Lowes Foods Five Forks: giveaway!

Lowes Foods has come to Five Forks! The grand opening is today at 4pm, for what will be their second store in the Upstate. (The first of a distinctive chain of supermarkets based out of Winston Salem, North Carolina, opened in Greer in 2016.) I sometimes get excited about new stores coming to the Greenville area (see me missing TJs while in France), but Lowes was a completely new experience. With an emphasis on local (Lowes currently works with more than 250 NC and SC-based farmers and artisans), the store carries a wide assortment of organic foods and has created ample buzz with their convenient, family-friendly store.

The newest location is in the Village Market-East shopping center on the northwest corner of Woodruff Road and Sunnydale Drive. In addition to the unique areas within the store (known as Lowes Foods Originals) such as The Beer Den, SausageWorks, The Chicken Kitchen, Pick & Prep, The Community Table, Boxcar Coffee & Chocolates and The Cakery, the store will also feature an in-store brew-pub, the first of its kind in the Upstate. However the real attraction to doing my grocery shopping at Lowes is in the child-friendly approach that Lowes has made a priority in their Upstate stores.

From the child-sized carts available at the entrance to the free organic snack offered to customers ages 12 and under, the boys always feel welcome and are occupied from start to finish while I am selecting groceries and checking items off my grocery list. The most exciting stops are the Lowes Foods Originals areas, which feature exciting things for the kids to do, see and taste!

Parents; make sure to first stop at the in-store café, Boxcar Coffee & Chocolates, where hand-roasted coffee is available to fuel your shopping trip. Bonus: hand poured Belgian chocolates and a dozen variations of chocolate barks are for sale, a little something to hide in the back of the cabinet for later...

The Pick & Prep area is adjacent to the produce section, and is a novelty for the busy family. Employees slice and dice fruits and vegetables made to order for your different cooking needs; the surprise bonus – no extra fee, it’s all priced by weight! While you’re getting your onion diced (yes, you can actually have them dice just one onion), the kids can help pick the herbs on your shopping list, another fun Lowes innovation. In addition to the wide selection of fresh herbs by the package, you can also clip your own from the planters right there in the store, mixing/matching needed quantities for a single recipe; fill a baggie for only 99¢. As far as produce goes, I always get excited about the potato and tomato selection, which allows customers to fill a carton with their selection as it’s also sold by weight; this is perfect for a colorful salsa or potato salad!

Next stop, SausageWorks! In front of the case displaying an assortment of (over two dozen varieties of locally made pork, beef and poultry) sausages is a panel with buttons and gauges, allowing the kids to help the crazy ‘sausage professor.’ They’ll be excited to see their actions translated into a whir of turning gears and levers on the big board over the counter! Meanwhile you’re free to try a few samples and decide which variety of sausage to purchase... Directly next to the sausage counter is the Beef Shoppe where a friendly butcher is on hand to help with your shopping. Here you’ll also find the temperature and humidity controlled case in which premium cuts of beef are aged. According to my source, you might want to reserve a portion if you see something you like, as most cuts are basically already sold once they come out of the case… The Smokehouse offers a collection of different types of meat, smoking them with different types of wood for a variety of flavors.

At Bread Crumbs bakery the kids are immediately drawn to the kids table, where they can bang away on pots and pans to their heart’s content while adults peruse the all-natural, fresh-baked artisanal breads that are hand-crafted on location. Fresh-from-the-oven loaves are available from 4:30 to 7:30pm daily and contain no preservatives. And across the aisle is The Cakery; featuring frosting made with real butter and $10 mini-cakes, they have a “cake walk” daily in the store where they give away a whole cake! Be sure to ask for the magic wand so that the kids can “blow out” the magic candles above the counter!

The list goes on… Maybe you’ll catch the rotisserie chicken coming out the oven in The Chicken Kitchen; you’ll know it’s that time, because you can join the hosts in a lively rendition of the chicken dance! The Beer Den features craft beers on tap and a selection of wines (both of which can be purchased to be enjoyed during your shopping experience if you prefer) in addition to the aforementioned brewery, unique to the Five Forks store. Sammy’s Sub Shop prepares fresh sandwiches, pizza and paninis which you can enjoy right there in the lounge, and the Community Table often hosts samples, demonstrations and even birthday parties.

I would be remiss in not mentioning the Lowes Foods-To-Go online personal shopping service, the ultimate convenience for the busy household. Also make sure to sign up for Lowes Fresh Rewards, the card that allows frequent shoppers to take advantage of weekly instant rewards, earn gas rewards and receive special promotional offers. For up to date news on the opening of the Five Forks store and the 2018 Pelham store, visit Lowes Foods Upstate on facebook and for the weekly sales ad and coupons, visit the Lowes website.

Now for the fun part... I have three exclusive Founders' Club Cards to give away to my readers! This entails 10% off on all private label items, a free one-year Lowes Foods to Go online shopping subscription (valued at $99), a 32oz Beer Den growler, and first-of-season and sneak peek emails to let you know about special products and seasonal items that are coming to your local store - in addition to all the perks of a Fresh Rewards card! 

To enter, leave a comment on this post letting me know which Lowes location you will be frequenting. I will select three winners on Sunday, February 12th (2017)... Good luck! 

This post appeared first on local family site Kidding Around Greenville. The giveaway is sponsered by Lowes Foods, although all opinions, photographs and words are my own. 

Update 2/12/2017
Congratulations to Elizabeth, Jennifer and Lisa on winning Founders' Club cards! Thanks to everyone who entered!!