After 432 Days, Amelia Island Gets Its Publix Back — And It's Unlike Any Grocery Store You've Seen

By Mike Lednovich/Editor

FERNANDINA BEACH — For 432 days, Amelia Island residents adapted. Some drove six miles to Yulee several times a week. Others switched to Harris Teeter.

Prescriptions were transferred. Neighboring businesses at Island Walk Shopping Center worried about lost foot traffic. The familiar rhythm of stopping at Publix on the way home disappeared.

On Thursday morning, that wait ends.

But customers returning to the Island Walk Publix won't simply find the grocery store they left behind in April 2025. They'll walk into one of Publix's newest prototype stores — a supermarket designed to function as a grocery, restaurant, coffee shop and neighborhood gathering place.

"This is a really special Publix," said Hannah Herring, Publix media relations manager, during a media preview. "The next closest one like this we just recently opened in St. Augustine."

The reopening closes the chapter on one of the biggest retail disruptions Fernandina Beach has experienced in years. When Publix announced it would demolish the nearly 40-year-old store, many assumed it would be a routine remodel. Instead, the company razed the 1987 building and constructed an entirely new prototype after determining the aging structure had reached the point where rebuilding made more sense than continued renovations.

Publix hopes the replacement will become an even stronger anchor for Island Walk. A supermarket designed for lingering. Perhaps the biggest philosophical change is that Publix no longer expects customers simply to shop and leave.

"You can grab a drink and sip while you shop," Herring said. "Or grab dinner or lunch and just kind of hang out."

At the center of that strategy is Pours, a beverage venue offering espresso drinks, smoothies, acai bowls, craft sodas, beer and wine. Coffee is served in the morning, smoothies throughout the day and beer and wine into the evening.

"It's a fun place for folks to come for a happy hour after work too," Herring said.

To celebrate opening weekend and America's 250th anniversary, all draft beers will sell for $2.50 Friday and Saturday.

The new Publix has reinvented its deli.

Rather than a traditional deli counter, the new Publix features what resembles a contemporary food hall. Fresh pizzas emerge from a live oven while nearby stations prepare ramen, poke bowls, rice bowls, burritos, pasta bowls and gourmet sandwich melts.

"So truly, you can come and have lunch or dinner here, and there's something for everybody," Herring said. "Everyone in the family doesn't have to have the same thing."

An expanded salad bar and hot bar complete the experience.

"We really want it to be more of an experience," Herring said. "That's what we know customers are looking for."

The Publix bakery has become theater.

Bakery manager Karen Bianchini said the bakery was intentionally moved from the corner of the old store into the spotlight.

"You walk in and you've got this huge open atmosphere," she said. "The spotlight is on the bakery."

Two decorator windows allow shoppers to watch cakes being decorated throughout the day while fresh breads and pastries are baked on-site.

A digital ordering kiosk allows customers to design cakes in-store or by scanning a QR code with a smartphone while continuing to shop.

Herring described the beverage venue and bakery concepts as offerings available in only a limited number of Publix stores.

And, Publix added an upstairs café.

A staircase and elevator lead to a spacious café overlooking the sales floor.

"It's got a great view of the whole store," Herring said. "We've got plug-ins if you bring your laptop and work for a little while."

The upstairs space reinforces Publix's goal of creating a neighborhood gathering place rather than simply a supermarket.

Publix has designed customer convenience everywhere.

The redesigned layout groups produce, bakery and deli together as a ready-to-eat destination while meat and seafood remain toward the rear for traditional grocery shopping.

Prepared foods, ready-to-cook meals, GreenWise specialty sausages, produce snack boxes and grab-and-go options appear throughout the store.

Wait there's more.

Nearby sits a dedicated gourmet popcorn station featuring bags of cheddar, caramel, dill pickle and Oreo flavors popped fresh.

The first 1,000 customers Thursday will receive a surprise gift. Samples will be offered throughout the store, reusable shopping bags will be distributed and hiring continues for deli, produce and customer service positions. Herring said shortening construction without sacrificing quality was a priority.

"We know customers have been anxious to get their Publix back," Herring said. "Any time we can shorten the building timeline, we certainly want to do that. But we also want to make sure we're not cutting any corners."

For Fernandina Beach, Thursday is more than a ribbon cutting. It marks the return of one of the city's most important commercial anchors and introduces a grocery experience unlike anything residents have previously had on Amelia Island.