Sandy Plains - Marietta, GA
Sandy Plains
Sing Food Store
Marietta, GA 30066
Scroll Down for the MTC Post on Publix #33 & former GreenWise Market #1689
Click here for the companion MFR post on Target T-1106
Revised Publix #33 section: July 19, 2024 | Original Publication: July 2, 2022
Wow, I can't believe I am finally writing a post on the Sandy Plains Sing Store! Although this station has been torn down for over 25 years, it happens to be one of the most significant stores from that time.
Some History
You may ask, "why is this store significant?" As the photo above portrays, one reason is because this is one of two small-format square Sing Stores I have an original picture of! Based on lettering I see in the window, this photo dates back to December 1977, and would have been taken around the time of the store's grand opening. Keeping with the trends of the time, this store was adorned with natural wood paneling and even featured a wooden canopy structure. You may remember my tour of Columbus #8 a while back, but I was lucky enough to see one of these original awnings for myself. I'm pretty sure both of these stores, in addition to Columbus #7, LaGrange #4, and Port St. Joe, would have looked nearly identical when they opened.
The kicker here is, Sandy Plains was the first.
That's right, the Sandy Plains Sing Store was the model for this station prototype which would eventually be rolled out to at least nine other stations between 1978 and 1983. This particular prototype seemed to be phased out in favor of the large-format square style, at the same time Sing was experimenting with The Happy Penny and the even smaller prototype used with Thomasville #6.
I was able to find the architect's rendering for this prototype, which seems to match the as-built station pretty well! The red logo in the bottom right of the painting indicates it was produced by the Jinright & Ryan architecture firm, which makes sense based on the fact that they are based out of Thomasville, GA – just like Sing Oil Company!
I'm not sure when the drawing was produced, but I'd imagine it dates back to 1976 or 1977. Sing Oil Company purchased the land to build the Sandy Plains store on May 9, 1977, so it seems as if it took around six months to build the station.
Taking a look back at the picture at the top of the post, this store opened with the same 1970's interior we saw in the old LaGrange #2 pictures. It is hard to judge the layout of a store based on one exterior photo, but it looks to me like frozen foods were located along the back right wall of the convenience store, while the drink coolers would have been on the back left wall. The cash register would have been in the vertex of the diamond facing us, flanked on either side by an exterior door. These stores had a very strange layout, but you can get a better idea of how this one looked by rereading my post on LaGrange #4.
As I have mentioned previously, Sing Oil Company didn't always sell Sing-branded gasoline at their convenience stores. I have found record of Sing selling Chevron gas in other Atlanta Metro locations, LaGrange, Columbus, Carrollton, and Tallahassee, so I'm not sure what determined when Sing would partner up for fuel distribution or when Sing would source it themselves. After all, they did begin as a company who supplied oil to other dealers!
Modern Times
It seems like every time I begin to research a location, I end up on tangents concerning surrounding buildings or businesses. Today's tangent happened to focus on the former building next door which was torn down for a Zaxby's.
Joyful Diner - Google Street View - July 2012
It turns out that this location was originally a Del Taco, which then converted to a Morrison's Cafeteria, before then converting to the Joyful Diner we see above. I'm not well versed on any of the restaurants I mentioned above, but it was fun to take a look at this Sing Store's next door neighbor.
Speaking of fast food restaurants, Amoco eventually sold this Sing Store to Checkers on November 17, 1993, just like they did with the Powder Springs store a few months prior. Neither location must have been very lucrative for the fast food chain, because Checkers would turn around and sell this location only three-years later in 1996. What a shame that they tore down this station for such short term gain (or loss, it seems).
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| Former Checkers - Cobb County PA - March 3, 2003 |
I wasn't able to find a picture of the original Checkers building, but we can see what was left behind by 2003. It looks as if an emissions testing group moved into the space, tore down parts of the original checkers, but left behind the drive-thru awning and part of the kitchen building underneath. I initially didn't recognize that the "thing" left behind was the Checkers, but I can totally see it now based on the layout of the double drive-thrus and the placement of the structure. The brake shop to the left of the old Checkers was also built after the Sing Station was torn down, and the convenience store would have been centered on the current property line between the two parcels.
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In the years since 2003, the remnants of the Checkers have also been torn down to make way for a shiny new Waffle House. Had this picture been taken in 1993, we would have been looking at Sing's right entrance to the station, with the convenience store centered in the frame and the gas pumps in front of that.
Unfortunately, that's all I know about the Sandy Plains Sing Store, so let's take a look at some aerial views before we drive a few blocks to Georgia's only Publix GreenWise Market.
