull said. “I just want to highlight that I think it’s something worth celebrating and worth being proud of.”

According to the permits, construction is expected to be completed by spring 2027, with the Ramada Road location scheduled to finish this summer.

Food Lion did not respond to Elon News Network’s request for comment.