Â鶹´«Ã½

Jonelle Sigmon, public information officer for the city of Morganton, said Ingles Markets has decided to stop construction until the company can get updated drawings to make the inside of the store more functional for customers.

Several feet of water flooded the grocery store on Carbon City Road as Hurricane Helene swept through western North Carolina on Sept. 27. After the hurricane, the store’s equipment, shelving and perishable food were removed, and the interior was emptied. The company planned to give the store a remodel before opening. The store was initially expected to open this spring.

Sigmon said the company told the city’s development and design department it is committed to reopening the Â鶹´«Ã½ store.

Pat Jackson, chief financial officer for Ingles Markets Inc., said the company is working with architects and contractors on restoring the store, and others, but due to many variables, no exact date for a reopening has been set as of late May.

Jackson said the company will likely hold a grand reopening when the Â鶹´«Ã½ store does reopen.

Ingles Market Inc. has suffered some revenue losses since flooding closed four of its locations.

Of the four Ingles Markets that were closed due to Helene, three remain closed but are expected to reopen this year, the company said in a release earlier this year.

In addition to the Â鶹´«Ã½ location, the Ingles Markets in Spruce Pine and Swannanoa remain closed, according to the company.

The company saw a net income of $31.7 million for the six-month period that ended March 29, compared to the $75.3 million for the six-month period that ended March 30, 2024, according to an Ingles Market release in early May.

The company said it estimates that about $55 to $65 million of revenue was lost during the three-week period immediately following the storm due to road and power outages, which prevented some stores from opening or maintaining normal store hours, as well as due to electronic payment disruptions as a result of Hurricane Helene. Ingles said that during the quarter that ended Dec. 28, it spent about $5.4 million in cleanup and repair costs as a result of Hurricane Helene.

In the first half of 2025, the company reported a net sales total of $2.62 billion, which was a decrease of 8% compared with $2.85 billion in the first half of fiscal year 2024.

Ingles' net income was $15.1 million for the second quarter of this fiscal year, compared with $31.9 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2024, the company reported.

Ingles' expenses have also increased.

The company reported its operating and administrative expenses for the second quarter of this fiscal year totaled $289.1 million, compared with $284.8 million for the second quarter of fiscal 2024.