Yalianys Roque, “Yali” for short, was 13 when her family moved from Cuba to Marathon. She was 15 when she started working at Publix after school, on weekends and every summer.
“I was a bagger, a cashier, a pharmacy technician and customer service associate. Then I started management training when I was 22,” said Roque, 37, who is now customer service manager at the Key Plaza location in Key West. But she has worked at every Publix throughout the Keys.
“This company is all I know,” she said laughing. “It takes care of its workers, its customers and our communities.”
Never has that commitment been more evident than after a hurricane and during this pandemic. Anyone who stayed in the Florida Keys for Hurricane Irma recalls with a lump in their throat the reassuring sight of a stocked Publix truck making its way down U.S. 1.
And in March 2020, almost overnight, the world changed. Customers had to be masked and separated. Supply shortages necessitated purchase limits to ensure that as many people as possible could buy toilet paper, paper towels or Clorox wipes. Shopping carts and touch-points had to be sanitized hourly. Stickers were added to the floor to ensure social distancing. The store offered early hours for senior shoppers and curbside grocery pickup for everyone.
The CDC’s safety guidelines seemed to change hourly, with Roque and her associates constantly adjusting their protocols and policies.
“My top priority is always to make sure our associates are providing the best service and shopping experience to our customers, and yes, there have been challenges during the pandemic, but so many people have been so appreciative of our efforts, it’s been so gratifying to be a part of it.”