Fareway Breaks Ground on Coal Valley Store

Fareway has officially begun construction on a new grocery store in Coal Valley, Illinois, marking another expansion for the Johnston-based chain in the Quad Cities region and across the Midwest.

The 17,000-square-foot store will be located at the southeast corner of First Street and U.S. 6, in the southeastern portion of the Quad Cities metro area. According to a company news release, the Coal Valley store is scheduled to open in fall 2026 and will further strengthen Fareway’s footprint on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River.

The Coal Valley project adds to Fareway’s growing seven-state network and follows the company’s recent opening of a new store in Granger, Iowa, in late December 2025. The Granger location represents the chain’s 144th store overall.

Fareway already operates two locations in western Illinois, including a store in Moline, as well as three additional stores on the Iowa side of the Quad Cities, a metro area with a population of roughly 470,000.

“Communities depend on a local grocer to offer high-quality products at affordable prices with unmatched service," Fareway CEO Reynolds Cramer, who aims to have 200 stores in operation by 2030, said in the release. "We look forward to offering these qualities to Coal Valley and area residents with a new Fareway store."

In addition to the Illinois project, Fareway recently opened a new 21,000-square-foot store in Granger, located just north of Grimes. That store operates from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and includes Fareway’s signature full-service meat counter along with its traditional grocery offerings.

“Granger is growing, and our residents value access to fresh, quality food close to home,” the city's mayor, Tony James, said in a news release.

The Coal Valley and Granger openings reflect Fareway’s continued strategy of expanding into growing communities while maintaining a focus on service, affordability, and fresh food options as the company works toward its long-term goal of reaching 200 stores by the end of the decade.

Originally reported by Philip Joens in Des Moines Register.