New Player Enters Drive-Thru Grocery Space

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. — OPIE Drive-Thru Grocery opened its 3,000-square-foot flagship store in Mount Pleasant on Oct. 5.

The site is the first of three currently planned locations in the Charleston, S.C., area for the first-of-its-kind, high-tech drive-thru grocery store chain.

"We're meeting consumers where they are — in their cars, picking up kids, and going to work," said OPIE Charleston Director Scott Thomas. "Convenience is hard to schedule! That's why we're open 24/7 and don't require customers to schedule a pick-up time. Life is spontaneous, and our service responds to that."

OPIE allows customers to pick up groceries without leaving the car. They do not have to schedule ahead of time and there are no fees or order minimums.

Customers can order in their cars via mobile app and have the order brought out minutes later. For smaller express orders, customers can order directly with the clerks in the drive-thru lane. Customers can also order online at OPIEStores.com.

The company's focus is on perfecting the high-tech, close-to-consumer "dark store" concept, according to co-founder Tyler Sones.

"Over 70 million Americans go through a drive-thru every day," he said. "This is a profitable way to bring real convenience to grocery. So far our biggest fans are busy parents and seniors."

Mount Pleasant-based OPIE Drive-Thru Grocery is open 24 hours a day and features thousands of items in nearly every category found in a traditional grocery store, including fresh meats, produce and bakery items. The "convenience grocery store" also has a substantial organic and natural selection.