Publix Breaks Ground in Kentucky

Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix held a groundbreaking ceremony June 23 at the site of its first Kentucky store, which will be located in Louisville's Terra Crossing shopping center and is tentatively slated to open its doors in late 2023. 

Publix said the 55,701-square-foot store will feature a drive-thru Publix pharmacy and an adjacent 3,200-square-foot Publix, which will be the first Publix Liquors located outside the state of Florida, the grocery retailer said.

“It’s an exciting day for Publix Super Markets as we break ground in our eighth state,” said Publix CEO Todd Jones, in a statement. “When our founder, George Jenkins, opened the first Publix store, he wanted to create a better grocery store—one that kept associates and customers top of mind. More than 90 years later, we’ve kept true to our values, including supporting the communities in which we live and work. We look forward to sharing the Publix difference with Kentuckians.”

In late 2021, Publix's announced plans for a second Kentucky location, a 55,701-square-foot supermarket at the northeast corner of Ballardsville and Brownsboro roads in Louisville. That store is expected to open in the first quarter of 2024, according to a Publix statement. A 2,800-square-foot Publix Liquors also will open adjacent to the grocery store, the grocer said.

Publix also announced June 23 that it has signed a lease for a third Kentucky store, which will be the grocer’s first in the city of Lexington, Ky., at the Fountains at Palomar, at the northwest corner of Man O’ War Boulevard and Harrodsburg Road. The grocer said the store is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2024. The 55,701-square-foot store will have a drive-thru Publix pharmacy and an adjacent 3,200-square-foot Publix Liquors.

As one of the largest employee-owned grocers in the U.S., Publix employs more than 225,000 associates.