We were in Winchester, Tennessee, on June 23, opening a new Food City store. That makes 136 retail outlets for the parent company as we continue to grow.

The new store is over 54,000 square feet with all the amenities. It marks Food City’s first store in Franklin County.

Howie McGaha

Despite the excitement of a new store opening, this past week also brought sadness with the death of Harold Furman “Howie” McGaha Jr., 58. He passed away June 21, 2021, at his home in Lenoir City.

Howie was well-known for his work as Pit Master with the Food City Smoker. People came from miles around for his famous brisket. It was a job he enjoyed, and our customers loved to see Howie pull that smoker into the parking lot of their neighborhood Food City.

The smoker has other operators who will carry on, but none with the special zeal of Howie McGaha. His family received friends Thursday at Click Funeral Home in Lenoir City and held graveside services afterwards at Lakeview Cemetery. Additional obituary info is here.

This week’s ad has got it all. Special prices on Coca Cola, Bud, Miller and Coors for the cooler; New York strip steak, ground round and wild-caught tuna steak for the grill; and a bunch of Buy One, Get One items for the pantry. Prices are good today (6/25) through Tuesday, June 29: Food City_6.25 Knox ROP

Betsi James is special events manager for Food City’s Knoxville and Chattanooga divisions.