Top 15+ Facts About The Beloved Grocery Store, Publix

The first Publix Super Market opened in 1940

Although the Publix brand had been in operation since 1930 in the form of two small Publix Food Store locations, it wasn't until 1940 that owner George Jenkins closed his little shops and opened a state-of-the-art supermarket, which also happened to be complete with air conditioning, electric eye doors (which come with cameras that track movement and ensure no one gets crushed between the doors), and terrazzo floors.

The location of this grand venture was Winter Haven, Florida, where Jenkins had also previously operated two smaller Publix grocery establishments. After that, it didn't take him long to turn the Publix name into a local supermarket empire. Starting in 1945, he started acquiring grocery stores by the dozen and turning them into supermarkets. That's a long way to go for a boy from Harris, Georgia, who'd worked at his father's general store and stocked shelves at Piggly Wiggly before investing in his first supermarket.

Publix was the first grocery store in America to be fully air conditioned

Air conditioning is a hot commodity these days. Summers are so hot, especially in Florida, that it's perfectly understandable for someone to want to head to a grocery store just to get some relief. Those refrigerated aisles can be especially helpful on a sweltering day.

But there was a time when no grocery store in the United States had air conditioning, and then came Publix at a location in Winter Haven, Florida. It was the very first such store to install a cooling appliance that could cool the entire store. If necessity is the mother of invention, and Florida is pretty much as hot as it gets in America in the summer, then it makes sense that the first air-conditioned grocery store would have popped up in Florida. Or perhaps Publix had taken notice of how much more revenue theaters had started bringing once they'd introduced the newest inventions in indoor cooling.

Publix has never had a layoff

Aside from shopping at Publix, if you can snag a job there, you'll be set for life — at least theoretically. Indeed, the company claims that in its 80+ year history, it has never had to lay off an employee. Not only that, but Publix claims that it prioritizes promoting from within, in addition to offering a wide range of employee benefits for both full- and part-timers.

But while all that sounds great, that doesn't mean the company can't fire someone. While layoffs refer to letting someone go because of a slow-down in work or ability to pay, firing can happen to anyone at any time, as when five Black employees were fired in 2020 over their participation in a local Black Lives Matter protest. Some also claim that even if Publix doesn't fire you or lay you off, it can still dock hours until it no longer becomes financially feasible to work there.

A depression-era orange grove helped fund the first Publix store

As with any big venture, a good amount of capital is required to get started. The same was true for Publix, which saw the light of day after its owner, George Jenkins, mortgaged a depression-era orange grove and used the proceeds to buy what would become his first supermarkets.

The timing might have been risky — the depression was only just coming to an end, and many grocery stores across the country were still struggling to fill shelves — but perhaps the stores' innovative accouterments, like air conditioning, and the fact that Jenkins traveled the country looking for products to sell in his stores, just happened to attract people at the right time, in the right place. And it's a lucky thing, too, because Publix managed to weather the advent of WWII soon after, in part by purchasing existing stores instead of investing in construction expansion, which wartime shortages would have hindered.

Some Publix locations allow you to renew your car registration

Wouldn't it be nice to have a one-stop shop where you can get all your errands done in a single place? Many grocery stores these days seem to provide something close to that, but Publix takes it one step further: At some locations, it's possible to renew your car registration right there, in the same place you buy your milk and toilet paper.

For instance, the Seminole County tax collector has made it possible for Florida residents to review their car registration at dedicated kiosks conveniently placed inside two Publix locations there. The process only takes a few minutes and can be done outside of regular working hours. For those of you who know what it's like to wait in line at the DMV, this news may come as a boon if you live in Florida, or it may have given you a pang of jealousy if you don't.

Publix is the largest employee-owned company in America

One of the reasons many people may find Publix so friendly and welcoming is that it is an employee-owned company. In fact, it is the biggest such company in the country. And it makes sense: When employees feel a personal stake in the company they work for, they're more likely to be engaged and invested in its success.

Publix, in particular, achieves this effect by paying workers living wages and giving them access to company stock after having worked there for at least a year, regardless of position. That can make for a lot of happy people, especially since, according to recent figures available on the Publix website, the company currently employs more than 255,000 people. Indeed, surveys of employees consistently show that Publix is a great place to work, which seems to translate into Publix being a great place to shop. Any consummate customer of anything knows that goods and services are much more pleasant to come by when the people responsible for them enjoy their jobs.

Registered dietitians can help you shop

As the nation moves (slightly) away from Twinkies and toward healthier, more thoughtful food choices, many people might feel a little disoriented as to what constitutes nutritious food and what does not. Luckily, Publix has come to the rescue by dispatching registered dietitians into its aisles to help helpless shoppers with their food choices.

Some of the perks of this program are learning how to shop based on specific medical needs, how to choose food based on a specific goal, such as boosting energy or reducing inflammation, and more generally, how to read labels in order to avoid putting low-quality or even harmful ingredients in your body. If you've never read a food label before, you might be surprised to see many words you've never even heard of before. A registered dietitian can help you decipher their meaning and tell you which ones can be healthful and which are more harmful.

Publix is named after a chain of movie theaters

One might think that the name Publix comes from some sort of variation on the word public, perhaps as a means to highlight the chain's commitment to serving the public. But in truth, it has nothing to do with that. Publix was the name of a North American chain of movie theaters that happened to be closing right around the time the supermarket was coming up in the world, so owner George Jenkins thought well to just adopt the name for his own venture.

And it wasn't a bad idea. The Publix Theaters Corporation, an affiliate of Paramount Studios, was known to provide a luxurious experience to moviegoers and even had air conditioning. This may have inspired Jenkins' push to add air conditioning to his stores. Another parallel between Publix Theaters and Publix Super Markets was the Art Moderne style that permeated the buildings.

Staff was not allowed to grow beards until 2018

It may seem outlandish that in the age of hipsterdom, facial hair was banned among staff at Publix Super Markets, with the implausible exception of a mustache. It wasn't until 2018 that Publix finally allowed its employees to grow beards. Understandably, there are some caveats. As a Publix spokesperson told West Palm Beach TV, the company approved the change "as long as the associate maintains a neat, clean, and professional appearance."

The change came into effect after a petition signed by 20,000 people and a trial period at a few locations to see if the initiative could work for the supermarket's image. Luckily, it worked, and Publix has now caught up with the times.