Aerial Views
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| Historic Aerials - 1972 Future site of the Sandy Plains Sing Store |
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| Historic Aerials - 1978 Newly-constructed Sandy Plains Sing Store |
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| Google Earth - January 1993 Sandy Plains Amoco-Sing shorty before its demolition and neighboring Del Taco |
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| Google Earth - April 2002 Site of former Sandy Plains Sing Store, currently a former Checkers and brake shop |
Still Green & Still Wise
Forgive me, because this is actually my second attempt at writing this post! During my first attempt, I had completed nearly half of the captions, but ended up mistakenly deleting the document as I was transferring it to Blogger. Let's just hope that this time turns out better!
I'm sure most of y'all are familiar with Publix's second attempt at the GreenWise Market concept, which began with store #1573 in Tallahassee (if you aren't, you can read more about it here). I have visited that store (but unfortunately did not photograph it), in addition to one other really fancy GreenWise I will share on a later date; however, today we will be looking at Georgia's one-and-only GreenWise Market. This store opened to the public on June 17, 2020, and is interestingly located across the street from Georgia's oldest operating Publix, and one of the state's largest stores. Like a number of other locations, after the threat from Lucky's and Earthfare seemed to subside, Publix decided it was not worth the hassle to keep this store open. GreenWise Market #1689 permanently closed on December 11, 2021, but not before I had the chance to visit. When I heard the news of the store's closure, I knew I had to go and managed to make it during its last week in operation. I have since been back and made an interesting discovery, but I'll save that tidbit for later. Let's take a look at the store before it met its demise!
Former Publix GreenWise Market #1689
Sandy Plains MarketPlace
Marietta, GA 30066
From the outside, Publix made it easy to recognize these GreenWise stores when compared to a similarly-sized Publix. However, most of them are roughly 25,000 sq. ft. and feature a similar setup to the second-gen 28M Publix stores. I've also managed to visit an obviously planned-GreenWise which was instead opened as a regular Publix, featuring a 28M layout crammed into 25,000 sq. ft. This location was not so lucky, but possibly served as the only example in Georgia of Publix operating a store across the street from one of their other locations.
I also find it interesting how Publix added their "P" logo to the later GreenWise builds, contrary to the earlier stores.
A special store deserves some special shopping carts! I do wonder what Publix did with these once the store closed because I've only ever seen chrome ones used in the typical stores
I'm afraid our outdoor preview we see here will be the best look we'll get of (I believe) Georgia's only POURS. Although I did not indulge during my visit, I feel like this concept would really do well at other stores. Maybe Publix just doesn't want to go through the effort of getting an onsite alcohol consumption license.
This picture also makes the taproom look a bit sterile with its bright LED lighting, stiff upholstered furniture, and Ikea-esque chairs. It makes me think of a brightly-lit Bistro-bar at a Courtyard hotel rather than a place I would want to unwind after work. I want you to remember the feel of this POURS, as we will eventually tour two-more in-store bars which give off much different vibes (and remain open to this day).
In addition to the taproom, we also can see a banner telling us that the store will close in a matter of days. I apologize for the glare!
Let's take a look inside. I do find it interesting that this store received a shipment of poinsettias even though it would not survive to see its second Christmas.
Back in the day (more like seven months ago), customers were greeted by the floral department to their left as they entered the store, with produce just beyond. Although this store was small, Publix did a good job of not making it feel cramped. Had I lived closer to it, I probably would have enjoyed stopping by, even if I was just checking out the extra hot food options over at EATS.
Just beyond the produce section was the ready-to-eat food section of the store. I remember when the concept was announced, Publix really pushed this aspect, and I think it could have worked well had Publix stuck with it. I certainly would have given it a try!
Turning to the right, we see the outskirts of the produce department, giving way to the self-checkout lines and the entrance to POURS.
One odd piece of this layout was how the produce refrigerator extended past the EATS island, when I feel like it would have made more sense to dedicate this space to pre-packaged foods and place these extra coolers where floral was. Anyhow, I'm not a retail architect, only a critical thinker!
To my right is the EATS island, where one could order pizzas, pastas, and possibly even burritos. Had this store opened as a Publix instead of a GWM, you would've found the deli here.
Speaking of the deli, we can find it and the bakery just past the EATS island in the back left corner. Since Publix no longer needed this space for a deli in the GWM-turned-Publix stores, they used this space for the meat and seafood counter. We can also see dairy off in the distance along the back wall.
Taking a closer look at the deli, we can see that the meat case was beginning to look a bit bare by the time I visited the store, but Publix still seems to be better at creative stocking than other stores.
Next up, we'll take a look at the hot food bar which spans almost the entire depth of the store.
Adjacent to the hot food bar was the counter for customers to order appetizers, pasta bowls, or pizza – yummy!
Looking down the rear actionway, we can see the dairy coolers, grocery aisles, and the meat counter off in the distance.
Today's fun featured product is a container of 15 fresh quail eggs. I can certainly say that I have never tried quail eggs, but now I know I could've bought them at GreenWise!
As we venture through the grocery aisles, I want you to notice how the graphics inside the aisle numbers coincide with the products offered on the aisle (pretty ingenious if you ask me).
