A new Hispanic grocery store is coming to a growing part of northern New Hanover County.
The New Hanover Board of Commissioners approved a rezoning request to make way for a new future specialty grocery store in Castle Hayne at a meeting on Nov. 3. The property is located at 2624 Castle Hayne Road, adjacent to Family Dollar and across from Food Lion. The development was unanimously approved.
Site plans include a 5,264-square-foot grocery store and restaurant. The property was included in a larger rezoning in 2012, but no concept plans had been proposed for the lot at the time, and it has been vacant ever since. A drive-thru will not be permitted by the rezoning.
The applicant currently operates Tienda Latina El Paso, a small grocery store just south of the site. The applicant plans to relocate and expand its business with the new building.
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A representative for the applicant said the business’s operating hours would be from 9 a.m.–9 p.m. The store portion will sell beer and wine not intended for consumption on the premises, and the restaurant will sell alcohol including hard liquor.
Commissioner LeAnn Pierce said that she did not have any concerns about approving the business.
“It’s almost impossible for a restaurant to make it now if they don’t serve alcohol,” Pierce said. “I’ve seen breakfast restaurants that serve alcohol and they close at 2 o’clock."
The Castle Hayne El Paso store is the latest in a string of Hispanic and international grocers expanding in New Hanover. Following its location on South Kerr Avenue, Los Portales opened a second supermarket at 2307 North College Road in July. The store includes a full kitchen, butcher and bakery.
Los Portales operates three taquerias in the county and is building another supermarket on Carolina Beach Road. The next location is expected to open in 2026.
Tropicana Supermarkets, a North Carolina-based international grocery store chain, is also slated to expand operations in Wilmington. Company owners purchased the former Kimbrell Furniture building at the corner of Oleander Drive and College Road in April.
Tropicana stores offer full-service meat and produce, in addition to a wide variety of African, North American, Asian, Mexican Central and South American foods.
Daniel Sheehan covers New Hanover County for the StarNews. Reach him at [email protected].