The History of Publix

In the 1920s, George W. Jenkins moved from his native Georgia to Florida and began working at Piggly Wiggly. He quickly rose up the ranks, moving from stock clerk to manager in just a few months. After a years-long stint managing the grocery chain’s largest store in Winter Haven, Florida, he decided to start his own grocery store. On September 6, 1930, Jenkins opened Publix Food Store in Winter Haven, Florida. Five years later, he opened a second location. However, he soon closed both locations in favor of opening his dream store — the first Publix Super Market, which opened on November 8, 1940. Described as a “food palace,” the store featured several innovations that were then considered cutting-edge, such as air conditioning and fluorescent lighting. In 1945, Jenkins purchased a warehouse along with 19 All American stores from the Lakeland Grocery Company and promptly began replacing them with Publix Super Market locations. Over time, he expanded Publix throughout the Southeast. He also began adding delis, pharmacies, and even cooking schools at the stores. Today, Publix is known for being one of the top supermarkets for customer satisfaction and has been named one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For; notably, employees are the company's largest collective shareholders. There are over 1,300 Publix locations in operation today.