Sunday, January 09, 2011

Ye Olde Publix


I have been remiss in not stopping and taking this picture before, but I have to take it in the morning for the light to be on the building, and that means I have to get up early in the morning, and I rarely do that if I don't have to work. But Saturday I got up and got out, so here you go. It may not look like much more than another Publix Supermarket in a strip mall, but this store is special. This is the oldest Publix that's still in existence. First opened in 1955, this is the only store left from those days. Those of you who aren't from Florida (or a little bit of Georgia now) may not be familiar with Publix, but it's king of all the grocery stores down here. So I figure it's just a little bit special that we happen to have the oldest one right here in Sarasota. The very first Publix was in Winter Haven, I believe, and they are headquartered in Lakeland, but any of the early ones there are long gone. I just wish this one looked like some of the Publix's I remember seeing when I was little. Or like this rebuilt one in Orlando.

5 comments:

  1. Great pictures all! There's also at least one Publix in South Carolina, near Beaufort -- I shop there on my yearly beach trip with "the girls." Great store.

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  2. Very nice! I live in Sarasota too.. is that the one downtown on Ringling?

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  3. I'm wondering what the new one on U.S. 41 is going to be like. Still hard to imagine.

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  4. Wow... this post gave me a real nostalgic feeling remembering visits to my aunt's house in Ft Lauderdale when I was a kid.

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  5. The first Publix was in downtown Winter Haven on Central Ave. The original building is still there and being used by the First Baptist Church on the other side of the street. I used to go to youth group in that building. The old Publix signage is still there. The word Publix is the only thing that is missing. I'll have to get a picture of it for you.

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