Batch of restaurants opening soon at Beaufort Station. What about ALDI construction?

After the final tenants in Beaufort Station’s main building opened their doors last week , developers have announced the openings of the smaller storefronts bordering S.C. 170 — but the wait for the highly anticipated ALDI grocery store is likely to extend into next year.

The Mattress Firm location off Robert Smalls Parkway will be joined “in the next few weeks” by Chicken Salad Chick, Panda Express, Surcheros Fresh Mex, America’s Best Eyeglasses and Fifth Third Bank, according to a Tuesday press release from The Morgan Companies, a commercial real estate firm responsible for the new retail center.

Construction is underway on the new Parker’s Kitchen, located on the easternmost lot of the development, although an opening date was not available for the gas station and convenience store.

Crews will begin work on ALDI building this fall, the release says, bringing the popular German-founded grocery chain to Beaufort after Bluffton received its own store in early 2023. Developers announced early this year they plan to bring another ALDI location to northern Hilton Head Island .

After its final grand openings in previous months, the main shopping center now consists of PetSmart, HomeGoods, Rack Room Shoes, Ulta Beauty, T.J. Maxx, Ross Dress for Less, Old Navy, Five Below and Hobby Lobby. Located at the corner of Robert Smalls Parkway and Parris Island Gateway, the strip mall sits across from Beaufort’s Walmart and the Cross Creek shopping mall.

The massive retail development still has room to grow. Six spots in the smaller buildings and a one-acre parcel south of the Parker’s Kitchen construction site were available for lease as of Wednesday, according to Beaufort Station’s website.

Between The Morgan Companies and the tenants, close to $60 million will be invested in the project, Trey Morgan, president of the agency, told The Island Packet last year . Morgan said the 31-acre parcel was one of the largest in Beaufort, and the 200,000-square-foot shopping center will be one of the biggest between Charleston and Savannah.