EXHIBIT 99.2

                                                                 Brenda S. Tudor
                                                          Vice President-Finance
                                                       & Chief Financial Officer
                                                       (828) 669-2941 (Ext. 223)


                INGLES MARKETS, INCORPORATED PRICES $100 MILLION
                OF ITS 8 7/8% SENIOR SUBORDINATED NOTES DUE 2011


ASHEVILLE, N.C. - (May 20, 2003) - Ingles Markets, Incorporated (Nasdaq-IMKTA)
yesterday announced that it will issue an additional $100 million of 8 7/8%
senior subordinated notes due 2011 (the "Notes"). The net proceeds from the
offering will be used to repay indebtedness and to provide funds for general
corporate purposes. The Notes were priced to yield 8.67% for $101 million of
gross proceeds. The Company expects the sale of the Notes to close on May 29,
2003.

The Notes will be issued in a private placement and are expected to be resold by
the initial purchasers to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A of the
Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act") or under Regulation S under the Act. The
Notes have not been registered under the Act or any state securities laws, and
may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an
applicable exemption from registration.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an
offer to buy such Notes in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or sale would
be unlawful and is issued pursuant to Rule 135(c) promulgated under the Act.

Ingles Markets, Incorporated is a leading supermarket chain with operation in
six southeastern states. Headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, the Company
operates 200 supermarkets. In conjunction with its supermarket operations, the
Company also operates 76 neighborhood shopping centers, all but 17 of which
contain an Ingles supermarket. The Company's Class A Common Stock is traded on
The Nasdaq Stock Market's National Market under the symbol IMKTA.

The comments in this press release contain certain forward-looking statements.
Ingles undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revisions to any
forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances
occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events. Certain forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of
forward-looking terminology such as 'believes,' 'expects,' 'may,' 'will,'
'could,' 'should,' 'seeks,' 'approximately,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'estimates,' or
'anticipates,' or the negative thereof or another comparable terminology, and
statements addressing the timing, benefits and other aspects of the proposed
transaction. Ingles' actual results may differ materially from those projected
in forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, Ingles. Factors that may
affect results include changes in business and economic conditions generally in
Ingles' operating area, pricing pressures, increased competitive efforts by
others in Ingles' marketing areas and the availability of financing for capital
improvements.