Food Lion Closures Leave Strip Malls without Anchors | News

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Food Lion stores all over the First Coast will be closing their doors, leaving people without jobs and neighboring businesses without an anchor store in shopping centers.

The store's owner, Delhaize America, announced that it plans to "close 113 underperforming Food Lion Stores."

Among those stores 12 are in Jacksonville. Another store in Florida will also be converted to a Harveys. Two in Clay County, four in St. Johns County and one in Waycross are also closing.

Thursday morning, a new sign was on the front door at the Merrill Road location, stating the new hours going forward are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A sign posted at the customer service center said Food Lion will no longer offer ATM, money order or lottery services. 

Bill Mongeau is a regular shopper at the Food Lion off Merrill Road.  "I am surprised...it is a shock," said Mongeau while making a grocery run Thursday morning.

In the same shopping center, Jenny Tuy has a nail salon that adjoins the Food Lion.

"You depend on people shopping at Food Lion, that's how they know we are here," said Tuy who hopes her business doesn't drop after the store closes in 30 days. 

The release indicates that affected stores will close their doors within 30 days, and the closures will leave 4,900 employees out of work. 

One First Coast father emailed us, saying his son, a Food Lion employee, attended a meeting Wednesday night about the closure. "He described how sad it was to see people losing their only source of income," the man wrote.

Eligible employees will get a severance from the company, but the release did not say how many employees qualify for that assistance.

Food Lion is also encouraging displaced associates to apply for open positions at store locations that will stay open.

STORES CLOSING:

Food Lion, 280 W. Martin Luther Blvd., Alachua

Food Lion, 2302 SE Hawthorne Road, Gainesville

Food Lion, 2132 Sadler Road, Fernandina Beach

Food Lion, 445 State Road 13, Fruit Cove

Food Lion, 7900 103rd St., Jacksonville

Food Lion, 10550 St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville

Food Lion, 7200 Normandy Blvd., Jacksonville

Food Lion, 6855 Wilson Blvd. Suite 23, Jacksonville

Food Lion, 701 Mayport Crossing Blvd., Jacksonville

Food Lion, 8011 Merrill Road,  Jacksonville

Food Lion, 5751 North Main St., Jacksonville

Food Lion, 8299-21 W. Beaver St., Jacksonville

Food Lion, 6260 103rd St., Jacksonville,

Food Lion, 418 Staratt Road, Jacksonville

Food Lion, 1650 San Pablo Road South, Jacksonville

Food Lion, 6765 Dunn Ave., Unit 306, Jacksonville

Food Lion, 1340 S. 6th St., Macclenny

Food Lion, 2570 County Rd 220, Middleburg

Food Lion, 1670 Wells Road Suite 103, Orange Park 

Food Lion, 2469 US #1 South, Saint Augustine

Food Lion, 7462 US 1 North St., Saint Augustine

Food Lion, 181 Blackford Way, Saint Augustine    

Food Lion, 701 Riverside Ave Ste A, Waycross, Ga.