AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. — Grocery shopping has become increasingly difficult for Fernandina Beach residents, as two of the island’s three major grocery stores are closed for renovations, leaving only one store, Harris Teeter, open to serve the entire community.
Harris Teeter recently celebrated the grand reopening of its Amelia Island location. But with heightened demand, shoppers are experiencing long lines, limited parking, and growing frustration.
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As crowds packed the newly reopened Harris Teeter, some customers were forced to park along curbs and side streets. That created issues for drivers like Charlotte Roberts.
“When I came back, I noticed the entire side of my car had been scraped by another automobile,” Roberts said.
The strain on the store comes after the island’s Winn-Dixie closed in late July to begin its conversion into an Aldi—a process expected to take six to eight months. Meanwhile, the island’s Publix has been closed since April and isn’t expected to reopen until next fall.
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“Winn-Dixie was here, and Publix was here. We missed them. Everybody misses them,” said resident Kay Stein.
“We are not happy about that. No one is happy. I’m gonna start going off island, I guess,” she added.
For some residents, especially those without reliable transportation, leaving the island to shop for food isn’t a realistic option.
“It’s insane because I do a lot of work with Barnabas. There are a lot of people who are in bad situations, and they live in that area of town. They can’t get to the grocery store. They have no place to shop,” said Roberts
To address these concerns, the Fernandina Beach City Council recently discussed a proposal to launch a summer shuttle initiative to help residents reach grocery stores.
However, city officials said the plan did not move forward.
Until more options return, many locals say they’ll need to travel off-island—or rely on neighbors—for their most basic needs.
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