On aisle 1, you will find chips, which have been creatively stocked to disguise the fact that this store will close in a matter of days. I would like to point out that Publix did not have any tacky yellow signage, and often prefers for their stores to go out like a lamb rather than a lion like some other chains.
The store also didn't offer many going out of business sales. The main exception was the bulk food items, which were 50% off. I decided to buy some oatmeal and try my hand at making granola but was saddened to find bugs in it several days later.
In addition to the bulk products, there was a small table on this aisle featuring a few clearance items, and any GreenWise Market specific items which aren't carried in a normal Publix had a discount. I guess any of the standard product which went unsold was simply moved across the street to Publix #33.
Poking out from the end of aisle 1, we can see the six self-checkout stations and the POURS taproom off in the distance.
In addition to the self-checkout stations, this store also had four staffed checkout stations. Beyond that, we see the CARE section which features health and beauty products.
Next up, we'll take a look at aisle 4, which seems to be the spot for pickle slices.
I believe I took a picture of these pancake mixes to show the recent rebrand from "Aunt Jemima" to "Pearl Milling Company". It seems that whole wheat pancakes aren't quite as popular as the other varieties since they still feature the old branding!
While I'm pretty sure Aunt Jemima / Pearl Milling Company pancake mix and Bisquick are not organic products, we see an even more dramatic shift in organic vs non-organic products when we take a look at the canned tomato products. There is only one set of items in this picture that I wouldn't expect to find at a standard Publix, and it is the group of crushed canned tomatos marked on clearance. Even more shocking is the fact that this store seemed to offer more standard Publix-brand canned tomato varieties than GreenWise-brand. I do believe Publix drastically changed their product selection in GWMs to skew toward standard offerings, but it does begin to make these stores seem a bit redundant in nature. I guess the POURS taproom and expanded hot food items are two of the big redeeming factors.
Aisle 4 also showed me some more creative stocking techniques, with yet another non-organic product (specifically in reference to the mustard).
Aisle 5 is home to cleaning supplies and other household products, and its image seems to be of some sort of laundry scent booster pellets.
Goat Soap! Ever since I missed my opportunity at Publix #1306 to get some of this soap as a present for somebody, I looked at a number of other Publixes and didn't find it. Luckily, GreenWise had plenty (although, it wasn't on sale). It seems like Publix reserves this display for "premium" stores, so that will be the key reason for me to point it out in future tours (don't worry, we will come across the goat again).
Since the aisle 6 sign features frozen berries, that must mean that the aisle is home to frozen foods! How clever!
Another odd decision I noticed was how these two water container fillers were located on aisle 6. Most Publix stores place them in the vestibule, which I feel makes much more sense (who wants to lug a 5 gallon jug around the store? I know it would make me smug).
Let's get one more overview of the front end before we finish up our tour on the right side of the store.
Here we find ourselves in the front right corner of the store, amongst the GreenWise FINDS. This section of the stores still confuses me, because I haven't figured out how wine is a "find" (in fact, it is a much different interpretation than Aldi's definition of a "find"). In one of the other GreenWise stores I have been to, the FINDS section was devoted exclusively to wine and beer, but this store decided to add specialty cheeses and an antipasti bar to the mix. Perfect for the case when you find yourself hosting a wine and cheese night!
Likewise, aisle 9 cuts between FINDS and the meat counter, while featuring wine and cold beer. Had this store opened instead as a Publix, we would find ourselves looking down the freezer aisle toward the bakery off in the distance.
Although this store was closing later that week, they still seemed to have a lot of fresh seafood available. As I mentioned above, this space is used for the bakery in GreenWise Publix stores using this floorplan, instead of being in the same space as the deli.
Here we can see more meat as we turn the corner.
One last look down the rear actionway for posterity's sake!
And we'll wrap up with a look at the service desk in the front of the store.
I noticed the key on the wall behind the desk and wondered what would happen to it once the store closed. I find it unfortunate that this store only lasted 18 months, but business is business.
Although subtle, another differentiation this store offered compared to a standard Publix is the option to charge an electric car. The person in the Tesla must not have needed to top off, but they surely enjoyed taking advantage of the designated electric parking spot!
As a bittersweet farewell, we'll look at this store's road sign. This seems like it would have been a neat store to visit on occasion, but Publix thought OtherWise. At least I've been able to visit other incarnations of the second-generation GreenWise Market which I will share at a later date.
I also found it interesting how this Target sign looks nearly brand new and incorporates the lowercase logo; meanwhile, the actual store (which is the subject of this week's MFR companion post) looks much older and has the old uppercase logo. I feel like stores typically get remodeled whenever they receive one new sign, but this one was added as an exception since the adjacent Sandy Plains MarketPlace was a new development.
In attempt to celebrate this store's second birthday, I went back to pay a visit to the former GreenWise once it had been closed for nearly six months; I was somewhat surprised at what I found.
