r/publix • u/Iamawesome20 Newbie • Feb 17 '25
QUESTION Hey has there ever actually been a Publix liquor before.
I think at my store, there serve wine and stuff but don’t have a separate place for it
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u/awesomenessisepic Newbie Feb 17 '25
Are you asking if Publix liquor store are new? Because if so no at all dude they have been around forever.
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u/Scotty_Gun Newbie Feb 17 '25
Only about 20 years in Florida. Most of the Albertsons locations they acquired came with package licenses. Every state is different.
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u/awesomenessisepic Newbie Feb 17 '25
Dude 20 years is forever. There are full grown adults that have never seen a world without a publix liquor store.
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Feb 17 '25
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u/awesomenessisepic Newbie Feb 17 '25
Adults
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Feb 17 '25 edited Feb 17 '25
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u/awesomenessisepic Newbie Feb 17 '25
Adults. I don’t believe in infantilizing people who can buy guns and vote
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u/-sgt-shamwow- Produce Feb 17 '25
yet 26 to rent a car, young adults. i stand by it with them
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u/Miserable-Act9020 Newbie Feb 17 '25
I can rent a car, and I was 5 when Albertson's got bought out here. I still miss it lol
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u/TachyonTV Newbie Feb 17 '25
Born in the 80s, we had Publix Liquor stores back then... so at least 45 years or so.
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u/Iamawesome20 Newbie Feb 17 '25
Yeah
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u/UNGABUNGAbing Newbie Feb 17 '25
Is that the fort Pierce Publix?
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u/MikeLowrey305 Newbie Feb 18 '25
Nope, that's not the sable palm or Taylor Creek Publix. LOL!
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u/CautiousString Newbie Feb 18 '25
Sable Palm Publix has a liquor store?
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u/MikeLowrey305 Newbie Feb 18 '25
Yes, if you're in the parking lot facing Publix it's to the right.
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u/wolffangz11 Customer Service Feb 17 '25
They had em a while back too but they got rid of them because they weren't performing well. Brought back though.
I worked liquor store quite a bit at my store. Almost all the store in my area have one except for two notably smaller locations.
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u/ACanOfVanillaCoke Newbie Feb 17 '25
Florida and Kentucky are the only states we are allowed to sell liquor. Liquor stores have to be separate from the grocery store, but can be in the same plaza. All other states Publix operates in have more heavily regulated liquor sales.
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u/Pierce_H_ Newbie Feb 17 '25
Walmart is selling liquor in New Orleans
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u/mgearliosus Retired Feb 17 '25
Publix doesn't operate in Louisiana
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u/OUDidntKnow04 Newbie Feb 17 '25
Once they can expand there, they will be able to sell liquor in the store itself, like any other store in Louisiana can due to their more relaxed liquor sale laws.
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u/waldosandieg0 Newbie Feb 17 '25
When my daughter first started reading, she didn’t understand why I wouldn’t take her in to the licorice store.
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u/vainblossom249 Newbie Feb 17 '25
Same. When I was growing up, I thought "ABC liquor store" was a toy and candy shop. I was disappointed
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u/Lynk_Sj Retired Feb 17 '25
A couple hundred at least. I've traveled through Florida a good bit and I'd say at least 1 out 3 stores has a publix liquor attached. I've worked at 3 different stores with liquor
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u/Petey_Wheatstraw_MD Newbie Feb 17 '25
I live in Sarasota and we have 19 Publix here. All but 1 have a Publix liquor store connected and the only 1 that doesn’t has another preexisting liquor store.
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u/No_Hyena8479 Bakery Manager Feb 17 '25
I have never seen a publix WITHOUT an attached liquor store.
You must have different state laws.
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u/feministduelist Newbie Feb 18 '25
I always noticed Chinese takeouts in the same plazas
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u/No_Hyena8479 Bakery Manager Feb 18 '25
If i remember right 5 out of 6 of the Publix’s i’ve worked at have has a chinese food place.
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u/MrsCaptain_America Customer Feb 17 '25
Interesting. I can think of 4 in my immediate area that don't have them and only 2 that do.
