October 8, 2020 | Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday as United Supermarkets announced a new store will be opening in the summer of 2021 at 114th Street and Slide Road.
Officials from The United Family stores, along with city and area non-profit officials, gathered for the ceremony Tuesday, during which United also announced a half-million-dollar pledge to area United Way organizations.
The new store will be the 12th United store in Lubbock and will have new amenities including an in-house Evie Mae’s Barbecue, the second location for the restaurant out of Wolfforth.
Sidney Hopper, President of the United Family, said their business has been built around relationships with the community and hopes to see it continue with the new South Lubbock store.
“We often hear our guests talking about the store they shop at as being ‘my store,’” said Hopper. “We certainly hope that’s what it will be here.”
Hopper detailed more changes and enhancements the new store will feature, including expanding the aisles and front-end of the store in response to the coronavirus.
″[COVID-19] forced us to go back and revisit how we lay our stores out, and make sure we’re doing everything we can to keep our community and team members safe,” said Hopper.
A new store also mean more opportunities for fundraising, investments and donations in the community that the company has become known for.
Robert Taylor, CEO of the United Family, said their commitment to the community is only possible through the support they see from residents.
“The support our guests have given us for 104 years makes it possible for us to reinvest in the community the way we do,” said Taylor. “We thank our guests for their loyalty so we can continue to be community partners.”
Eddie McBride said the addition of the store is huge for South Lubbock as the area rapidly develops. The 114th Street location will also be a boost to employment with 250 new jobs to be added when it opens.
“We are proud of the jobs created by United and the families they support,” said McBride, President and CEO of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. “We thank them for their leadership role and the many investments in our community.”
The United Family also announced Tuesday a $500,000 donation to area United Way agencies, and $119,000 of the donation will go directly to Lubbock Area United Way.
The money for the donation would typically be raised through the annual Jackie Pierce Charity Classic golf tournament, but it was canceled this year due to COVID-19.
The tournament later went on - without golfing - and the money was raised with the help of 120 business partners and the United Family.
“We can’t tell you all thank you enough for what this is going to mean for so many people,” said Matt Corbin, marketing director for the United Family.
The United Family currently has 94 stores in Texas and New Mexico. The 95th store will open in November in Pecos.
The announcement of the new United store comes ahead of the planned opening of Lubbock’s first H-E-B supermarket later this month about a mile east at 114th Street and Quaker Avenue.