Morganton Ingles may open by year's end

Amused by rumors circulating about the status of the Morganton Ingles, manager Keith Flynn said he has been told by corporate that Ingles is planning to open by the end of the year.

When the store was forced to close in September 2024, Flynn and other Morganton employees who wanted to stay with the company were relocated to other store locations. Flynn, who currently works at the Black Mountain Ingles, said he gets people stopping in on the way to Asheville to ask about the Morganton store.

He couldn’t share too much, but he assured that the store would reopen.

Flynn estimates that around 10 employees who used to work in Morganton now work at the Black Mountain store, and about 30 work at the store in Marion. He said former Morganton employees who chose to find work outside of Ingles still reach out, asking when they can come back to work at the Morganton grocery.

Flynn said it's his understanding that the company wants to move forward with a new design concept, and that’s why the project has taken longer than initially reported. That change in direction is consistent with information provided by the City of Morganton.

In October, after the hurricane swept through, the city automatically issued a building permit to Ingles to start repairs. In December, Ingles applied for a new building permit so the company could make further renovations. In January, Morganton approved and issued a building permit for the renovations.

Ingles paused construction in late February or early March after notifying the city of plans to pursue a new design. Under city regulations, a six-month window begins from the date of the last inspection when work stops. That gives Ingles until Aug. 19 to resume work under its previously approved plans.

After six months, or if a new plan is submitted, the company would be required to apply for a new building permit.

Ingles Chief Financial Officer Pat Jackson and Construction Manager Preston Kendall have not responded to previous requests for comment.