SALISBURY, N.C. — Food Lion will debut a new store in the Kernersville, N.C., community on March 15, bringing its freshest format to a community it has served for more than 35 years.

The new store, located at 1014 N. Main St, will open to the public at 8 a.m. on March 15, following a 7:45 a.m. ribbon-cutting ceremony. After the ribbon cutting the first 100 customers in line will receive a mystery gift card worth up to $200, a free reusable shopping bag, and a custom apron. The store will be open daily from 7 a.m. until 11 p.m.

“I’ve enjoyed getting to know our neighbors in the community this past year while serving at our previous store and volunteering at local schools,” said Ashley Hodgin, manager of the new Kernersville Food Lion. “My team and I are looking forward to nourishing our neighbors at our new location.”

The retailer says that the new store features an extensive product assortment, fresh sushi, hand-battered fried chicken, in-store cut fruit and a wide variety of affordable and easy “grab-and-go” options to help make any meal easier. Customers will also have a large selection of organic, gluten-free and plant-based items to choose from, according to the company, including Nature’s Promise-brand items, an own-brand line of organic products made with no artificial flavors, preservatives or synthetic colors. The store also features a walk-in produce cooler, ensuring the freshest items available, and a self-service hot wing and Asian food bar.

To make shopping easier for customers, the store offers self-checkout lanes and the Food Lion To Go grocery pick-up service. Online orders may be placed on the Food Lion To Go website or the Food Lion To Go app. The convenient service allows customers to place an order with the click of a button while experiencing the same low prices and fresh food items they receive in the store.

Food Lion says the store will also offer a wide variety of great local offerings, including baked goods from Winston-Salem’s Dewey’s Bakery, granola from Big Boss Baking Company in High Point, and freshly brewed beer from Foothills Brewing in Winston-Salem.

The store also reflects Food Lion’s commitment to sustainability; the company says the store features energy-efficient overhead LED lighting. Food Lion notes that it is the only company in the country to receive the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for 21 consecutive years.

In another commitment to the Kernersville community, the store has donated $1,500 each ($4,500 total), to three local feeding agencies: Hope To Thrive, Project RE3 and Next Step Ministries. Each of these organizations will also regularly collect food from the store to distribute to neighbors in need through Food Lion Feeds’ industry-leading food rescue program, in which food safe for human consumption is donated to a local feeding agency before the food spoils. Food Lion Feeds, the retailer’s hunger-relief initiative, has donated more than 1 billion meals to neighbors in need since 2014.