North Suffolk’s new Kroger Marketplace having a grand opening Wednesday morning is the company’s largest store in Virginia.

Ricky Green, its manager, said the store at 1017 University Blvd. has 128,000 square feet of floor space. It will employ nearly 350 full- and part-time workers and incorporates 30,000 square feet of non-grocery items, including apparel, home décor, pet supplies, baby and infant gear, toys and bedding, to name a few.

“We expand the way our customers want us to expand,” said Carl York, a Kroger regional manager.

Other store features include a cheese shop, a large natural foods department with bulk dry goods and gluten-free items, Fred Meyer Jewelers, deli bistro with a full menu, drive-through pharmacy and Starbucks kiosk.

Outside close to Bridge Road, the Kroger Fuel Center has nine pumps where customers can redeem points on purchased goods for cheaper fuel.

“We go out and competition-check the fuel stations around the area to make sure we are the lowest price,” Green said, adding that customers receive 10 cents a gallon off for every $100 spent.

A community room at the new Kroger is dedicated to James Winslow, who was brutally beaten in 2012 while in the line of duty for Suffolk Police Department. The room contains framed SPD memorabilia, including Winslow’s uniform and photograph.

Green said the room was dedicated to Winslow to honor his sacrifices to keep the community safe. “I think it’s fantastic that Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, senior citizens (and) different organizations will be able to use that,” he said.

Suffolk Mayor Linda T. Johnson is set to cut the ribbon to open the new store at 8 a.m. Wednesday. “From new opportunities to additional shopping options, the Kroger Marketplace will be a welcome addition to our community,” Johnson stated in a news release.

York said the first 500 customers would get a reusable Kroger bag with a dozen eggs, bacon, juice and loaf of bread.

“It’s a great location and a growing area,” he said. “We try to determine whether (an area) is going to grow and support one of these big stores, and Suffolk fits how we want to fill in our footprint.”