What's up with "Publix doesn't have good selection?" (Heathrow: store, Whole Foods)

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by boy3365

This may seem strange to some, but the recently remodeled Winn-Dixie stores really upped their prepared food game. I went to the one to Apopka a while ago and I thought I was in the wrong store. I swung in there to pick up something for a party I was attending in the area, and a part of me wanted to get dinner there and forget the party. There was so much. It's just too bad that the Bi-Lo acquisition stopped the plans to remodel more. I think Apopka and 434 Longwood are the only remodeled ones in the area. There are none on my side of town. :-(

I thought the plans to remodel were simply delayed? The new stores would give Publix a run for their money if they would follow through, not to mention if they were to do the same with the acquisition of the Sweetbay stores along the west coast.

[EditorJul]

Originally Posted by boy3365

Moral of the Story: Nothing is as good as it is where we are from. Nostalgia at work. That's why I don't order sweet tea. Yes. Even here. :-)

True 'nuff. Although since the only thing I've found that is worse than where I lived prior is grocery shopping, I will gladly go through the lower quality/selection groceries and have everything better than before.

Making a trek to the NE this week to hit Wegman's, and will come up with a list of things I can't get in FL to stockpile. Most of it is specialty items (chip nuts, Berger cookies, Cheerwine BBQ sauce, and so on), plus a few other "normal" groceries that are not available down south (chow mein noodles). But after doing grocery shopping in the Tidewater, Virginia area today, I will never, ever, ever complain about the selection in Florida!

[boy3365]

Speaking of renovated Winn-Dixie stores, here are pictures from their Facebook page for a renovation they just completed in Fleming Island, FL near Jacksonville.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...3364626&type=1

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by boy3365

Speaking of renovated Winn-Dixie stores, here are pictures from their Facebook page for a renovation they just completed in Fleming Island, FL near Jacksonville.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...3364626&type=1

The WD close to my house in Palm Bay looks like that, too............until you get to the shelves of food and the meat department. They moved the old shelves over to make room for the fancy wood floor areas and you can see where they used to be. They never did anything with the floors or old shelves etc. from the 25-30 year old building. So the gray ugly floors and old discolored shelves makes it seem not clean. Looks good from the outside with the fancy windows they added and in the produce/liquor/ and deli section and the rest is depressing. Still have a lot of out dated food on the shelves and meat is more expensive than Publix unless WD has it BOGO.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Rabflmom

The WD close to my house in Palm Bay looks like that, too............until you get to the shelves of food and the meat department. They moved the old shelves over to make room for the fancy wood floor areas and you can see where they used to be. They never did anything with the floors or old shelves etc. from the 25-30 year old building. So the gray ugly floors and old discolored shelves makes it seem not clean. Looks good from the outside with the fancy windows they added and in the produce/liquor/ and deli section and the rest is depressing. Still have a lot of out dated food on the shelves and meat is more expensive than Publix unless WD has it BOGO.

Sounds like they're not too sure about staying with that location. The remodels have largely been total gut jobs otherwise.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

Sounds like they're not too sure about staying with that location. The remodels have largely been total gut jobs otherwise.

I think the money ran out when they filed bankruptcy. I do not think they will be closing unless the corp closes. they have been at the same location for 25 years. I think it is the only 1 here that got the remodel.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by Rabflmom

I think the money ran out when they filed bankruptcy. I do not think they will be closing unless the corp closes. they have been at the same location for 25 years. I think it is the only 1 here that got the remodel.

They won't be closing since Bi-LO bought them out. Hopefully they'll continue the remodel.

[Rabflmom]

Originally Posted by kyle19125

They won't be closing since Bi-LO bought them out. Hopefully they'll continue the remodel.

When you walk in it is all bright,new, and fancy with all the food stations that look and smell so good, get to the back of the store and make a left turn it is like walking into a dungeon or different world. Even just applying a paint job on the concrete floors would be an improvement.

[boy3365]

So, I checked out the Dr. Phillips Whole Foods. Yikes. That's a huge deli.

Eating out at the grocery store is still a little foreign to me, but what they had looked very appetizing.

[kyle19125]

Originally Posted by boy3365

So, I checked out the Dr. Phillips Whole Foods. Yikes. That's a huge deli.

Eating out at the grocery store is still a little foreign to me, but what they had looked very appetizing.

That's a unique situation for a Whole Foods in terms of the size of their Prepared Foods area, and no doubt due to the tourist factor. I have been in many over the years and don't recall any more than half that size.