Shoppers heading to Publix at Key Largo’s Tradewinds Plaza on Feb. 15 were delighted to find a newer — and larger — grocery store open for business. A ribbon-cutting just before 7 a.m. with store employees and local business leaders marked the beginning for the newest Publix supermarket in Florida.
Kmart’s closure on May 24, 2021 presented an opportunity for Publix, which formerly operated out of roughly 46,000 square feet of space toward the front of the Tradewinds Plaza. By June 2021, Publix announced the move to the back of the plaza where Kmart had been.
Publix’s newest store in the Keys features a seating area for customers to enjoy coffee or lunch, as well as larger and refreshed grocery, dairy, seafood, frozen food, meat and produce, bakery and deli sections. The store also has a pharmacy with a drive-through option.
“We are excited to welcome our customers to their new store at Tradewinds Plaza and look forward to providing them with the premier service and quality Publix is known for,” said Lindsey Willis, Publix media relations manager, in a statement.
Publix provides contactless pay options and convenient services, like grocery delivery via Instacart, and pharmacy delivery. The store will also feature a centralized, online-order, pick-up option at the storefront.
Space left by Publix at the front of the plaza will be occupied by a pair of clothing stores. That’s according to Kimco Realty, a real investment trust and North America’s largest owner and operator of grocery-anchored shopping centers. Burlington and TJ Maxx will each occupy roughly 23,000 square feet of space where Publix formerly operated. It’s unknown when they’ll open.
