GTB Area Retail Blog

(Post first updated on September 1, 2024 with additional information courtesy of  the Albertsons Florida Blog , then on October 17, 2025, November 14, 2025, and December 31, 2025) Food World #715/Publix #356/Publix #2043 4730 S. Florida Ave, Lakeland, FL - Lake Miriam Square Originally opened on November 15, 1977 as Publix's discount grocery store called Food World, not to be confused with the former Alabama-based Bruno's chain of the same name. This store was Publix's largest at 58,880 square feet upon opening and was also their first store to feature barcode scanning at the checkouts. In 1988, Publix retired the Food World name, and this location became Publix #356. A pharmacy was added during a late 2004/early 2005 remodel to the Kiwi Environment Package, and then received a deluxe Sienna Environment Package remodel from late 2012 to early 2013 along with the addition of a cooking school (closed on August 31, 2023), followed by a Sienna Lite refresh in 2018. This store c...

Lakeland, Florida is home to the current headquarters of Publix and the 24-mile-long Polk Parkway toll road. Today's post will be about Publix #356, a store that once started as a Food World. Food World #715/Publix #356 4730 S. Florida Ave, Lakeland, FL - Lake Miriam Square Opened on November 18, 1977 as Food World #715, a discount grocery store that was once operated by Publix. The store was 57,000 square feet, and was the largest store operated by Publix and in the southeast. Food World was retired in 1988 and became Publix #356. You are now seeing the right side enter door to Publix #356. These photos were taken in October 2017, because there is an advertisement for Universal's Halloween Horror Nights 27. Welcome to Publix! Added in 2012 is this Publix Aprons Event Planning station, along with the cooking school. The store's customer service desk. The placement of dairy is in aisle 1, common in older Publix stores like these. ...