Publix #287 - Riverwalk Shopping Center - Sebastian, FL

Publix #287

13435 US Highway 1, Sebastian, FL - Riverwalk Shopping Center

     I'm going to start today's post with a new edition of "Confessions of a Floridian Retail Blogger". Being a Floridian, you guys probably think I spend a lot of time shopping at Publix, the ubiquitous Floridian grocery chain. In a way I do find myself at Publix a lot, as I've been to 175 Publix stores (so far) in my travels, but (and here's where the confession part come in) I actually don't go to Publix very often for my regular grocery shopping. (Gasp! Call the National Enquirer on this one!) Most of my time going to Publix is while on road trips, really. Besides to grab a Pub Sub or something that happens to be on sale in any given week, I really don't shop at Publix much. I'm actually an Aldi guy, and anything I can't get at Aldi I'll end up getting at either Target or Winn-Dixie. (Gasp! Winn-Dixie! This is front page National Enquirer stuff now!) Winn-Dixie has really won me over recently with their renewed stores and rewards program, much to Publix's dismay (and I come from a family of Publix devotees too). However, I have nothing against Publix. Publix runs good stores and offers good quality product, and they know their niche, but they're just pricey, and I'm cheap. I live less than a mile away from a Publix, but I've found myself driving further out to other stores more often recently. So, what does all that have to do with today's post, you ask? Well, when I do find myself with the urge to do a decent Publix run, I have plenty of options locally to do just that. However, while I can be at a Publix in less than a mile, if I have the time, I'd rather make the 20 mile excursion to my favorite Publix to shop at - Publix #287 in Sebastian.

     Publix #287 is a quaint 1980's Publix store, which opened on November 21, 1985. Publix serves as the major anchor to this classic 1980's Publix community shopping center, with a Walgreens opening alongside it as the plaza's junior anchor. I have a soft spot for these classic 1980's Publix anchored shopping centers, as there's just something about the architecture and design of them that always struck me as interesting, probably stemming back to my time observing (the quite depressing now) St. Lucie Square in my younger days. While the facade details are different, both St. Lucie Square and Riverwalk Shopping Center share similar design features, although Riverwalk is much livelier and better cared for in the present. Since I like the aesthetic of this shopping center, and the aesthetic of older Publix stores in general, I don't mind making the journey down here for my Publix shopping needs when time allows (and the drive along the river on US 1 in far Southern Brevard County is quite scenic too).

     Besides the paint scheme, the exterior of the shopping center hasn't been changed since it opened in 1985. The interior has been updated through the years accordingly, but still retains a classic Publix feel. Publix #287 has never been expanded or heavily altered in any way during all the interior renovations it has received, so the departments are still in their original locations as well.

     Entering from the left side doors, here's a look across the store's entry vestibule. Having opened in 1985, I'm a bit torn about the vestibule being original or not. Publix #287 opened in the period when the company was transitioning from the classic concave style entryway to the single vestibule design like this, with many concave entryway stores later remodeled to include a similar vestibule. Sometimes there were quite obvious clues that the vestibule was a later addition, and other times the addition of the vestibule was practically seamless. The fact this store has an interior set of doors (which is not a common thing to see) seems to suggest the vestibule was a later addition, but I can't say for sure.

     Stepping inside, we turn to the right to be greeted by the usual display of weekly promotional items and BOGO tables. Greeting cards are tucked into a small aisle that runs along the building's front wall, with the service desk located straight ahead in the store's front right corner.

     Rounding the corner are more BOGO dump bins, and the "Publix Apple" sign comes into view. The apple sign is usually placed prominently along the front wall in front of the check lanes, but in these older stores, that decor piece just got stuffed wherever there was room, like we see here.

     As typical of a Publix from this era, dairy runs along the right side wall in aisle 1, with juices and other drinks on the opposite side.

     In the back right corner, we get a closer look at something the store's Sienna/Classy Market 3.0 paint scheme tries to unsuccessfully hide: some wall paneling from the decor package this store opened with in 1985! Throughout most of this store, that paneling can still be seen, just painted over in the browns and greens of the current decor. Since Publix can be pretty thorough with remodels, it's always fun when I pop into an older Publix store and see the painted over original paneling on the walls like this. For a general idea of what the interior of this store would have looked like shortly after it opened in 1985, this YouTube video gives some nice overviews of the 1980's Publix decor (that video filmed inside Publix #246 in Deerfield Beach, in case you were curious). It's amazing how different these stores look and feel now after a number of remodels!

