Publix Perfects Urban Cool in Florida: EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS

Publix Supermarkets' newest store in Florida may not have much of the grocer's signature green logos or wide aisles, but it certainly has lots of features that are tailor-made for urban dwellers looking to slurp an acai bowl while posing for a Tik Tok.

The grocery chain has opened its latest GreenWise Market, a natural format that caters to hipsters, in a transformational development in downtown Tampa called Water Street Tampa. The 26,000-square-foot store at 555 Channelside Drive is the anchor retail tenant at Heron, the first apartment tower to open at Water Street Tampa, the $3.5 billion downtown development from Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and Bill Gates’s Cascade Investment Group. 

The new GreenWise is the second of the company’s GreenWise stores to be located in a high-rise, multi-use building. Above the store are two towers of apartment living and a parking garage. The apartment dwellers above will enjoy a separate entrance to the store.

“So many exciting things are happening in downtown Tampa, and we are pleased to be part of that,” said Publix President Kevin Murphy. “Our curated mix of high-quality specialty make-at-home and grab & go items will add a level of convenience for residents and visitors looking for easy meal solutions as they enjoy the events and activities available in the surrounding area.”

Publix's GreenWise Market in Tampa offers a variety of organic groceries, familiar favorites, house-made specialties and more for health-conscious and gourmet foodies alike. But the store also includes locally curated items and experience zones with products for any occasion. For grab & go options (like those acai bowls for Tik Tok), customers can visit POURS and EATS. The menu at POURS includes kombucha on tap, craft beer, locally-sourced coffee and even a key lime pie frappe. At EATS, shoppers can choose from Asian, Middle Eastern or Tex-Mex bowls, organic pizza by the slice, chicken sausage rigatoni, and catering platters full of brookies or mezze.

Gourmet cheese, olives, cured meats and wine pairings from around the globe can be found in FINDS, some of which are locally sourced. More options to cook at home can be found in CUTS, a full-service meat and seafood department. Behind the glass case, shoppers can find Key West Pink Shrimp, in-house smoked Cowboy Bacon, in-house made blueberry maple sausage, and a variety of beef cuts.

Fresh PRODUCE is at the perimeter, lots of grab-and-go and value-added ready to cook items.

Customers may also sign up for Publix GreenWise Market Rewards to receive personalized offers. 

The Tampa GreenWise Market features a mural by local artist Leon Bedore, also known as Tes One. The mural reflects the vibrant vibe of downtown Tampa through its vivid colors and modern shapes.

The store will be connected to the district cooling system located in Tampa’s Water Street neighborhood. The chilled water from the cooling system provides improved energy efficiency and better stability for the air-conditioning and refrigeration systems. This will be the second time Publix has connected to a district cooling system for air-conditioning needs but the first time for refrigeration.

One of the largest active downtown real estate developments in the United States, Water Street Tampa is a multi-phased, mixed-use community that will include more than 9 million square feet of commercial, residential, hospitality, educational, entertainment, cultural and retail space. Upon its completion, Water Street Tampa will welcome over 23,000 residents, workers and visitors every day.

With the Tampa store, Publix now has nine GreenWise locations. A tenth is planned for St. Augustine, Fla.

See the gallery below for more features of the new Tampa GreenWise.

Privately owned and operated by its more than 200,000 employees, Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix has  over 1,200 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The grocer opened a new store concept in Tampa in December. The company is No. 11 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.