If you’re like most college students, the only consistent thing in your life is running out of conditioner before shampoo. You probably don’t have a structured time and date to go to Publix like most real people in the real world, so if you find yourself out of milk on a Thursday morning you might deem that to be a perfect time to do your weekly grocery shopping. Now, as a Pub Sub enthusiast and devoted lover of Publix Bakery’s free samples of cookies for children aged 12 and under that they still offer to me, I am here to offer some insight on what your Gainesville Publix of choice says about you.
Publix on Archer Road closest to I-75
If this is your Publix of choice, you are a person with intent. You probably set out your clothes for the next day the night before, you probably blow dry your hair instead of rocking the wet look in class, and you definitely have a weekly grocery shopping list saved somewhere in your notes on your phone. You probably wear real pants (not just Nike shorts) on most days, and when you are wearing workout clothes, it’s probably because you’re on your way to the gym, not just because you’re lazy. Go you. You’re so prepared you probably already know exactly which items are on sale for you to buy.
Publix on Archer Road in Butler Plaza
You lead a very busy life full of intramurals, meetings, labs and classes. You don’t have the extra time to go all of the way down Archer Road and battle more traffic. It doesn’t matter that this Publix is smaller and thus has smaller inventory and sales. All that matters is that you can get your loaf of bread and deli meat in a timely fashion so you can drive on back to the crazy day awaiting you. You’re a go-getter and do not have time for your human needs of food to put a pause on your busy schedule. You probably don’t even care that the chips you’re buying aren’t BOGO.
Publix on 34th Street (also known as Frat Publix, Fratlix, etc.)
Your favorite food is tied between beer and steak. And yes, you think of beer as its own food group. If you do not fall under this category, you probably wearily shop at this Publix hoping not to run into the guy you met at Rowdy’s last night. If you do comfortably frequent this store, your closet is most likely full of faded Comfort Colors tanks, you own at least two pairs of Sperry’s, and you may think that Febreze is a suitable substitute for cleaning. Whatever the case may be, you probably always know when chicken tender subs are on sale, and that’s what really matters.
Publix on Main Street
You like to go for long walks in the woods, you don’t mind taking the long way home because it’s more scenic, and you’re more at ease than those wound-up people around you. You don’t need to be surrounded by college students all of the time, and you probably take time out of your days to read a book or hang up an ENO hammock. You don’t freak out about running into people because you will mostly be surrounded by families, so you don’t have to fear socializing. You may have bought a pair of rubber flip-flops while grocery shopping before just because it was a great deal and your feet hurt. You’re a free spirit.
If you’re from out of state, you are most likely completely caught off-guard that we Floridians value Publix this much, but rest assured that your choice of Publix does not define you. It’ll never be as good as your Publix at home, but it’ll do the trick for these four years. Sometimes life gets busy and you’ll make a snap decision to go grab some groceries in a store that throws you out of your element. This is okay and it happens to all of us. Because if I’m being honest, no matter what Publix you choose, you’ll probably wind up bumping into somebody you didn’t want to see. Happy shopping!
Photo credit: Bizjournals.com