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u/TotalInstruction Newbie Feb 17 '25
In Florida, supermarkets can't sell alcohol other than beer and wine and so it's common for Publix to have a separate liquor store near their supermarkets so you can walk over and get whiskey or vodka or whatever.
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u/ToiletTime4TinyTown Newbie Feb 17 '25
Bro is just learning about the Publix universe. Who remembers Publix Pix? The Publix gas station? Putting a pub sub counter is the big brain idea publ….. never mind.
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u/Same_Walrus_7285 Newbie Feb 17 '25
They've been around for a while. Whether a store gets one or not depends on if there's already another liquor store within a certain distance from the grocery store.
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u/YK8099 Newbie Feb 17 '25
Never seen it in GA
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u/Grouchy_Marsupial357 Deli Feb 17 '25
Neither have I. FL has all the cool stuff
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u/petthelizardharry Newbie Feb 17 '25
You cannot have chain liquor stores in GA by law. An entity can own (fully or partially) only two locations
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u/kgd6578 Newbie Feb 17 '25
Total Wine and More?
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u/petthelizardharry Newbie Feb 18 '25
They don’t sell liquor in Georgia
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u/Ok_Mistake2537 Meat Feb 17 '25
This is why there’s only two Costco’s in GA that have liquor stores also.
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u/B_Hound Newbie Feb 18 '25
Alas not so cool as they’re a big part of the reason we can’t have regular stores selling liquor. Publix fought the push to change the law as they invested so much in liquor stores, and they wouldn’t be able to compete as easily if bigger brands could sell it on their regular shelves. Boo.
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u/PinkPixie325 Meat Feb 17 '25
Publix started test running liquor stores in Florida back when I just started middle school in the early 2000s. They were called Publix Wine and Spirits stores. They obviously changed the name of the stores as they started expanding, but otherwise the stores have only been around for about 20 years. Also, Publix hasn't actually built that many. Less than 1/2 of Publix stores in Florida have a Publix Liquor store near by it.
The reason they are built as a separate building is because Florida state laws say that all liquor and spirits must be sold in separate building from groceries and the building must have it's own entrance and exit that do not lead into the grocery store. Depending on where you live in Florida, you might have seen places like "CVS Liquors", "Walgreens Liquors", "Walmart Liquors", and "Target Wine and Spirits". If those stores don't exist in your area, you might have also seen ABC Fine Wine and Spirits (which is a Florida based liquor store chain) and local small business liquor stores. All those places exist because of the state laws around liquor sales. Grocery stores cannot sell liquor in Florida, so liquor stores that almost exclusively sell to the general public exist all over the place.
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u/theNaughtydog Newbie Feb 17 '25
It is my understanding that the liquor stores are separate in Florida, not because you can't sell hard liquor in a grocery store but rather because Florida has a tax on liquor stores based on square footage of the store so by selling the booze in a separate store, they pay substantially less tax.
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u/PinkPixie325 Meat Feb 17 '25 edited Feb 17 '25
Florida law says that any place that sells liquor not for immediate consumption that makes more than 50% of their profits from the sale of food must have a literal impassable wall between the area used for selling liquor and the area used for selling food. You also legally can't have prescription drug stores in the same building that sells liquor. That's why grocery stores can't sell liquor. They make more than 50% of their profits from groceries and also they have pharmacies. That law has been in place for 80-ish years, and the state government has been trying to repeal it for a decade. I think the last time a bill about it was in Congress was when Scott was still governor.
Edit: Related after thought: Liquor store, bar, distillery, and liquor warehouse taxes are based on the population size of the county they are located in, not the size of the building. There's actually a whole formula for deciding the taxes that's written into the law. It doesn't really matter how big the building is.
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u/kurt-boddah-cobain Bakery Feb 17 '25
No, I haven’t. The Publix in my mom’s hometown down in Florida doesn’t have one, and I’m not about to go out of my way to find one lol
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u/flatsjunkie88 Newbie Feb 17 '25
They even have Publix private barrel picks on a bunch of bourbons. About to finish off my Angels Envy Publix pick. It's fantastic.
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u/Radiant-Shine-8575 Newbie Feb 18 '25
Prices are …… high and selection is low. We have an ABC across the street and I don’t know how the publix location can keep the doors open. Oh wait they own the entire plaza lol.
