George Jenkins and the Grocery Store That Changed Florida

George Jenkins opened his first Publix grocery store in Winter Haven on April 19, 1930, setting in motion a company built on care, service, and big ideas. From the beginning, he believed employees should share in the company’s success, and he made cleanliness and customer service the foundation of every store.

He added a second location in 1935, and a few years later mortgaged an orange grove he had picked up during the Depression to fund his first full-sized supermarket. That new store introduced features many Floridians had never seen in a grocery setting, including air conditioning, fluorescent lights, electric-eye doors, frozen foods, piped-in music, and aisles wide enough to feel comfortable even on a busy day.

Growth came quickly. Jenkins bought a small chain in 1945, replaced older stores with modern ones in the 1950s, and reached 150 stores by 1969. Later expansions carried Publix across the Southeast. Today, the company operates more than 1,400 stores while still ranking highly with shoppers and employees alike.

St. Petersburg’s first Publix (pictured) opened on June 15, 1950, at 1720 16th St. N., and remained in operation until 1982. The Art Deco building remains standing today.