Welcome Wegmans Lancaster: Making a Difference In Our Local Community

This post is sponsored by Wegmans. All opinions are my own. You can read my full Disclosure Policy here. 

I am originally from closer to the Allentown area, which is where I got my first introduction to Wegmans Food Markets years ago. It was love at first taste, and when I moved from that area to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, it was one of the things I missed the most.

There is no substitute for Wegmans with their organic and local produce, to-die-for bakery items, huge selection of fresh seafood items, and so much more. It’s not every day you walk into a grocery store and want to take pictures because it’s so beautiful. But at Wegmans, you do! We recently visited the store in Mechanicsburg (a perk of having kids that play travel sports – we can get closer to Wegmans now and then!), and that’s where I took the photos for this post. Note how many local products you’ll find in the store – produce, wines, even flowers! 

And now, Wegmans is coming to Lancaster! I am SO excited about this and thrilled to be partnering with them over the course of the year to share the details of their opening, why Wegmans is already making a great neighbor in our local community, and some insider info on my favorite finds throughout the store.

Welcome Wegmans Lancaster

Wegmans Lancaster will celebrate its grand opening on Sunday September 23 at 7am.

So mark your calendars! The store is located at The Crossings at Conestoga Creek in Manheim Township, on the southwest corner of Harrisburg Pike and Route 30.

Locals, it’s pretty much across the road from Long’s Park so access is easy from all of our local routes: Fruitville, Lititz, and Manheim Pikes. We do like our Pikes around here, don’t we?

Meet Store Manager, Jimmy Bellis, who will lead the team of 475 employees, most of them from our local Lancaster community, that will staff our new store. There are still positions available if you want to join the Wegmans Lancaster family!

Something special about 120,000 square-foot Wegmans Lancaster? It’s the first Pennsylvania store with The Burger Bar, a family-friendly, casual restaurant that serves delicious burgers, fresh salads, flavorful sandwiches, specialty milkshakes, soup, and sides. Plus there’s indoor and outdoor seating for 300 people. So grab your burger (Chilled Lobster Roll for me, please!) and dine al fresco before you grab your groceries.

Wegmans Giving Priorities: Why Wegmans Makes a Great Neighbor

In 1916, Wegmans started out as a fruit and vegetable cart. Fast-forward 102 years, and today this family-owned company is in the hands of the 3rd and 4th generation of the Wegman family. 

Wegmans’ mission is helping people live healthier, better lives through food. 

They don’t view themselves as just a place to get your groceries, but as a partner in building a better community.  Their company values of caring, respect, high standards, empowerment, and making a difference are all evident in their stores and when you interact with their employees.

I love companies that give back, especially locally, and Wegmans makes community giving a huge priority. They focus on 5 main areas:

• Feeding the hungry
• Helping young people succeed
• Encouraging healthy eating & activity
• Enriching store neighborhoods
• Supporting United Way initiatives

Here’s what I love: Organizations that want to request a donation can do so online, and then guess who makes the giving decisions? The local employees! So the people who live in and know their own local community best get to decide where donations will make the biggest, best impact. How smart is that?!

I’ve been digging around on their Community Giving page and these programs are fantastic. My favorite is the Perishable Pick-Up Program. This is where fresh foods – things like produce, yogurt, cheeses, and meats that are perfectly safe and wholesome to eat, are donated to local food banks.

We donate to our local food bank regularly and it’s always boxed, non-perishable food. I absolutely love that Wegmans is providing fresh fruits and veggies to people that might not have access to those healthy foods otherwise.

Wegmans Employee Scholarships

Did you know that Wegmans has been named one of the ‘100 Best Companies to Work For’ by FORTUNE magazine for 21 consecutive years, ranking #2 in 2018? That’s pretty impressive! Not only do Wegmans employees feel like their employer is committed to investing in their local community, but they know that Wegmans is committed to investing in them personally. They believe that happy employees = happy customers. So true.

I’ll be encouraging my kids to apply at Wegmans when the time comes! Check out this amazing Wegmans Employee Scholarship program: The program awards up to $1,500 per year for four years (a maximum of $6,000) to part-time employees and up to $2,200 per year for four years (a maximum of $8,800) to full-time employees or employees who are children of full-time employees. There is no limit to the number of scholarships awarded each year, and award recipients can pursue any field of study if enrolled in an accredited degree program.

Currently, over 4,500 employees are receiving scholarship funds from Wegmans, and since 1984, Wegmans has awarded over $115 million dollars to more than 36,500 employees. WOW!

Look What They’ve Done in Lancaster Already

The Wegmans Lancaster store isn’t opening until September, and already they are participating in some of our favorite hometown events! They have already sponsored, donated to, and/or participated in:

• Lancaster Barnstormers
• Fulton Theater – Wegmans is sponsoring the family series! 
• Open Streets of Lancaster
• Lancaster Sertoma Chicken BBQ held at Longs Park

Welcome to the neighborhood, Wegmans! I love having this family-focused company join our Lancaster, PA family!

Learn More About Wegmans Lancaster

The Wegmans website is a wealth of info about their stores, departments, recipes, and much more. They also share lots of great info on their social channels: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

Wegmans recently opened another new store in Virginia, and I watched the whole thing unfold on their Facebook page, so I’d definitely stay tuned there as we count down to the September 23 opening of the Lancaster store!