East Athens Grocery Stores

Around Athens, Kroger and Publix as the two primary grocery stores but only East Athens grocery stores include both (practically) in the same shopping center.

Most people have a favorite grocery store and for many years, we were Publix shoppers. For some reason, maybe when the new Kroger at Alps Shopping Center opened, we started shopping at Kroger for organic fruits and vegetables. EarthFare in Five Points is our primary source for meat but vegetables tend to be more expensive there.

Kroger has specials on many fruits and vegetables and the overall prices tend to be lower. At Publix, we try to take advantage of the BOGO for coffee and laundry detergent. I know there are other great sales but these are the ones we usually watch for.

Publix is newer so it’s a nicer looking store and the customer service is excellent. Kroger has obtained permits to build a new store at their current location. It will be Kroger MarketPlace, of similar size to the one just recently opened in Hull.

Just a short drive down Lexington Road is the Walmart Super Store, with a full grocery store. The advantage there is you can get more than just groceries.

Even though EarthFare is not included in the group of east Athens grocery stores, they often have good deals on meat, poultry, and fish.  Another option that we’ve just discovered for high-quality meat is the UGA meat sale, open every Friday to the public. I’ve found that the prices are lower than any of the grocery stores. They sell all cuts of pork and beef. It’s located on River Road, just off College Station.

We can also look forward to Aldi’s as a great East Athens grocery stores options. They filed for permits in the fall of 2017 to renovate the old Food Lion / Omni space at the intersection of Gaines School and Cedar Shoals Road. I’ve only visited Aldi’s a couple of times but will be sure to give it a try when this store is open. I know they’ve made a big effort to stock organic produce and they are supposed to have great prices. Aldi’s could disrupt some of the more established East Athens grocery stories.

Now, if we can get a farmers market on the east side, we’ll be all set!  We keep trying to grow our own vegetables but last year we spent at last $100 to grow 25 delicious tomatoes!  I won’t even mention the cost in 2016 before we realized the cost of watering during the drought. This was not a good return on investment.

Home sales have picked up all around but east Athens seems to be especially popular this year. The UGA Veterinary School seems to be good for the area, as well as all the plans for new development.  If you’re curious about the value of your east Athens home in this very active real estate market, fill out this form to get an accurate home valuation report.