At 7 a.m. Wednesday, April 29, Florida-based supermarket chain Publix will open its 1,101st store — and first Asheville location — at 1830 Hendersonville Road. During a media preview of the 50,000-square-foot store on Tuesday, some of the store’s approximately 150 employees offered guided tours of the facility’s departments and samples of its products.
During a ceremony at the beginning of the event, Chuck Roskovich, vice president of the company’s Charlotte regional division, commented on the steadily growing number of grocery stores in the Asheville area, saying customers will only benefit from the added competition. “I can tell you, things will only get better as the competition gets sharper,” said Roskovitch.
Also during the ceremony, Publix Super Market Charities presented checks for $500 each to representatives from 10 schools nearest to the company’s new Asheville location at Pinnacle Point, and a check for $5,000 to the YMCA of Western North Carolina in support of education and youth programs.
The schools that received donations were: Asheville High, Avery’s Creek Elementary, Captain Gilmer Christian School, Carolina Day School, Christ School, Glen Arden Elementary, Oakley Elementary, T.C. Roberson High, Valley Springs Middle and William W. Estes Elementary.
A grand opening ceremony will be held at 7 a.m. Wednesday, April 29. The store will offer product samples throughout the day and free reusable shopping bags throughout the week while supplies last. Hours will be 7 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
READY FOR BUSINESS: Asheville’s first Publix supermarket opens Wednesday, April 29, on Hendersonville Road.
Publix donated a total of $5,000 to 10 local schools.
YMCA of Western North Carolina received
Produce department
Sushi will be made fresh daily in the store.
The Publix Bakery
The Aprons Simple Meals kiosk will offer recipes and demonstrations for preparing quick, easy meals. Ingredients for each featured meal will be available at the kiosk.
Wine
The cheese department currently offers more than 200 varieties of cheese.
Tags are color-coded to denote sales items, organic merchandise and locally sourced products. The brown tags indicate items that are free of artificial colors and flavors .
A sampling of Barlean’s oils in the health and body care aisles.
The pharmacy will be open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.
Fresh bread in the bakery.
Flowers and plants near the Aprons event planning desk.
Chocolate ganache specialty cake in the bakery.
Sorbet, gelato and ice cream in the cafe.
“Despite almost six years of calls from farmworkers and consumers, Publix refuses to join the internationally-lauded Fair Food Program (FFP): a groundbreaking initiative that is ensuring basic human rights for farmworkers and eradicating physical violence, poverty wages, sexual harassment, and other abuses in the fields. Whole Foods Market, The Fresh Market and Walmart are among the thirteen buyers already participating in the Program, and as a result, the FFP is poised to make its inaugural expansion beyond Florida as farmworkers make their way into North Carolina and beyond this summer. As Publix, too, makes its way into the Tarheel State, help send the message that the company cannot continue expanding its market without respecting the rights of farmworkers back home. For more information, visit http://www.ciw-online.org.”
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