Outside, the building looked largely the same as it did back in December, with the exception of the sign and tables being removed. The store still even had its cart corrals in the parking lot!
I decided to take a look inside the store as well. I was surprised that I didn't find any sort of "for lease" signs because I feel like Publix would want to minimize their losses with this location. All I found was the friendly poster we had seen previously informing shoppers that this store would close on December 11th. Somebody also managed to close the curtains, obstructing our view of the former POURS counter.
However, I was able to take a look inside the main doors and was shocked at what I saw. Other than the lights being off and the shelves being empty, the store seemed to look the same as I had left it six months ago! All of the fixtures were still in place, and all of the signage was still on the wall. That made me really curious as to what Publix's intent for this store is. Maybe they haven't gotten around to setting up an auction, or maybe they are holding their cards just in case they decide to reopen the store . . . Who knows!
As Retail Retell pointed out in a previous post, it is nice to see when stores integrate their cart corrals with the landscape islands. The photo above shows us one of those, and also shows where the electric car charger used to be off in the distance (next to the two poles and handicapped sign, below the Panda Express sign).
Now that we've experienced Georgia's first and last GreenWise Market, let's jump across the street to Publix #33.
The Flagship
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| Courtesy Archive.org (Publix.com) - March 15, 2006 - Publix #33 |
Publix #33
Highland Plaza
Marietta, GA 30066
In contrast to most of my posts, I wanted to open up this section with a picture of this store I found on an archive of Publix's website. The fact that this is the only store photo used for a number of years on Publix's store locator page must mean something as to how Publix views this location (we certainly don't see a picture of Publix #790 on there). I also think the angled nature, tight crop, and sepia tone of this image highlight some larger trends in photography during the aughts.
I've got to say, most people would look at this store and simply see another modern Publix, but there are a few out there who recognize its significance. Even if most wouldn't think twice about this store, some may notice its grandeur in contrast to the average store, largely due to the large clerestory spanning the entire front end of the store. That brings me to my first point: this store is one of three operating 65N Publix stores in Georgia, which just-so-happens to be the largest prototype Publix has ever built.
So, this store is large. Okay, so what?
Some History
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - December 19, 2002 |
Well, this store also happens to be the second 65N built in the state of Georgia, following store #412 at Savannah Mall. Furthermore, this store was the second Publix opened in the state of Georgia. As many of you know, Publix #412 closed its doors way back in 2005, leaving store #33 as the oldest Publix operating outside Florida. Now this is far from the oldest Publix still operating, but I found it pretty cool to get the chance to see such a historically significant store. What is even more impressive, is how well this design has held up, and the fact that it is hard to judge that it opened in 1992.
I originally intended to publish this post in November to celebrate this store's 30th anniversary, but ended up pushing the date forward since I had all of the content I needed. It will be interesting to see if Publix has any big birthday plans!
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - December 19, 2002 |
Thanks to Foursquare, I also learned that this location was likely one of the first Publixes to receive Classy Market 2.5, based on the fact that many of the department signs still match those from Classy Market 2.0, while others match later iterations of the package. Permit records also indicate that this store was remodeled to the package in 2009, which would have been during the tail end of Classy Market 2.0's tenure as a décor package. I wish I could have visited this unique store before it was remodeled to Sienna in 2018, but unfortunately, we will have to rely in the internet for that. I was, however, lucky enough to find this picture taken around the time of this store's grand opening which gives us a rare look at the large light / trellis fixture which used to span the checkout lines.
I love how coordinated the colors were in the Wavy Pastels décor package, and you can get a better idea of how this store would have looked by reading over this post. Although it isn't crystal clear, I was thrilled when I found the picture above because it finally gave us a colorful view of the deluxe checkout trellis structure used in these massive Publix locations. We can see that each checkout line has a large florescent light fixture mounted above it which is encompassed by a canvas covering that coordinates with the coral and teal color palette. The one thing which has thrown me off about this picture is I wonder what the two signs on the left (front) wall are for. They look like they are too close to the pharmacy to indicate where the restrooms and phone were located (as those were next to the deli), so they must designate the customer service desk and the photo counter. Anyhow, we can see the freezer aisles on the right side of the picture and the pharmaceutical aisles off in the distance.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - August 30, 1992 We can see the numbers used in "flagship" Wavy Pastels stores over the checkout lines. The image above is from #412 in Savannah but store #33 would have also featured these. |
Although Publix only opened one store in the state in both 1991 and 1992, you've got to remember that every new store was still serviced by the company's existing Florida distribution network (with the closest DC being in Jacksonville). It wasn't until the Dacula, GA distribution center opened in December 1994 when Publix was able to exponentially expand their reach in the region.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - November 8, 1992 |
This store ended up opening on Thursday, November 12, 1992 to all sorts of fanfare. I'll get into that drama in a bit, but first I wanted to point out this graphic that the AJC published in preparation for the store's opening. As the first location for Publix to choose to open in the Atlanta Metro, something must have been special about this site on Sandy Plains Road (BTW, the Sing Store mentioned above was located in front of the Bruno's on this map). Out of curiosity, I plugged the median household income into an inflation calculator and it estimates that $64,913 in 1992's dollars would be worth approximately $135,237 today. Just for reference, I looked up the Census Bureau's the same metric from 2020 for Fulton County and found it was $72,741, compared to Cobb County's median being $80,830 and Georgia's overall median being $61,224. It seems like Publix had a compelling reason to build a store here!
