Publix of Valrico is moving, but no worries as the new facility will be just a hop, skip and a jump away across S.R. 60 on the south side, residing within Valrico Square, the former Winn Dixie-anchored plaza.
Sharing quarters with Applebee’s and Estrella Tropical, Publix will now reside within the plaza, absorbing a total of 54,000 sq. ft. in the process. The current space in which the Publix is housed, 1930 S.R. 60 E. in Valrico, also measures 54,000 sq. ft., but, according to Media and Community Relations spokesperson Shannon Patten, “This is the latest and greatest. It really gives us the option to expand our services.”
Here, the company will feature a spacious, open-air feel to its new floor plan with a fresh look and a vibrant color palate. New technologies will be incorporated alongside eco-friendly, energy saving components which encompass the entire store as well as an expansion of services already offered by the grocer. “It will have all the bells and whistles our customers would expect,” adds Patten. Although the facility will be made new, patrons will still see the same faces as the current staff will make the conversion as well.
This “new prototype” store has begun construction and is planned to be completed within the next nine months, making the store available to clientele in the spring of 2009. Patten comments, “You won’t have to go a day without your Publix,” as the current location will close at its regular operation hours and reopen the new Publix the following day.
“We are really looking forward to serving our customers in the Valrico area everything they ever wanted in a Publix,” concludes Patten.
Publix, whose mission “is to be the premier quality food retailer in the world,” according to its Website, was founded by the late Winter Haven resident George W. Jenkins in 1930. From its inception, it has grown greatly, totaling 948 supermarkets across the states of Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida which alone harbors the greatest number of stores at 678. Employing over 140,000, this locally known retailer acquired $23 billion in 2007, proving its popularity amongst residents.
For more information, visit www.publix.com.
