New Chapel Hill Wegmans opening on February 24

Chapel Hill, NC – The newest Wegmans in North Carolina is slated to open on Wednesday, February 24 at 9 am in Chapel Hill at 1810 Fordham Boulevard. Regular store hours will be from 6 am to midnight.

The store will have 450 employees in a 100,000 sq. ft. facility. There will be 29 checkout registers. 12 of which are self-checkout. The parking area has 740 spaces.

Rick Walters

The new store manager is Rick Walters. Rick Walters’ career with Wegmans began when he was 17 years old in Jamestown, New York, where he grew up. After high school, Walters participated in the Wegmans management internship program while attending SUNY Geneseo for Business Administration and Management. He moved to New Jersey after graduating college to further his career with Wegmans. As the company grew, he spent time in Maryland and Virginia, holding roles in the meat and produce departments, and as merchandising manager and perishable manager. In 2017, Walters was promoted to store manager of the Fredericksburg Wegmans before making the move to North Carolina two years later. He will now oversee all aspects of the new Chapel Hill store and lead a team of 450 employees. Walters will help his team to learn and grow with the company, as well as deliver incredible customer service every day to our customers.

Rob Santiago

The new executive chef for the Chapel Hill Wegmans is Rob Santiago. At an early age, Rob Santiago learned how to cook in his mother’s kitchen. As he got older, he found that he enjoyed making meals. Santiago joined Wegmans part-time in the meat department in 2004. Less than a year later, he went full-time while also juggling a full course load of culinary arts classes at Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. In 2010 he was promoted to sous chef at Wegmans’ flagship store in Pittsford. Through another promotion he became a store chef a few years later and became executive chef at Wegmans’ East Avenue store in 2016. In 2019, he opened Wegmans first North Carolina store in Raleigh as Executive Chef. At Chapel Hill, he will oversee an exceptional culinary team that will provide the restaurant-quality prepared foods Wegmans is known for, including a sandwich shop, pizza, fresh sushi, The Burger Bar, and more.

Other members of the leadership team at the Chapel Hill Wegmans includes Tom Jeppi as the perishable manager and Christine Santarpio as the service/merchandising manager. In Tom’s role, he will oversee product quality, sales, and employee development for the produce, floral, bakery, seafood, meat, cheese, and deli departments. Christine will focus on managing the front end, service desk, accounting office, and Helping Hands departments. She will also oversee local community giving. Together, all four leadership members bring 65 years of Wegmans experience to the new Chapel Hill store.

To ensure a safe environment for all employees and customers, Wegmans has enhanced their sanitation of high-contact touchpoints and increased the frequency of everyday sanitation practices. Hand sanitizer stations are available throughout the store and cashiers are asked to sanitize their workspace and hands regularly. Plexiglas® shields are also installed at all registers and will be installed in additional areas, as well. Wegmans encourages all customers and employees to be respectful of social distancing guidelines. They have placed visual indicators at registers and throughout the store.

Burger Bar – Wegmans’ family-friendly, casual restaurant that serves burgers and sandwiches, kids’ meals, frozen custard, milkshakes and floats, along with beer and wine. Enjoy your food in the Burger Bar seating area or take it to go.

Restaurant Foods – Fresh meals are prepared throughout the day right before customers eyes. Shoppers are invited to engage with Wegmans culinary experts to discuss the preparation of meals, pairings and ingredients.

  • Pizza Shop featuring authentic Italian pizza, made-to-order or sold by the slice
  • Salad station with fresh greens, protein options, fixings, and 10 dressings to choose from
  • Fresh sushi and poke bowls, made in a variety of vegetable, cooked and raw selections
  • Sub Shop offering hot and cold artisan sandwiches, subs, wraps, party trays and cookies
  • The Buzz Coffee Shop offers delicious breakfast sandwiches and organic specialty coffee, tea, and espresso drinks
  • Soup station that offers a variety of hot soup options
  • Packaged ready-to-go entrees and sides, also available in Family Pack sizes

Produce – Wegmans is known for offering an unmatched variety, with hundreds of different fruits and vegetables on any given day, including many organic choices.

  • Each location builds strong partnerships with nearby growers and, in season, offers locally grown produce picked daily and delivered directly to the store.
  • The Wegmans Organic Farm and Orchard in Canandaigua, NY tries different organic and season-extending growing techniques. Research from the farm are then shared with Wegmans’ partner growers.

Seafood – Delivered daily from ports on the east coast, across the country, and around the world. This department showcases fully traceable and sustainable seafood processed without chemicals. Products are available fresh and frozen, along with easy, ready-to-cook meals and appetizers. Customers can also have fresh shellfish steamed at no extra charge – lobster, shrimp, mussels, clams, and crabs.

Meat – Ready-to-cook entrees and pre-marinated meats in a variety of flavors to pop in the oven or on the grill. In addition to conventional meat, Wegmans also offers organic beef, pork, chicken, lamb, bacon, sausage, and the choice of meat with no antibiotics or added hormones. Wegmans Angus beef raised regionally near their stores and a dry-aging case will be featured in the meat department at Chapel Hill.

Bakery – Artisan-style breads and rolls, featuring whole grain options, items made with organic ingredients, and grains grown near our stores. Other bakery offerings include a wide variety of Cookie Shop cookies baked fresh throughout the day, breakfast pastries, decorated cakes, cupcakes, specialty chocolates, donuts, muffins, and desserts.

Deli and Charcuterie – Traditional deli meats and cheeses, cured specialty meats, and dry sausage products, including Jamon Iberico de Bellota Ham from Spain. Organic deli meats and cheeses are also available sliced to order or pre-packaged.

Cheese shop and Mediterranean – Specialty and artisan cheeses produced domestically or imported from around the world. The temperature and humidity-controlled affinage case offers premium cheeses aged in the Wegmans Cheese Caves. Pre-packaged Mediterranean options include varieties like imported and domestic olives, fresh mozzarella, marinated mushrooms, artichokes, roasted peppers, and antipasti.

Food from around the World – A wide selection of Latino and Asian foods, including Indian, Korean, Caribbean, South American, British, German, and of course, Italian cuisine.

Wine and Beer – One-stop shopping with an unmatched selection of the best quality and value. Approximately 2,000 wines range from $6 bottles to offerings from some of the finest wine estates in the world. Customers can rely on knowledgeable employees and tastings to help them find the perfect pairing. There are more than 900 varieties of domestic, craft and imported beers, including ‘Craft Your Own’ six-packs and hard ciders.

More at the new Chapel Hill Wegmans store

  • Meals 2Go and Catering – Through Meals 2Go, customers can order Wegmans’ delicious, chef-prepared restaurant foods for curbside pickup or delivery. Catering options are also available for in-store pick up.
  • Online Shopping – Customers can complete their grocery shopping online for curbside pickup or delivery to their door in as little as one hour.
  • SCAN App allows customers to scan and bag their groceries as they shop for a quick and easy, contactless shopping experience.
  • Floral Shop with fresh-cut flowers and signature arrangements.
  • Health and Wellness products, including supplements and herbal remedies, over-the-counter medications, cosmetics, and toiletries.
  • Home and Entertaining – Stemware, wine and spirits accessories, kitchen tools, tabletop décor, kitchen and table linens, candles, accessories to complement meals, greeting cards, seasonal merchandise, and gift cards.
  • Consistent, Low Prices every day, especially on the products families buy each week.
  • Family Pack items save time and money – 30% or more compared to regular size. There are hundreds of Family Pack products found in many departments, including meat, seafood, produce, dairy, frozen foods, and grocery.