MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Buckle up, Publix fans!
The chain is gearing up to open a new prototype store near Miami, and it’s going to have a few interesting features to help draw in customers.
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According to a Publix spokeswoman, the upcoming store is located at the Briar Bay Shopping Plaza strip mall (13005 SW 89th Place), and it will span over 53,000 square feet once finished.
But perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of this location is the fact that it takes up two whole stories.
“There will also be a parking garage on the first floor, and the main store will be located on the second floor,” Publix representative Lindsey Willis told News 6. “This location will also have a liquor store on the ground level with the parking garage.”
In addition, this Publix store is set to offer a seating area on the second floor where guests can sit and eat, making the deli a great option to stop by for a quick bite.
According to the Miami Herald, the shopping plaza was bought by Publix in 2015 for over $16 million, though the store was shuttered as demolition on the mall began in 2022.
After construction finishes, though, the newly renovated Publix store (over 20,000 square feet larger than the previous one) will reportedly serve as the mall’s main anchor.
While no opening date has been released at this time for the upcoming Miami location, Publix has announced an opening date for a new store closer to Central Florida.
That store is scheduled open on Dec. 5 in Palm Bay at the Shoppes at Cypress Bay (9179 Babcock Street). Like the upcoming Miami location, this Publix store is set to feature a second-story indoor seating area for customers.
However, the store — like many others in the state — will be lacking a key component that customers can find at other stores: namely, the chain’s signature Publix scales.
These scales date back to 1930, when the first Publix store was opened in Florida. In the chain’s early years, it decided to make these scales free for customers to use — something that typically required money during this time because people didn’t have scales in their homes.
“Our founder, having the vision to be a customer service expert, he thought having scales in the store without having our customers pay for it would be a treat — and it was,” said Dwaine Stevens, who worked for Publix for around four decades.
However, customers won’t find any scales in Publix stores outside of Florida and Georgia. And that’s because there are only a few left.
Publix officials told News 6 that the scales’ manufacturer — Mettler Toledo — stopped making them a few years ago.
“The manufacturer ceased production in 2015, meaning that one day — although our wonderful repair shop keeps our remaining machines in great shape — the last Publix scale will retire,” Publix wrote. “When scales are taken out of a store, they go for a spruce-up in our repair shop. They could wind up going to another store, or they may be held for parts to utilize in other scales.”
As a result, these scales won’t be coming to new Florida stores, the company explained.
Publix bought up as many of these scales as it could before Mettler Toledo stopped production, and the remaining scales are kept in stores or at a warehouse in Lakeland.
The main technician at the warehouse said the scales last quite a long time. He worked on one that was built in 1971.
The technician uses a Publix People Weigher Repair handbook. He said there are all types of repair issues, like when children swing on the arms and treat them like playground equipment.
A Publix manager said the second most common reason people use the scales is to weigh their luggage on the way to the airport. That way they can know if it’s too heavy before checking it with the airline.
According to Publix, the scales will stay in the Florida stores as long as the technicians can keep them operational.
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