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George W. Jenkins opened the first Publix Food Store in Winter Haven in 1930 and a second location there five years later, then closed those two stores to open his dream store on this site on Nov. 8, 1940, the first Publix Super market. He combined the most advanced elements of U.S. food retailing with his own ideas to create a supermarket unlike any before, featuring air conditioning, fluorescent lighting, frozen food cases, pastel interior colors, terrazzo tile, soft music, and an electric-eye door. Called a "food palace" of marble, glass, and stucco, it operated until 1957, when a new store in Winter Haven replaced it.
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Winter Haven, Florida · United States
