BATON ROUGE - A popular discount grocery chain with thousands of locations nationwide is making its way into the capital area for the first time.

According to the Advocate, city records show Aldi has purchased an 11-acre site on O'Neal Lane for $1.35 million. The property was formerly the home to a Hardee's restaurant.

The Germany-based chain only stocks fast-moving grocery items and forgoes other services like pharmacies or in-store banks. Their stores typically only have a handful of aisles with about 1,300 items stocked.

Customers can bring their own bags or buy reusable ones from the store. Shoppers can also rent a cart for 25 cents, which is refunded when the cart is returned.

Aldi, which has about 2,000 stores across 36 states, has been making moves in other Louisiana cities since 2019, including buying land in Slidell and Lafayette.