(No. 3) Ingles Ingles Ingles

Few questions in Morganton over the past year have been asked as often as this one: When will Ingles reopen?

Since Hurricane Helene sent about three feet of water into the Ingles store on Carbon City Road in September 2024, the grocery has remained closed. Public updates have been limited, and residents have speculated online about everything from federal delays to insurance disputes and corporate abandonment.

City officials and public records indicate the store’s reopening has been delayed primarily by Ingles’ decision to pause construction while considering changes to its renovation plans.

In the weeks after Helene, the City of Morganton issued emergency, and repair permits in October 2024 that allowed cleanup and initial work to begin. The store’s Gas Express location reopened.

In December 2024, Ingles submitted architectural plans for a major interior renovation modeled after newer Ingles locations, including the store in Marion. City officials said those plans were reviewed and approved within weeks, and construction began.

Early this year, work stopped.

City officials said Ingles informed staff it wanted to adjust the design to improve customer flow, particularly in the deli and produce areas. Under state building rules, construction must stop when approved plans change in a way that requires updated review, officials said.

As of this week, Ingles has not submitted revised architectural drawings to the city, officials said.

Under city and state guidelines, Ingles had six months from its last inspection on Feb. 19 to resume construction under its previously approved plan. That window ended Aug. 19. Even if Ingles were to resume work today with its originally submitted plan, store officials would have to restart the city’s review process at square one.

City officials said plan reviews typically take several weeks and can be expedited. The city charges $150 per hour for fast-track review, according to city policy.

Officials also said there are no zoning or regulatory issues preventing reopening, and that the city is prepared to review plans once they are submitted.

In interviews over the past year, several Ingles managers, including store manager Keith Flynn, told The Paper reopening was expected at various times, including spring, late summer or early fall, and later by the end of the year. Employees displaced by the closure were also told to expect to return, according to interviews with workers and managers. Some discussions included a phased reopening, beginning with the pharmacy, followed by deli and bakery operations.

Those timelines did not occur.

The company’s corporate leadership, including Chief Financial Officer Pat Jackson, has declined to answer questions from The Paper about the project. Ingles has not publicly explained the redesign or the construction pause.

Ingles’ financial reports provide additional context. The company reported improved profitability in fiscal year 2025, but its capital spending fell sharply compared with the previous year. Ingles reported hurricane-related losses in 2024 and reduced spending in 2025 while focusing on cash flow and debt, according to its financial filings.

City officials said there have been periodic signs of activity at the Morganton site, including vendor deliveries, and they said Ingles has continued communicating with city staff.

The store remains closed, and no reopening date has been announced.

— AVN