Farm Fresh in Poquoson to close just under 2 years after reopening

POQUOSON, Va. (WAVY) — Poquoson’s Farm Fresh reopened back in April 2022 with lots of fanfare, including a band and a crowd of folks eager to get inside.

It was understandably a big deal. The grocer, a longtime staple in Hampton Roads known for its fried chicken, had closed almost all of its locations back in 2018. And the Poquoson location was one of just three locally that remained under new ownership.

But just under two years later, the store has announced its closing its doors.

“Unfortunately, the store never reached the volume needed to sustain a location. We want to thank the community and our customers for choosing to support local over the past couple of years,” the store posted on Facebook. “We’re proud of the unending efforts our employees put into running a beautiful store, providing superior customer service, and giving back to the community through partnerships with schools and civic organizations, and we are working with employees on new job placement opportunities.”

The store clarified there’s no actual set date for closing, but they’ve already started a sale with 15% everything. Prices will go down even further when inventory runs out.

The news was met with mixed reactions from those on social media, with some saying the store just wasn’t the same as it was before.

Some said the prices were a little too high compared to competitors like Food Lion, and the produce wasn’t always “Farm Fresh.”

“Their value never matched the price. It was more expensive than Food Lion for sure but the product was in most cases, especially after the first year, subpar,” wrote Facebook user Billy Weston.

Many others said they’ll miss the store.

“I always picked Farm Fresh for quick errand runs because of the no lines, close proximity, and self checkout,” said Facebook user Mary Bender. “Also, the home-cooked vegetables were my favorite and finally something easy for a quick lunch for a busy mom. My kids also loved going and getting the free cookie and riding in the fun car buggy. Everyone working there is always super friendly!”

Another user wrote they’ll miss the store’s extensive gluten-free selection, while others will miss the large sales on meat.

And the chicken? WAVY’s reached out to the owners to see what might become of the recipe, and if there are plans to still offer it outside of a traditional store.

One Facebook user suggested opening up a local stand just for the chicken.

As far as what we could expect next at the location, Poquoson City Manager Randy Wheeler says it’s tough losing one of the area’s anchor retail stores, but city officials are looking to coordinate with the owners on finding a new use for the space.

The store’s closure means there are just two of the reopened Farm Fresh stores remaining in the region: a more traditional version of the store in Portsmouth, and an international foods market under the name in Newport News.

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