As published in South Florida Sun Sentinel by Doreen Christensen // View Article.
Publix is bringing the party to Boca Raton with a new organic GreenWise Market, opening Thursday. And there’s a bar!
The re-imagined concept is the first to debut in South Florida. It features multiple “experience zones” — from craft brews to wood-fired pizzas — and is squarely aimed at foodies and health-conscious customers.
The new store, at 8210 Glades Road, is a mashup of Whole Foods and Lucky’s Market, with a wide selection of organic, specialty and traditional grocery items. It will employ 120 full- and part-time workers, said Publix spokeswoman Nicole Krauss.
The old GreenWise Market on St. Andrews Boulevard, which opened in 2007, has transitioned to a regular Publix, Krauss said.
The 25,000-square-foot store will open at 7 a.m. Thursday, offering customers free food samples and reusable grocery bags. Store hours are 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Publix will also simultaneously open another GreenWise Market in Lakeland, where the company is headquartered, on Thursday. A second South Florida GreenWise Market is under construction in Fort Lauderdale on East Las Olas Boulevard and is set to open in late 2020. The first GreenWise 2.0 in Florida opened in Tallahassee in late 2018.
Lakeland is our hometown, and Boca Raton was home to a former Publix GreenWise Market prototype until earlier this month,” said Publix President Kevin Murphy in a news release. “Our customers in these communities have been excited to see the difference between what they’ve come to know about us and what we’ve created for them. Our teams are looking forward to sharing this new experience with everyone who comes through our doors.
Now, back to the bar.
As customers enter the store, they can belly up to the POUR bar and grab one of 10 local craft beers or five wines on tap, or grab a kombucha or nitro cold brew coffee, also on tap. Cups conveniently fit in smart carts that also have a special slot just for smartphones and a hook for purses and packages. Pours cost $5-$7.
There also are indoor and outdoor seating areas.
Brews for sale include Funky Buddha’s Last Snow and Barrel of Monks Father Christmas Spiced beer. There also are GreenWise growlers for sale for $4. Fill ’em up for $9-$17.
Customers can sip beverages while exploring and sampling food items as they roll through each area.
Taking center stage overlooking the checkout area is a large-scale, four panel mosaic by Boca Raton artist Ellen Burr. The colorful, free-form mural represents the area’s outdoor lifestyle of sun, sky, grass and ocean waves.
The EATS zone has a wood-fired pizza parlor selling slices, a large salad bar with 10 prepared soups, and a deli making artisan sandwiches. The deli also smokes pork, chicken, turkey and brisket in-house.
The CUTS department features meat and seafood. Six types of bacon are sold along with 17 house-made sausages. Sustainably sourced seafood and shellfish can be baked, broiled or smoked to order in the Turbo Chef oven.
The FINDS department is devoted to a wide selection of artisanal cheeses. Customers can get half-ounce samples of four wines offered each week that are on sale. The store carries a large selection of unusual beers and wines, as well.
Customers can also sign up for the free rewards program and get a $5 off-coupon for joining, among other perks and freebies at Greenwisemarket.com/rewards.
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To celebrate the opening at Lakeside Centre, GreenWise held a ribbon cutting ceremony with festivities all day long during the opening event. As Publix’s first niche concept location to open in Southeast Florida, GreenWise Market will distinguish themselves from other locations with a new product offering, prepared foods, coffee and beer bar, store layout and experience.
“Lakeside Centre serves as a dynamic canvas for our retail partners, many of whom are launching their businesses here or are expanding for the first time to the Florida market. Boca Raton is a vibrant market that continues to grow, and bringing a wellness and lifestyle-focused retail offering will allow us to further engage and encourage this community to feel invested in spending their time here.” – Nicole Shiman, EDENS Vice President
Take a peek inside GreenWise and at highlights from this morning’s grand opening event:
Canvas