Publix will open to public

Publix Super Market will open its doors at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7:45 a.m.

The 45,600 sq. ft. store, on which construction began in September 2015, will be located across George Wallace Drive from Sonic, and behind Popeye’s, AT&T and Panda Express.

According to Harbert Retail, the development company overseeing the Publix project, Marco’s Pizza, Goldfingers and Beaute Nail Spa are planned to join the storefronts in the Publix shopping center.

Publix is an employee-owned supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida, but has locations in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee and North Carolina. The store is one of the largest U.S. regional grocery chains with around 1,100 locations in the Southeast, according to their website.

The company’s mission is to “be the premier quality food retailer in the world.”

According to Troy Mayor Jason Reeves, the road development connecting Enzor Road to Highway 231, and public support, sealed the deal for Publix to open a location in Troy.

“People here have been wanting a Publix for about 10 to 15 years, and I really believe that public support, especially from the students, has helped convince Publix that Troy was the right place to build,” Reeves said.

Dwaine Stevens, the media and community relations manager for Publix in this region, said the organization has been working to “implement strategic communications and community engagement plans two years prior to the store’s opening.”

Kylie Foor, a sophomore psychology major from Enterprise, said that she heard about the store opening by word of mouth and plans to shop there about once a week.

“I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for a lot of the college students, and it’s definitely a step in the right direction for Troy,” Foor said. “Publix seems like a great company, and I think they will fit perfectly into the small-town atmosphere of Troy.”

Foor said that the university is growing rapidly and that Publix is great for the city to keep up with that growth.

Julia Owens, a sophomore political science major from Trinity, said that Publix offers more options than other stores in the area.

“I think that Publix opening so close to campus will be a good thing,” Owens said.  “While there wasn’t really a need for a Publix since it is more expensive and college students have a strict budget, it will give closer access to much fresher produce unlike Walmart.”

Reeves said he hopes to see people from surrounding communities coming to shop at the Troy Publix, and he hopes it will provide healthier grocery options for the students.

“Publix has a good reputation as far as treating employees well and also having good services and quality food,” Reeves said. “Its opening says to other businesses that Troy is a good place to open and that they will do well here.”