North Carolina-based Food Lion announced that Feb. 14 will be the final day for the Statesboro Bi-Lo grocery store.

A sign posted near the exit of the store reads “Store closing on February 14th. Thank you for being a loyal customer.” The store is expected to be closed for a two- to three-week period while brands and signs are changed, with a grand opening sometime in March.

Though Food Lion has not released any official reopening dates, several employees at the Bi-Lo off Northside Drive confirmed the time frame for conversion to Food Lion.

Food Lion acquired the Bi-Lo grocery brand last June as part of a 62-store deal with Southeastern Grocers.

The Statesboro Bi-Lo is one of 46 Bi-Lo stores and 16 Harveys Supermarkets in Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina that were purchased by Food Lion. The conversions to Food Lion are underway and will last through April before the switch by all stores is complete. Bi-Lo stores in Metter and Sylvania and Harveys in Pembroke, Springfield and Reidsville are part of the Food Lion deal.

A sign posted at the Metter store also announced a Feb. 14 closing date, and the sign added it would be closed through March 1.

While no announcement was made about employees at specific stores, back in June, Food Lion said it expected to hire more than 4,650 associates currently employed by Southeastern Grocers to serve customers at the 62 new stores.

A sign taped to the outside of the management office at the Statesboro Bi-Lo indicates Food Lion is seeking current Bi-Lo employees to continue at the re-branded store. It reads:

“Food Lion employment Applications!

“We are now accepting applications for Food Lion.

“Please turn in applications to any manager or office personnel.”

No Bi-Lo official would comment directly on the closing or reopening dates or Food Lion employment plans.

“We are so excited to add these new locations to our more than 630 stores across Georgia and the Carolinas,” Food Lion President Meg Ham said in a statement in June. “We’ve been serving customers in these larger regions for almost 60 years. We’re thrilled to add these locations and serve even more towns and cities across these three states with fresh, quality products at affordable prices every day with the caring, friendly service customers expect from their local Food Lion.”

Food Lion previously operated several grocery stores in Statesboro, but left the market in 2003.

Salisbury, North Carolina-based Food Lion operates more than 1,000 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and has more than 77,000 employees.