Food City officials broke ground on the new Curt’s Ace Hardware store on Asheville Highway in Knoxville, Tennessee, on March 10, 2025. The 20,000-square-foot store is expected to open this fall, along with another 3,200-square-feet of retail outlet parcels.
Curt’s will be located adjacent to the Food City at 7510 Asheville Hwy.
“Much like our Food City stores, we are excited to continue to grow and expand our Curt’s Ace Hardware family of stores,” said Steven C. Smith, Food City president and chief executive officer. “Sadly, locally owned hardware stores are becoming a thing of the past. Having served in the grocery industry for 40+ years, I have seen firsthand how important a local, well-run supermarket is to the community, and I think the same holds true for local hardware stores.”
The Food City Gas ‘n Go will be relocated in front of the new development. Phase 2, which is slated to wrap up early fall 2026 includes a significant expansion and remodel to the existing Food City supermarket, adding over 8,000-square-feet of retail space, making way for a number of exciting new services and conveniences.
The company currently operates Curt’s Ace Hardware stores in Prestonsburg, Kentucky; Morristown, Pigeon Forge, Newport, Erwin, Elizabethton, Gray, Ocoee and Piney Flats, Tennessee; and Bristol, Abingdon, Marion and Lebanon, Virginia, with additional locations soon to follow.
“We greatly appreciate the support of our loyal customers, and we want to leverage our Curt’s Ace Hardware brand to better serve the communities where we already do business,” said Smith. “Given our vast merchandising and marketing experience, our team has done an excellent job managing and operating these locations.”
Ace Hardware is known for its wide variety of top-quality products, including Benjamin Moore paints, Big Green Egg, Trager and Weber barbeque and accessories, as well as power tools, including both gas-powered and battery Stihl, EGO and Milwaukee power equipment, Yeti products, hardware, lawn and garden, and other home improvement supplies.
Knox County business and government leaders join Food City officials to break ground for the new Curt’s Ace Hardware.
Registration underway for Irwin/ Food City Bass Tournament
Registration is open online for the Irwin/ Food City Bass Tournament which will be held Saturday, April 26, 2025.
This is a major fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of the Tennessee Valley.
Juvenile Court Judge Tim Irwin, who played football for Central High School, the Vols and the Minnesota Vikings, cosponsors the event with Food City.
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Tennessee Valley operates 26 clubs in five counties in East Tennessee, providing a nurturing environment for over 7,500 members annually, from pre-K through high school.
Headquartered in Abingdon, Virginia, K-VA-T Food Stores (Food City’s parent company) operates 158 retail outlets throughout southeast Kentucky, southwest Virginia, east Tennessee, north Georgia, and Alabama. Food City provided quotes and information for this report.
I’m glad the Food City is getting upgraded, as it is one of the few stores that serves the area and the people deserve the best options.
HOWEVER, a hardware store, really? Had the developers done their research they would have seen that there is already a local ACE hardware store just down the road that is beloved by the community. It’s disrespectful and makes the person interviewed sound ignorant about the area to come in acting like a hero.