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Publix #33 - November 8, 1992 |
As I have mentioned before, Publix faced a flurry of outcry from its rivals, both commercial and union. The likes of Kroger, Winn-Dixie, and Bruno's all took actions to retain their customer base in the region, but it seems as if only one of those players was successful (and the others dealt with a number of bankruptcies). City leaders criticized Publix's early decisions to focus on building stores in the affluent northern suburbs of Atlanta, but the chain responded by mentioning their planned store on Buford Highway, the infamous #477. That store was a Publixity stunt before Publix even built it! The labor unions also disliked Publix's entry into the market because the chain was a staunch opponent to unionized employees. To celebrate the grand opening, protestors from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union stood outside the store in attempt to convince shoppers to patronize nearby Kroger, Big Star, or A&P grocery stores, which were unionized. In the end, it seems as if the shoppers were unfazed because the store welcomed an estimated 2,000-3,000 paying customers on its first day.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - December 19, 2002 |
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - December 19, 2002 |
Although the store number for this location is #33, it was far from the 33rd store opened by the chain. Until the early 1990's, Publix had a bad habit of recycling store numbers, leading to many numbers below the 300's being recycled multiple times. Luckily, Publix changed their attitude and began assigning new store numbers to most locations during their rapid 1990's expansion. All was well-and-good until around 2002 when Publix realized they were running out of numbers to use below 900 (which was reserved for the Crispers chain of restaurants). I assume the supermarket had to invest in new software, or something, in order to take advantage of four-digit store numbers because it wasn't until 2004 when Publix began assigning new store numbers above 1000. That means there are more stores which opened between 2002-2004 that received recycled store numbers: so confusing!
Update: Three weeks after this post's original publication, Publix began a "Nostalgic '90s" social media campaign where they shared photos and facts about the company during the 1990's. We've already established that this store is historically significant, but I learned a few more things about its storied past from the campaign. The following section will cover what they shared.
Home of the Original Pub Sub
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Courtesy Publix (Instagram) - Publix #33 Sub Shop - Shared July 26, 2022 |
"Thirty and thriving! We opened our first sub shop in Marietta, Georgia in 1992, which means the iconic #PubSub turns 30 this year. Which sub will you celebrate this milestone birthday with? #RetroPublix" - @Publix
That's right, Publix #33 was not only the first Publix in the Atlanta area, but it was also the first Publix ever to serve up a Pub Sub! If the picture above is in fact from #33 (I know for a fact it is from a 65N so I have no reason to doubt it being from #33), then this store's grand aisle underwent some extensive layout rearrangements over the last 30 years. This picture looks to have been taken from the front right corner of the store facing the grocery aisles. When constructed, many, if not all of the 65N stores featured an island separated from the current deli corner, which offered customers subs and specialty cheeses. Publix #33 has since moved the sub station to the perimeter wall of the store, but maintains a specialty cheese island in a similar placement to the station shown above.
If you look closely at the picture, you
can see the bottom of a Wavy Pastels aisle sign, along with an
aisle of refrigerated cases. Today, the refrigerated cases line both
sides of aisle 2 while aisle 1 is home to a large selection of wine. I'm
not sure if the refrigerators were shifted to the left or if the removal
of the deli provided enough space to add an extra aisle; anyhow, it is
interesting to note these changes.
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| Courtesy The Miami Herald - Store Unknown (but a 65N Publix, nonetheless) |
Although this picture that I uncovered from a random Miami Herald article could've been taken in any 65N store, it gives us a better perspective on the original deli configuration. The portion of the deli with signage for "Hot Entrees" and "Chinese" is now where chicken tenders and sub sandwiches are sold, while the "Deli" island has been removed and replaced by the specialty cheese island mentioned above.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - Publix #33 - November 10, 1992 |
The AJC, rightfully so, published tons of articles describing every aspect of Publix's entry into Atlanta. While I've tried to do my best job of summarizing them, sometimes it is better for you to read them yourself since there are too many to quote. That being said, I continue to uncover more perspectives from the early days of this store! The picture above came from a story published two days before the store's opening which can be found here and here.
This particular image shows us aisle 2 as it was originally configured, with the hot foods counter off in the distance and the sub island behind the shelves to the left. Although it isn't conclusive proof, this picture makes me feel pretty confident in saying that Starbucks moved in several years after the store opened (since I would expect to see their signage from this angle).