     Looking across the back of the store from the back right corner, we find the deli department straight ahead.

     As usual in these 1980's build Publix stores, the deli is located along the back wall in a small alcove, under the distinctive lower ceiling. We'll return to the deli for a closer look in just a moment, but first, let's jump back up front for a moment:

     A bit of an abrupt transition here jumping from the back of the store to the front, but I didn't have any more graceful way to do so! While the previous photo looked across the entirety of the back wall, this one is of a similar perspective, just looking across the front of the store instead. From this perspective we can see the front lanes, along with a really interesting relic from decor packages past. Over the check lanes is a decorative metal structure that dates back to the Wavy Pastel days. In more deluxe Wavy Pastel builds, these metal structures were used to hang overhead check lane lights from. I'd imagine these structures held a similar purpose in remodeled stores, but I never encountered one of these metal structures myself until well after most of these stores would have remodeled away from Wavy Pastel. The structure could have been purely decorative in this store, but regardless, it's still a Wavy Pastel remnant! Sadly, even though the metal structure survived this store's early Sienna/Classy Market 3.0 remodel, it was later removed. The pictures in today's post were taken in 2017, and according to photos on Google, the structure was removed by early 2018. I must have captured this decor relic shortly before it was removed for good, so in a rare victory, timing worked in my favor on this one!

     I'm a bit surprised Publix bothered to remove the metal structure over the check lanes as a special project, and didn't wait until this store remodeled again. Not only is the structure big, it had electrical wiring running to it as well for the lights, so it seems like something that would be a bit complicated to remove.

     Leaving the front end, we'll turn down this aisle as we work our way back toward the deli department. Along the border of the ceiling transition we find more original (albeit painted over) 1980's paneling, which would have looked like this when the store first opened.

     Finding ourselves in the back of the store again, we return to the deli for a closer look:

     While most of Publix's stores from this era had a deli department of a similar design to this, there is one major oddity to the deli in this store. See it? If you don't, use this picture of the more common scene you'd encounter as a hint, or just jump ahead to the next paragraph for the answer.

     So what's the oddity about the deli here? Well, you just have to look up! The entire ceiling of the deli alcove is a giant paneled light fixture, which really brightens up the alcove. That design is most certainly original (as lights like this are very 1980's), and I can't help but wonder if most Publix stores from this era had similar light fixtures in their delis which were swapped out with modernized fixtures (like this) in later remodels. While I've been to a lot of Publix stores (especially older ones) in my travels, #287 is the only one I can remember having the paneled light fixture like this over the deli alcove.

     So the deli light is a rather neat relic from the past that Publix #287 happened to retain, and just adds to the retro charm of this store (even if most of that charm is masked behind some Sienna/Classy Market 3.0 era upgrades). Moving along, we find ourselves in aisle 4, home to baby items, stationary, and some health and beauty products. This store doesn't have a pharmacy, so the pharmacy-related products are housed in these early aisles (as Publix typically does in older stores that lack a pharmacy)

     Popping up front again, here's another look across the front end, with the bakery off in the distance.

     Publix always has the most perfectly faced cereal aisles.

     Beyond the deli alcove, the back wall transitions into the meat department, with the seafood counter off in the distance where the brown wall paint switches to green.

     The deli alcove again, as seen from meats.

     Getting closer to the left side of the store, we find chips and soda...

     ...as well as the classic combo of PB&J and wine. The next time I'm at one of Publix's fancy prototype stores, I'll have to ask the wine attendant for their recommendation on what wine pairs best with a PB&J sandwich. I've been getting a lot of weird looks from people at work when I break out the bottle of Merlot with my PB&J sandwich at lunch, so maybe I should be drinking a white wine with my PB&J sandwich instead.

     This store's last two aisles (numbers 13 and 14) are home to frozen foods, although a portion of aisle 13 is home to the beer coolers as well.

