How Publix Became A Southern Grocery Staple

Palm trees, beaches, orange trees, and a bright green Publix sign on the horizon. There are few things more signature to Florida than Publix grocery stores. The chain got its start in Florida in the 1930, and quickly developed a dedicated following. Over the decades, Publix's reach has expanded throughout the South, gaining new devotees each step of the way.

But why is the chain so beloved by Southerners, and how did it become so inextricably linked to the region? Publix's status as a southern grocery staple comes down to a few key factors. It may seem, on the surface, that all grocery stores are essentially equal. After all, most grocery chains carry similar or identical mass-marketed products brought to you by big-name food companies. However, this is reductive thinking. What makes Publix so special isn't just the food stocked on its shelves, but the quality of customer service offered at each location. Southern hospitality is found aplenty at the regional grocery chain, with employees offering personalized assistance to customers with an eagerness to please.

It also helps that Publix is not simply a grocery store. In addition to selling groceries, the store also has a well-stocked selection of grab-and-go dishes such as Cuban-style red beans and rice. The bakery section regularly bakes fresh bread, delicious pastries, and cakes for all occasions.

You'll find a few common features in each and every Publix: a well-stocked deli, a bakery stocked with delicious treats, a scale (to weigh yourself), and Publix employees in their signature green vests, ready to help you. Publix is known for its world-class customer service. And the company puts a strong emphasis on creating a pleasurable shopping experience for each customer. A visit to Publix isn't akin to dropping by your local big box, discount grocer. Rather, the company's business model focuses on creating a helpful, personal experience for shoppers.

The store's slogan "Where shopping is a pleasure" emphasizes their focus on the customer. At Publix, shopping isn't just a chore, it's a visit to a focal point in the community, where relationships are fostered between the customer and the store's employees. Beyond this, shoppers are offered the Publix Guarantee, which encourages shoppers to return any item if it is not totally satisfactory in quality.

Beyond this, the company also actively works to develop a positive work environment for its employees. The company offers stock ownership to employees as a part of its PROFIT plan, allowing workers to take real ownership in the company.

Of course, Publix's status as a Southern staples comes down to more than just its great customer service. What makes Publix so special is not that it is simply a great grocery store, it's that it is more than a grocery store. Within each Publix location, you will find a bakery and deli which stock unique, Publix-exclusive items that keep customers coming back for more.

Publix bakery has many unique and delicious offerings, such as its key lime pie (with its signature almond topping) and tropical mango key lime pie which both have their own dedicated following and award winning flavor. Additionally, the chain's Chantilly cake is a serious contender against Whole Foods' viral Chantilly cake. Of course, some of Publix's signature items have been cut (rest in peace, Publix rainbow bread), but the chain has a consistent base of unique and delicious offerings.

Over at the deli counter, you'll find perhaps the chain's most famous product, the Publix sub (known as "Pub subs" to those who know and love them). The submarine sandwiches offered at the Publix deli counter are made to order and infinitely customizable, offering both Boar's Head deli meat and Publix's very own tasty chicken tenders as fillings. But their offerings don't stop there. Publix also offers an array of dishes at their deli counter, including their Cuban-style red beans and rice, which offer up a taste of Southern (and uniquely Floridian) cuisine to Publix customers. In fact, if you ever find yourself making a culinary tour of the South, you might want to stop by Publix to get a genuine taste.

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