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Courtesy Publix (Instagram) - 65N Deli Café - Shared August 3, 2022 |
These next three pictures were shared on Publix's Instagram story; they may not be attributed to store #33, but they do a good job showing us how it was originally laid out. This picture of the Deli Café depicts the same Wavy Pastels sign shown in the background of the newspaper photo above and a similar, but more zoomed in, angle of the hot food section. The dining nook, now Starbucks, is just off to the right in this shot.
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| Courtesy Publix (Instagram) - 65N Deli Café - Shared August 3, 2022 |
Speaking of the dining nook, Publix's social media team was even nice enough to provide us a glimpse into what this space originally looked like. Just to reiterate, we would be looking down the service counter at Starbucks had this picture been taken in 2022. Just look at those funky colored chairs!
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| Courtesy Publix (Instagram) - 65N Beer Aisle - Shared August 3, 2022 |
This third photo showcases the beer aisle, complete with some fun neon signs! I'm typically pretty good at identifying where in the store a photo was taken, but this one stumps me. Beer is currently located on aisle 2 in #33, but it seems to have been relocated from elsewhere based on the photo of the employees stocking cans on aisle 2. Maybe it was next to the freezers in the center of the store? Maybe it backed up to the produce department on the left side of the store like in a 56D?
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Courtesy Publix (Instagram) - Publix #33 Office - Shared August 5, 2022 |
The last photo I wanted to share from the recent campaign is one of an unnamed employee in her undisclosed office location. Most wouldn't think much beyond seeing her on the telephone, reading the weekly sales ad, but the sleuth in me wanted to find something more.
The first thing I noticed is her framed diploma from Emory University. While it isn't a fact, I'd be inclined to think that she is based out of an Atlanta store.
Next, I see a picture of Publix #33 pinned to the top left corner of her bulletin board. Compare this with the picture I took below – Publix didn't build many 65N stores and #33 is the only one to look even remotely similar to this.
Finally, the pièce de résistance is a newspaper article pinned to her wall.
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| Courtesy Newspapers.com - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution - January 3, 1995 |
Ironically, said article also features a prominent picture of Publix #33 and shows a map in the bottom right which looks like Atlanta. I did a little digging, and was able to find the 1995 article from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on page E1: Business, complete with a matching headline. Bingo.
So for those reasons, I'm inclined to believe that the photo shared to Publix's Instagram was taken in one of the store's offices around 1995 or 1996. Pretty neat!
I didn't expect my coverage of Publix #33 to line up with a Publix marketing employee's idea for a 1990's throwback, but I'd say I gained a lot of insight from the aformentioned posts. What good timing! Regardless, that will conclude my August 12, 2022 additions, but feel free to read over the rest of the post for a refresher!
The Store
Now with that background, let's dive into this living museum.
This store happens to be one of the few Publixes I have seen to feature a Starbucks inside. Originally, I believe the area used for Starbucks would have been a dining nook for customers who purchased food from the deli, but it seems Publix thought this space would be better used for a coffee shop. I'd imagine the deli was also heavily reconfigured if / when the Starbucks was added, but I was shocked to see that Starbucks was already open in 2002 based on a picture above.
Looking back toward the door, we see the defining feature of these 65,000 sq. ft. stores, which has a dramatic, awe-inducing effect when you walk in one of these buildings. They feel very big (and apparently attract a number of birds, according to regular customer of this store I was talking to). As I was standing in this space, I was trying to estimate how tall the ceilings were and came to the conclusion that they were likely 30-40 feet tall. This store is massive!
Even though this store is gigantic, it still shares a very similar layout with the 47N and 56D/S/N stores from the same era. Likewise, the deli is still located in the front right corner of the store. I do find it interesting, however, how the clerestory extends much further toward the left and right walls in the earlier 65N stores, while the later models would have ended this feature approximately around the beginning of the deli.
Other than the fact that this is the only Starbucks I have seen placed in a 1990's dining nook, it is even more bizarre to see Starbucks merchandise for sale in the standard deli salesfloor area.
Here we see the dining nook-turned-Starbucks. Now I really wonder if this is original to the store or not!
Next to the Starbucks is the Pub Sub station. I find it interesting how this part of the deli received new tile during its Classy Market 2.5 remodel, but the rest of the store largely kept its original white tile.
Yes, I did take this picture while ordering a chicken tender Pub Sub. In retrospect, it is cool that I've now received a sub from the original Pub Sub factory!
This store also includes a "Specialty Cheese" island, which is Publix's way of stating a store is targeting a more affluent market. I'm just surprised how this store ended up receiving its remodel in 2009 as a CM 2.0 / 2.5 hybrid while the other "premium" Atlanta stores seemed to hold off another year or two and receive an extensive early-Sienna remodel (those early Sienna remodels from 2010-2012 seemed to spare no expense).