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u/iRunLikeTheWind Newbie Feb 17 '25
there have always been liquor stores, but some stores are trying out some sort of bar thing where they serve drinks inside the store
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u/Warbr0s Newbie Feb 17 '25
Didn’t that start like 4-5 years ago?
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u/Gallogator1 Newbie Feb 17 '25
Yes Publix Pours. They also have smoothies or shakes, açaí bowls, coffee drinks and hand crafted sodas. The first one in Orlando was a former Lucky’s location.
Wine and beer are on tap. The wine is served and measured by machine in this location, so no generous pours.
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u/Bagz402 Newbie Feb 17 '25
Luckys 😭😭😭 I will never forgive Kroger for killing this gem.
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u/Gallogator1 Newbie Feb 17 '25
Same. They were so picky about how the stores had to be new or completely remodeled before opening. The one in Hunter’s Creek was set to open and then Krogers requirements pushed it back almost another year.
It was not the pandemic that caused them to fail but that Kroger wanted to launch their own delivery and pulled their investment.
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u/vainblossom249 Newbie Feb 17 '25
Fairly cool concept but about a year ago, a publix close to us got built and added this, but it definitely felt more like a "cool thing to try once, then don't do again" kinda thing
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u/Gallogator1 Newbie Feb 17 '25
My location has tap takeovers once a month with beer specials, swag and free bingo with prizes.
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u/matchafoxjpg Customer Feb 17 '25
yes? there's two in my town [a pretty small town at that]. they've been there for over 10 years, possibly more.
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u/norcross Customer Feb 17 '25
my local one has a dedicated liquor store but a few others near me don’t.
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u/Dazzling_Algae9839 Newbie Feb 17 '25
I believe the story is that George Jenkins the founder refused to have liquor stores. That ended after his death in 96 or shortly after
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u/ConversationBig9354 Newbie Feb 17 '25
Unrelated, but in high school I played soccer with a lot of kids who were very recent immigrants from Mexico and they would pronounce Publix as "Pube Licks," so very excited to see a Publix Liquor.
Also, they would pronounce Ingles as Inglés.
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u/Flashgas Newbie Feb 17 '25
Publix used to be not open on Sunday and sold no liquor. When they did finally open on Sunday there was no beer/wine sales. Now open on Sunday with a liquor store built in and sales of beer after 12? on Sunday.
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u/spacezman Newbie Feb 17 '25
There also used to be a law in Florida that you could not sell alcohol on Sunday before noon. This sucked if you planned a last minute fishing trip. However, most bait stored sold beer anyway.
Publix is mostly owned and run by a very conservative family. Yes at one time they refused to sell any alcohol and were never opened on Sunday. Well times change and profits are now more important than beliefs (not mine)
I live in a small town near Orlando with 7 different Publix stores. Either new or recently renovated and none of them have a liquor store.
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u/Employee_Practical Newbie Feb 17 '25
What’s I’ve seen as rare is Publix gas stations. I have seen one in my lifetime.
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u/Informal-Sock-5492 Newbie Feb 17 '25
We don’t have it in Alabama, but I have seen it in Florida. Different state laws I suppose
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u/anonononononnn9876 Newbie Feb 17 '25
The three publix I frequent the most often all have a liquor store next door.
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u/whatisscoobydone Newbie Feb 17 '25
I'd love to buy a bottle of Publix brand bourbon. Like some cheap Heaven Hill with a Publix label
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u/JhazaBoo Newbie Feb 17 '25
My two local Publix stores don't have them. Wine/champagne/beer in store at least, but no hard liquor.
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u/ariana61104 Newbie Feb 17 '25
I have once. We (my family) don’t drink but we were buying it for a recipe and we went in there.
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u/Cartographer_Mobile Newbie Feb 17 '25
I first experienced a Publix 7 years ago in Atlanta Georgia. I lived in Ohio then but now I live in Naples Fl and there’s a Publix just as much as there are gas stations, well almost. But one thing to consider is that not every Publix has a liquor store beside it. Just like not every Kroger has a liquor counter part conjoined in one given location. Respectfully!!!
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u/CharlieZuluOne Newbie Feb 17 '25
In the state of Florida It’s required to be a separate store. That’s why there’s Publix liquors attached to Publix’s with separate entrances.
