Where Shopping Is A Pleasure
While driving through Orlando on Saturday, I happened to stumble across this Publix in an area known as College Park. When I was little, I remember that this is what Publix grocery stores looked like, with the giant chevron or whatever you call it over top of the entrance. I hadn't seen one like this for years, I assumed they had all been modernized years ago, but I was wrong. It took a while, but I finally found a manager in the store who knew at least a few of the details about this store. Seems it was originally built back in the forties, with a similar look to what you see here. However, it was razed in the late 90's but rebuilt with much of the same designs in place. So what you see isn't technically old, it's just retro.
The store I remember when I was little, located at the old Searstown on Memorial Blvd. in Lakeland, Florida, had a very similar marquee to this one, only it was larger and much higher in the air. I also think it had neon on the two wings, not just the central column. I don't think it had those two green squares on the wings, either. I don't remember a rotating sign near the road like the one below, but I think it's a nice addition. If you go looking, this store is on Edgewater, a mile or so off of Colonial Drive, aka SR 50.
Oh, this store was missing one thing that old Publix's seem to share. At the back of the store, over the meat department, there was a giant alphabetical guide to what food was on what aisle. You could see it from almost anywhere in the store, and it would help you go immediately to the aisle that had what you where looking for. I guess that convenience gave way to advertising space.
I have driven by this Publix in College Park. I did not realize that this was built in 1990. I think it is pretty cool. It goes well with the older homes in that neighborhood. I wish more communities would do unique things like that.
ReplyDeleteWow! I remember as a kid how the letters would light up at night. There was quite a sequence involved.
ReplyDeleteThe sign in the last picture is the actual sign from the original store. It was kept in place while the store was rebuilt and the sign was refurbished.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the letters on the front of the building were the original letters from the original store. They too were saved and refurbished before being put back on the front of the new store.