     Looking across the back wall from the back left corner, the Seafood service counter is to my left, with the produce alcove behind me.

     Turning around from the vantage point of that last photo, here's produce in all of its glory.

     While it's most common for Publix to arrange the produce displays perpendicular to the main aisles in stores from this same era, this store chose to arrange the tables parallel to the main aisles. I have no idea why this arrangement was chosen over the other, but it adds to this store's uniqueness and charm.

     Leaving produce, we take a look down aisle 14, the store's last aisle and home to the remainder of frozen foods.

     At the end of aisle 14, in the store's front left corner, is the bakery alcove. The bakery counter is located along the left wall, with ice cream freezers wrapping around the other two walls of the alcove.

     Intertwining the ice cream coolers with the bakery department is a very classic Publix thing, and something I've never seen another supermarket do. However, this arrangement makes a lot of sense, as cake and ice cream makes for a great pairing! (Not as good of a pairing as PB&J and wine, but it's close!)

     Here's another look toward the bakery counter as we begin to wrap up our tour of Publix #287.

     Here's one last look at the check lanes, with the exit doors straight ahead.

     "Thank you for shopping Publix" it says on that bulkhead over the doors. One nice thing about this store is all the windows along the front end, which let in a lot of natural light. The later split vestibule stores removed all the natural light provided by the original single vestibule design, but allowed the customer service desk to be placed in a more natural location in front of the check lanes, and not over in the corner like it is here.

     Here's one last look at Publix's facade, another classic example of a mid-late 1980's Publix design.

     While we're here, we'll take a quick look at the adjoining Riverwalk Shopping Center too, since the shopping center is another large portion of the main Publix store's overall aesthetic. The shopping center carries over the design of the main Publix store, zig-zagging is way toward the former Walgreens junior anchor:

     The former Walgreens is also of their classic 1980's shopping center design, standing out from the rest of the plaza with its tall facade.

     Walgreens moved to a freestanding location across the street from Riverwalk Shopping Center in 1998, with the former space now home to a Goodwill store. Goodwill combined the main Walgreens space with the space of their former attached liquor store next door, increasing the size of the salesfloor. It's always nice to stroll around the Goodwill store after popping into Publix, so let's head inside for a quick look around:

     Inside, Goodwill removed most traces from Walgreens, probably a result of the work done when combining the main store space with that of the former liquor store next door. This Goodwill store is operated by Gulfstream Goodwill, who is the Goodwill operator that runs out of West Palm Beach. Gulfstream Goodwill runs all the Goodwill stores in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River, and Okeechobee Counties, and this location in Sebastian happens to be their northernmost outpost, less than a mile from the Brevard County line (where Goodwill of Central Florida's territory begins).

     I only took two photos inside this particular Goodwill location, since there wasn't anything too exciting to see. The decor we see in here is the decor Gulfstream Goodwill used for years, only switching their decor recently to a new design. We'll be seeing more from Gulfstream Goodwill in the future, of stores with both the new and old decor designs. One nice thing about Gulfstream Goodwill is like Goodwill of Central Florida, these stores sell 95% donated goods like a normal thrift store, unlike their west coast counterparts that sell a disproportionate amount of new items in addition to the donated goods.

     We'll finish out this post with one final look toward the plaza's Publix store, a classic Publix in a classic Publix anchored community shopping center. As my favorite of all the Publix stores in the area, I hope this store pulls through and remodels to Evergreen instead of getting flattened, but the fact this location is tiny and lacks a pharmacy isn't helping its case any. Even though this isn't the most modern Publix out there, it's a nice step back into a simpler time in the company's history, and I don't mind driving out here from time to time to experience that. So even though there may be a scandalous picture of me in a Winn-Dixie on the cover of next week's National Enquirer, I'll always have a soft spot for these older Publix stores (and those addictive chicken tender Pub Subs). I like having a little supermarket variety in my life, even if some of that variety comes from a brand new Winn-Dixie and a really old Publix!

     Anyway, next time in "Confessions of a Floridian Retail Blogger" we'll talk more about my PB&J and wine problem, but until then, more adventures through the retail and supermarkets of Florida coming your way soon!

So until the next post,

AFB