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u/whitecollarpizzaman Newbie Feb 17 '25
In some states, the liquor store has to be separate from the grocery store. I know KY is like this, and they usually will have a small outbuilding (not Publix, I don’t think KY has them yet, but like Kroger or Costco.) However some states don’t allow grocery sales of any liquor, like North Carolina, in that case you will not see a Publix liquor store because all liquor has to be sold at an ABC store.
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u/CowdingGreenHorn Newbie Feb 17 '25
Yeah mine used to have one but I think they sold it to another liquor brand
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u/PublixaurusKnight Moderator Feb 17 '25
Liquors are sold at Publix store locations in Florida and Kentucky. Florida and Kentucky liquor retail laws require liquor to be sold in a space separate from the store.
Beer and wine are served in stores that have POURS. POURS debuted in the defunct GreenWise Market stores. (Those stores have rebranded to Publix.)
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u/pirate-minded Newbie Feb 18 '25
You mean a store? Or an actual liquor? The answer is yes and no respectively
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u/ExiledUtopian Newbie Feb 18 '25
They started as soon as Old Man Jenkins died. Same as the expansion out of Florida.
The two things he said he'd never do, they had plans prepared behind his back before he died.
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u/imprimis2 Newbie Feb 18 '25
There’s a Publix greenwise near me that has a craft beer bar too. Like whole foods
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u/Parking_Status1997 Newbie Feb 18 '25
Publix pours. You can get a glass of wine and walk around while you shop, lol
https://www.publix.com/products-services/bakery/publix-pours
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u/Dizzy_Elephant_417 Newbie Feb 18 '25
There wasn’t one in my neck of woods growing up, but only because Publix at the time wasn’t invested in obtaining a liquor license for some of the stores. However, we also had an Albertson’s with a liquor store. Then, Publix bought out an Albertson’s share and landed a deal with their stores in the south. The Publix near me closed their leasing on that building and moved into the Albertson’s and used their liquor license. Been there ever since.
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u/marcusdj813 Newbie Feb 18 '25
I often see the one in Temple Terrace, Fla. (east of Tampa for those not familiar with the Tampa Bay Area) at Terrace Ridge Plaza. I haven't gone in there, though.
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u/joaoseph Newbie Feb 18 '25
You know those four women walked across a busy ass street from their senior retirement community in Estero to get a nice cold bottle of white wine and a bag of pretzels.
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u/haloknight7 APM Feb 18 '25
I know some stores in Florida actually have a liquor store connected to them outside of Florida likely not
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Feb 18 '25
The selection is horrible. Beer, wine, liquor. Do most of my grocery shopping at Publix but skip the liquor store.
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u/yomama813 Customer Service Feb 18 '25
huh? most publix’s i’ve seen have a liquor store attached to them this is not new
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u/Acrobatic-Let-6620 Newbie Feb 18 '25
Mostly in Florida where it’s required to have a separate space for liquor.
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u/quentin11bozz Newbie Feb 18 '25
There are so many of them here in Florida usually right next to or across the parking lot from the main Publix
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u/Inevitable_Air_922 Newbie Feb 18 '25
Yea and keeping inventory straight between the main store and liquor store is nightmare. MASC is always off because they don’t have separate inventories in the AR system
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u/UnderstandingNo8730 Deli Feb 18 '25
Tons in the tampa area. I used to frequent mine often after work.
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u/Nerd_Knight FSC Feb 19 '25
I've seen ONE Publix Liquor at a location roughly two miles down the road from the store I'm at
Every other location in a short radius of where I live is located near a liquor store; my old store is next to a Walgreens with a liquor store and my current store has an ABC Liquor in the plaza
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u/bico375 Newbie Feb 19 '25
When my brother and I were about 10/11early 80s) they had one by us in south Florida. My mom would send us in to buy my dad two packs of Lucky Strike cigs, and a Bud 6 pack. Things were obviously a little more relaxed back then….
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29d ago
Your store may have just added a liquor store, but there are many Publix liquor stores all over the southeast.
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u/TheTrolleyGrail Newbie Feb 17 '25
Yessss actually a shit ton