The city issued a permit Oct. 21 for Elkins Construction LLC to renovate the Publix Super Markets Inc. store in Mandarin at a project cost of $1.2 million.
Jacksonville-based Elkins will renovate the almost 65,000-square-foot store, one of Publix’s largest, on 5.83 acres at 10500 San Jose Blvd. at northwest San Jose Boulevard and Interstate 295. Jacobs of Orlando is the architect.
Most Publix stores are 40,000 to 60,000 square feet.
The San Jose Boulevard supermarket was built in 1988 as an Albertsons grocery store, which closed in 2005.
Lakeland-based Publix renovated it and opened there in 2006 and has remodeled it since then.
Publix operates the supermarket and pharmacy and a separate Publix Liquors there.
The company previously featured an Aprons Cooking School and adjacent community room on the south end, behind the liquor store.
Publix closed the cooking school in summer 2023 but continues to offer videos and recipes online.
While plans did not indicate whether the Aprons school or adjacent community room will be renovated for other use, Publix spokesperson Hannah Herring said Aug. 28 that the space “will be left for future business consideration, but not a cooking school.”
The store renovations will include adding a self-checkout corral and reducing the number of full-service checkout stands from nine to six. The adjacent customer service center will be remodeled.
Plans show new coolers and freezers; updated restrooms; and renovated deli, bakery, produce, floral, meat and seafood departments.
The liquor store also is being renovated.
Publix typically keeps its stores open during renovations.
Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons sold the property in 2005 to a Clearwater investor who then sold it in 2006 to 375 Woodcliff Drive Company LLC of DeWitt, New York.
Publix is next to a Target store.
Aprons and catering
The GroceryDive.com industry news site reported Aug. 4, 2023, that Publix ceased operations of its in-store Aprons Cooking School locations on July 31, 2023, but would continue its online cooking classes.
The site said the Aprons Cooking School operated at 11 Publix stores in Georgia, Virginia and Florida. Classes sold out on a first-come, first-served basis and featured demonstrations from Publix Aprons chefs.
The Aprons Cooking School’s virtual classes and recipes are free and available online.
Publix also discontinued its full-service catering, which included delivery service and setup.
Publix continues to offer appetizers, sandwich platters, deli meats, desserts and more for in-store pickup or delivery through Instacart.
The Aprons Cooking School’s virtual classes and recipes are free and available online.
Publix projects
Among its recent projects, Publix is:
• Demolishing and rebuilding its store at the Deerwood Village shopping center.
• Operating a rebuilt store that recently opened in Harbour Place Shopping Center.
• Renovating in Duval Station Centre in North Jacksonville and Cobblestone Crossing in the Fort Caroline area of East Arlington.
• Preparing to develop a store in the Nocatee West shopping center.
• Preparing plans for a store in the St. Johns County master-planned community of Silverleaf.
The Shelby Report of the Southeast supermarket trade publication reported in June that Publix Super Markets Inc. leads with 35.7% of the grocery market share in the North Florida/South Georgia region, followed by Walmart Inc., at 26.6%, and Winn-Dixie at almost 17%.