ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – SilverLeaf in St. Johns County is one of the fastest-growing communities in the area, with a 25% increase in home sales in 2023.
By 2047, SilverLeaf is expected to have more than 16,000 homes, so the demand for more grocery options is also rising. A newly opened “larger format” Publix on Silverleaf Parkway is the latest addition.
“St. Johns County as a whole is growing, especially this northern area,” store manager Ashley Lukas said. “It’s wonderful to have Publix -- that convenience -- for our shoppers. It’s great to just open our doors for them.”
Featuring a wine bar, an expanded deli menu and custom-made pizzas at the in-store cafe, the new Publix offers experiences shoppers used to have to travel to Tampa to see.
The Durr family who shopped at the Publix shortly after 7 a.m. Thursday was pretty impressed with what it saw.
“They had açai bowls and they never had that at Publix before,” said Riley Surr. “So I am looking forward to having those.”
“Just a salad and the burritos,” said Caden Durr.
“They created upstairs where after you buy something come you can eat up there,” said Raelyn Durr.
“The pharmacy is a huge one because they have a drive-thru, which I am super excited about,” said Karena Durr. “If you actually go into their app and you input, you can pay for your medication and then when you go through the drive-thru, you could just pick it up.”
“On Wednesdays, we always stop and get sushi,” said Brian Durr. “This is a big feature for all of our kids. It is just going to be a game changer for us to save time. When you are a parent with kids going every direction, you just want to save time on everything.”
The new store includes Publix Pours bars with beer and wine, smoothies, acai bowls and more, plus expanded deli menus, including a burrito and nacho bowl bar that no other Publix store in this region has.
“For me to not have to drive 20 minutes or 15 minutes for a grocery store,” said Kerri Carter. “When I moved to St. John’s County, I had to drive 25 minutes to a grocery store. Now it is two minutes. That is the difference in 30 years. That is the difference it makes. It is a big deal. It is a really big deal.”
“It is very close to our place,” said Makesh Loganadhan who, was shopping with his wife and son. “Otherwise, we would need to close to four or 5 miles. This is so close, it does not take any time. We can even walk to the store and get stuff. Whatever we want to buy.”
“This is my first time seeing such a big Publix,” said Aardhi Ramalingam. “But I still have to come and explore more. But it is really good.”
“It also has a Pours café, which I really liked,” said Haresh Makeshbabu.
St. Johns County currently has 20 Publix grocery stores, but the store at 1775 SilverLeaf Pkwy in St. Augustine is 55,701 square feet, which reflects Publix’s new building prototype.
Publix Media Relations Manager Hannah Herring gave News4JAX an exclusive tour inside the store, saying it took years of planning and research to make it happen.
“For this particular location, we just knew that our customers would be able to embrace the new options that we are offering. Just come sit with us at lunch or dinner, and just be able to enjoy it,” Herring said.
On opening day, the first 1,000 shoppers can get a free special-edition reusable bag.