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| Courtesy Google Maps (Patricia Harper) - December 2016 |
Flashing back to 2016, we can see how the cheese island looked nearly the same with this store's CM 2.5 interior. We can also see how the store oddly displayed a CM 2.0-style deli sign and CM 1.0 aisle markers.
Specialty Cheese is indeed a very special department for a Publix to receive.
Although these stores are grand, they share a similar layout with their much more common 1990's siblings, the 47N and 56N. Likewise, the bakery can be found in the center of the right wall of the store.
Similarly, meats are in the back right corner of the store.
and looking back down the grand aisle, we see where the deli and specialty cheese island are located in relation to the bakery and wine department.
In contrast to the early-sienna stores I mentioned earlier, I believe much of the original Wavy Pastels tile in this store may simply be covered up by those vinyl stickers. It will be interesting to see what we find during this store's Evergreen remodel.
Next to the butcher counter is the seafood counter; again, very typical for a 1990's Publix (or most Publixes, for that matter). I'd like to point out how this store only received the standard seafood display cases, and not the premium ones we saw in the GreenWise store or the early-Sienna stores. If you zoom in, you can also see the lower row of grey checkered tiles behind the seafood counter left over from Wavy Pastels. Interestingly, this is one of the most common tile patterns to find in a Publix, as I have seen it installed with Wavy Pastels, Metallic Marketplace, and Classy Market 1.0. It also fits in well with Evergreen!
Aisle 2 is where you can find cold beer, prepackaged deli meat, and cheese. Much to my disdain, as I don't like splitting up the dairy departments, this is also a very common feature in other 1990's Publixes.
Popping back out to the front end, we see the opposite side of the checkout lines than we saw before. I also see a checkout cube which is turned the wrong way (or the right way, depending on who you ask).
Aisle 5 sports a selection of spices, baking supplies, and salad dressings. We can also see the seafood department off in the distance.
Aisle 6 has rice, canned goods, and kitchen supplies.
Aisle 8 offers a variety of frozen foods.
Aisle 9 presents chips and crackers.
The famous aisle 12 displays paper products and plastic bags.
In the front left corner, we find the pharmacy.
Unlucky aisle 13 luckily presented us with cleaning supplies and laundry detergent (of which, Tide seems to be the favorite child).
Aisle 14 is home to a number of greeting cards and candy (perfect for Valentine's Day).
Turning around from aisle 14, we see the customer service desk, which seems to have had its cabinetry swapped out during the 2018 Sienna remodel.
And finally, we find produce in the back left corner of the store.
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| Courtesy Google Maps (7thwavepictures) - April 2017 |
I couldn't resist getting a close up of the cut fruit station, which continues to sport some of its original Wavy Pastels checkered tile. I'd imagine that the green sticker covers another, identical row of checkered tiles. From what I've seen, I believe this pattern featuring two of the grey checkered tows may predate the coral and teal squares we have seen in other stores.
Taking a look back down the rear actionway, we see the other half of the dairy department along the back wall of the store.
Jumping back to the front, I wanted to point out how Publix added a different "wave" of terrazzo under the register lines. I'd be curious to know if this coordinated with the original décor more-so than it does today.
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| Courtesy Google Maps (Jimmy Chalmers) - June 2017 |
We'll see a similar view from 2017 with a wider shot of the deli (and another CM 2.0 sign) in addition to the CM 2.0-style frozen foods banners.
At least it adds some interest to this section of the store!
I believe this store used to feature a SunTrust bank branch here, a number of which seemed to close after the recent BB&T merger. Some of the locations were converted, but this one didn't seem so lucky. Now this space is used for Instacart staging.
As we round out our tour of Georgia's oldest operational Publix, I wanted to close with this odd nook in the store's vestibule. Although it isn't used for much now, it looks like it was built with some purpose in mind judging by the exterior window and the blacked-out windows facing the interior of the store. Was this a former banking counter too? Was it an overview station for customers to look into the photo lab (as I believe the photo counter would have been on the other side of those windows)? Maybe somebody else will know what this space was used for.
Memorabilia
While I was in the area, I also visited a few estate sales; some of which featured some vintage retail items that could have been purchased from this store.
First up, we have a quart bottle of Publix ammonia. This is the one item out of these three I would have bought had the label been in better shape and had not been growing mold. I just love the color combination! As a note, Publix retired packaging with this ribbon logo in 2005 as they transitioned to their packaging which can still be found today (although it is getting phased out for a minor refresh).
Next up is a bottle of Eckerd oily nail polish remover. I also found a nearly-full can of Eckerd lemon-scent furniture polish but didn't take a picture of it. I guess the acetone we see above would still work just fine at least two-decades after it was purchased?
Finally, I found a Publix fat free plain yogurt container, with an expiration date on the bottom from 2005. This product can be yours, if the price is right!
Aerial Views
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| Google Earth - December 2020 |
To close things out, we'll take a look at the intersection of Sandy Plains Road and Shallowford Road to see how close the GreenWise Market was to store #33. The Sing Store was located about a mile south from here, close to Piedmont Road and where this Kroger relocated from.
