J&J Foods

On June 21st, 1976, Johnnie & Arrie Mae Wiley along with Junior & Shirley Reece opened a supermarket on Broad Street in Gainesville. Using the first letters of the owner’s names, they called their new store, J&J Foods. After five difficult months, Junior Reece sold his interest in the store and Johnnie became the sole proprietor. Months passed and the business gradually began to grow.

By 1980, the fifteen thousand square foot store that had seemed large in 1976 was becoming unbearably cramped. Johnnie sought and purchased the adjacent building, expanding the sales area to twenty-four thousand square feet. The new store featured more departments including a full-service deli.

Johnnie’s son Darrell had been involved with the family business since the beginning, working in most departments while still in college. Darrell left the business in 1978 to complete his degree in Music Education and eventually started two businesses, a retail music store and a professional audio design and installation company. Darrell sold both businesses when Johnnie experienced health problems in 1990 and returned to work at J&J Foods.

In 1994, Kmart and Walmart chose Gainesville, Georgia as one of the first cities in the country where they competed head-to-head with their new supercenter concept. The sites they chose were just two miles from J&J Foods. Sales naturally suffered with the opening of the supercenters but J&J fought back with even lower prices and better service. Within fifteen months, sales were back up and J&J Foods was again the favorite supermarket in Gainesville.

After evaluating numerous options, the former Big Star/A&P store in Dahlonega became available and J&J opened its second location in 2000. J&J’s business in Dahlonega has grown steadily over the years as we’ve been welcomed into the tight-knit communities of Dahlonega and Lumpkin County.

The most recent opportunity for J&J Foods occurred in the spring of 2005 with the announcement by a major grocery chain of their departure from the North Georgia market. J&J opened its newest and largest location on Limestone Parkway in the former Winn Dixie facility. The larger building and expansive parking lot allowed more customers to experience the benefits of shopping at J&J.

As the communities served by J&J Foods have changed over the years, J&J has adapted to meet those changing needs. Recently J&J adopted a new mission statement to reflect its dedication to its customers.

J&J Foods information

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J&J Foods

J&J Foods information

Visit J&J Foods (click below)

Which states have a J&J Foods

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