Quality Foods opened its new Parksville location on the Alberni Hwy. at Despard Ave. on Wednesday, March 24. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

grand opening

Quality Foods opens new Parksville store

Mar 25, 2021 | 1:18 PM

PARKSVILLE — A new amenity packed Parksville grocery store valued at $15 million has opened its doors.

Quality Foods held an official grand opening ceremony Wednesday, March 24 for the company’s expansive 50,000 square foot location on the Alberni Hwy. At Despard Ave.

Quality Foods president Noel Hayward said their 13^th location is twice the size of their former Parksville location.

“We’re so happy to be able to do a development like this in Parksville, it’s where Quality Foods grew up. We’re super excited to have a new flagship store in Parksville,” Hayward said.

50 additional employees were hired to work at QF’s new Parksville store, Hayward said.

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The old Island Hwy. location closed permanently on Sunday night.

Hayward said new features involve vastly expanded in-store dining options, including an upstairs lounge, while an innovative new grocery cart cleaning service using UV light is located at the entrance.

He said their new store located in a fast-growing neighbourhood is more centrally located for their shoppers.

“There’s new apartment buildings across the street, right beside, condo buildings going up. A lot of development going on in Parksville right now.”

Mayor Ed Mayne said the new Quality Foods store represents a notable economic injection for Parksville.

He said the grocery store is adding to the evolution of the east entrance to the city.

“Opposite of Quality Foods is another section for commercial development in the future, it’s going to be exciting…From the City’s perspective the revenue from the tax base and additional jobs are wonderful,” Mayne said.

The first Quality Foods store opened in Qualicum Beach in 1982. The grocery chain’s central head office and distribution centre is located in Errington.

Twelve QF stores operate on Vancouver Island, while the lone off-island store is located in Powell River.

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