First Publix Food Store - Winter Haven, Florida, USA
Posted by: 
BoomersOTR
N 28° 01.363 W 081° 43.876
17R E 428113 N 3099934
First Publix Food Store located in downtown Winter Haven, Florida.
Waymark Code: WMZ4FE
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 09/08/2018
Views: 0
Located in the heart of downtown Winter Haven across from Central Park is the first food store opened by George W. Jenkins, founder of Publix Super Markets Inc.
"In the midst of the Great Depression, George Jenkins walked away from the security of a good job to open the first Publix store in Winter Haven, Fla. This store set not only a new precedent for cleanliness and beauty, but also the Publix standard for employee relations. Mr. George, as he was affectionately called by his associates, established profit-sharing and employee ownership. Gross annual sales in the early years averaged about $100,000, slowly rising to $120,000 by 1934."
Plaque reads as follows:
First Publix Store 1930
George W. Jenkins, founder of Publix Super Markets Inc. was born Sept. 29, 1907, in Harris City, GA. At the age of 17, he came to Florida and took a job as a food store clerk in Tampa. In 1930, he decided to open his own store. He rented space at 58 Fourth Street NW, Winter Haven and called his business Publix Food Store. He got the idea for the name from the Publix Theatres movie chain. He proudly opened this store Sept. 6, 1930. He operated here until 1940, when he built his dream store on W. Central Avenue, two blocks east of this site.
FIRST - Classification Variable: Place or Location
Date of FIRST: 09/06/1930
More Information - Web URL: Not listed
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