Shopping is once again a pleasure at the Lake Miriam Square Publix, which reopened on Thursday, Nov. 13. It had been 495 days since the supermarket was closed, razed, and rebuilt with a fresh look and larger footprint, but who’s counting? Editor Connor here — I braved the opening day crowds to see what’s inside.
I would describe this location as a larger version of the former Publix GreenWise Market, but with a wider selection of regular grocery items. It brought back several fan-favorite food options, including made-to-order burritos, oven-fired pizzas, sushi, ramen, and freshly popped popcorn.
If you’re not grocery shopping, this is still a convenient spot to hang out and grab a bite to eat. Order coffee, smoothies, wine, or tea from the Pours cafe — I got a refreshing peppermint matcha — and head upstairs to the mezzanine dining area for a bird’s-eye view of the entire store. There’s also indoor + outdoor cafe seating with an entrance right to the Pours counter, perfect for those in a hurry.
Publix previously shared that this will be a “prototype store,” meaning it will have some unique features like these new counters and seating areas. I wouldn’t be surprised if these start rolling out to its other local stores in the future, although I’d settle for a self-checkout at Grove Park, the one I frequent the most.
Speaking of other stores, what will happen at the GreenWise Market that was converted into a regular Publix location just across the street? As of now, it’s still business as usual, meaning there are two options for shoppers. I would expect both to be busy over the next several days.
