The NEW PUBLIX
January 13, 2024
In June 2022, Publix began construction of a massive store in Louisville. I drive past the exit a few times a week and honestly, the first thought that comes to mind is their PubSubs. I haven’t had a PubSub, but my pretty lady mentions it every time Publix comes up in conversation. For a year now I have been envisioning a date with her at Publix and enjoying a PubSub and possibly a slice of cake from their incredible bakery.
Before I go into detail about my experience, I do want to share that Kroger is not my favorite grocery store in Louisville. Before the new Kroger in Buckner opened the locations closest to me all had parking lot situations that were incredibly frustrating and, to be honest, they were not very clean. And don’t even get me started on the peculiar layout of Kroger. I get it, Kroger looks at consumer trends, feedback, and reporting (blah blah blah). The design is still frustrating and frankly, the lighting is not great either. Last summer, I started shopping at Meijer and Aldi. Meijer has the Scooperman ice cream I can’t live without and very wide aisles with bright lights. Aldi is nice because parking is easy, it’s small and less overwhelming with choices, and the checkout process is lightning-fast. With all that said, Publix is still a welcome change and the anticipation to check it out in person has been growing!
We decided to go on Saturday, four days after it had opened. I *try* not to read the news, BUT some initial reports and opinions made their way to my social media feeds. I’ve heard everything from people lining up at 3:45 AM (that’s crazy, ya’ll), to the complaint that the east side of Louisville doesn’t need another grocery store, to some folks boycotting Publix because of certain political contributions and I also read that some new Publix employees were on public transportation for over three hours one way to get there.
As we were driving to Publix, we noticed that Harley Davidson’s huge parking lot was packed. We both commented how we had never known Harley Davidson to be that busy. As we are getting closer to Publix, traffic is slowing down, and all entrances are congested. I’m guessing people were parking a half mile down the road at Harley Davidson (that’s crazy, ya’ll). We lucked out and parallel-parked between Publix and a hotel with only a short walk to the entrance.
It was crazy packed going in and throughout the whole store. I grabbed a cart, and we made our way through the produce to get a feel for the layout. We were slightly distracted by the pizza, sushi, and taco bar but stuck to our mission to try the PubSubs. We take our place in line not thinking we would be there 90 minutes!
My pretty lady decides to check out the ladies' restroom. She came back with a good report on the cleanliness and that there was a hook in the stall. While she was gone, I was making friends, talking to Publix team members, and checking out the pizza, salad, and chicken wing bar. To be honest, the 90 minutes did go by relatively quickly, and I grabbed a slice of pepperoni pizza. It was delicious and hit the spot.
The gentleman behind us mentioned he and his wife were also there for PubSubs. His name was Me’Shorn, and we covered a lot of topics while standing in line. He spent 30 years in the Army, published a book titled “I’m Am Not Your Black, America”, and is a big fan of Publix. He was there Wednesday when they opened. I’ll tag him on my Publix reel on Instagram! We enjoyed speaking with him and I can't wait to read his book.
Everyone I spoke to had lived somewhere in the south and had been a regular Publix customer. One lady mentioned they have the best chicken tenders ever. Another person mentioned she had never been to a Publix where there was a popcorn station and taco bar. One guy mentioned how he likes having the option of enjoying a beer while grocery shopping which was not something he had seen at other Publix stores.
Every Publix team member I spoke to was engaging and helpful. One employee in particular named Finn was directing PubSub traffic and answering questions from customers. He seems so happy! There were Publix team members everywhere and available to help. While I was chatting it up with Me’Shorn my pretty lady was checking out the sushi. She learned they have been making 300-400 sushi packages a day (that’s crazy, ya’ll)! The deli worker named Dre was particularly delightful. My pretty lady mentioned it was her dream to have a PubSub and he exclaimed, “We are here to satisfy dreams.” That statement put a smile on everyone’s face.
The line for checking out looked like a nightmare and we were so ready to eat our PubSubs that we decided we would skip grocery shopping and checkout. I’ll be going back very soon to stock up on groceries for the week and I can’t wait. I may hit up the hot deli bar first and enjoy it upstairs in their dining. Yes, that’s right, I said upstairs. The new Louisville Publix is like no other Publix.
What’s your favorite item at Publix? Holler at me on IG @bourbondappergent
