Troy Kickler’s piece on the origins of Food Lion, currently featured on NorthCarolinaHistory.org, brought back memories, especially the discussion of LFPINC. That acronym was Food Town’s (read Troy’s piece to find out about the name change) slogan: Lowest Food Prices in North Carolina. In 1970, when I would drive from Georgia to Virginia to visit my future bride, the Food Town billboards changed along the way: LFPISC in South Carolina, LFPINC in North Carolina and LFPIVA in Virginia. Talk about your targeted marketing.

Another memory involves the commercials that Food Town/Lion CEO Tom E. Smith did for the company, especially the basketball-related ads during the ACC Tournament. But, contrary to a popular myth, Tom E. Smith (below)

…. did not play this guy on “Green Acres.”