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| Google Earth - December 2020 |
Until next time,
- The Sing Oil Blogger
Nice vintage photos of the Sandy Plains Sing store! It's not often you see gas stations built with a wood-panel design, so that was quite unique.
ReplyDeleteMy first ever time visiting a 2nd Gen Greenwise store was in late 2019, when I visited the Lakeland store a week after it opened. Back then the product selection offered by Greenwise was more unique, with the dry grocery offerings being products much like Lucky's would have carried, and the Greenwise house brand being the only Publix brand available to purchase. When I visited the Odessa 2nd Gen Greenwise a few months ago, I observed the same thing you saw here in Sandy Plains - basically a mini-Publix with a bar and more prepared foods. Just from that experience in Odessa, it confirmed to me that Greenwise was dead (again), as there is very little to differentiate Greenwise from a regular Publix anymore. With Greenwise riding itself out again, I'd like to see Publix incorporate some of the prepared food options into their own higher-end stores, as the selection is quite impressive (and the burrito bowl I ordered was quite good too). I've always been confused by "FINDS" as well, as I keep thinking something along the lines of "Aldi Finds" myself! I think Publix expects shoppers to "find" new gourmet options in that spot, rather than Publix finding new random products to sell like Aldi does. I'm surprised the store still sits completely furnished to this day, as that is pretty weird. Maybe Publix is contemplating if it would be worth it to reopen this store as a regular Publix to relieve the crowds at #33 (if the store is that busy). The future of new Greenwise is a bit mysterious with the way things have played out, so it will be interesting to see what happens with old #1689 and the remaining Greenwise locations too.
I've always liked the vaulted ceilings of the 65N stores, as it's much more impressive than the skylights used in the smaller prototypes from the same era. I also didn't know Publix had in-store Starbucks locations in 2002, as I thought that was a more recent partnership (and even then, a Starbucks in a Publix is pretty rare). Very cool vintage photos of #33 (including the color shot of the front end from 1992), and another great post!
Thanks! I agree, it was fun to look at the old pictures of the Sing Store, especially with all of that wood paneling.
DeleteI some people who live in the Birmingham, AL area who said many residents were mad when Publix took over the former Western Market and opened it as a GreenWise. People were used to buying regular groceries from the store and began to boycott when Publix only offered organic / specialty products. It was a big deal when Publix began offering more regular items in the store and slowly shoppers began to return, but that could have been a factor in some of the decisions. I really wish I could've tried some of the prepared food at the Sandy Plains store because it did look good. Like you said, it would make sense for Publix to integrate some of the extra benefits of GreenWise in the larger stores (like #33) while giving up on the 25,000 sq. ft. size. I will be curious to see if they decide to reopen #1689 though, and it would be even more strange for them to reuse the GWM décor which remains on the walls.
Agreed, the ceilings in 65N stores are quite impressive. I find it funny how you say the skylights in smaller prototypes, which while entirely accurate, makes me picture a 28,000 sq. ft. store rather than a 56,000 sq. ft. store! I really wish I could find some information on when the Starbucks opened inside #33, because I thought they were much more recent additions too. I guess that's why it is important to find old pictures. I figured you would like the color photo from the front of the store, as I have been saving that one for several months now; I was happily surprised when I came across it!
I love that you found the original architectural rendering of the Sing Store! That sort of thing always fascinates me. I wonder what normally happens to renderings like that once the project moves forward (or doesn't).
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame that the Greenwise store didn't last even two full years. As usual, I'm also curious why it was built so close to an existing Publix. I wonder if that had any part whatsoever in its failure.
The Greenwise looked cool, but the Publix across the street is absolutely captivating! Like you, I would be hard pressed to tell you the store is as old as it is. That ceiling is just amazing, and I like the different terrazzo at the front end also. It seems rare to see a Starbucks in a Publix, too, but it definitely fits in this one.
I know, I was very excited to find that architectural rendering! I have found one more rendering for a station in Jacksonville, but we will have to wait until I get pictures of that store before I can post it. In my opinion, that one seems even more funky. As much of a shame as it is, I'd assume that most renderings get thrown in the trash once the project is complete. They can certainly be a work of art though.
DeleteI'm not sure why the GreenWise closed so soon, but it was a bit obscured from Sandy Plains Road. I'm sure the store across the street didn't help matters, but the primary reason for closing was likely Publix's loss of interest in the concept. Like AFB mentioned, it wouldn't surprise me if the other GWMs end up converting to regular Publix stores.
Captivating is a great way to describe that Publix! I would say that the 65N is probably my favorite format of store Publix has built, and I wish they had continued to open them into the 2000's. I've now visited and photographed the three-remaining 65N stores in Georgia, and one of them certainly stands out as being even more spectacular than this store due to its remodel history. I'm sure this store would've received the same special treatment had it waited one more year for one of its remodels.