Publix is offering customers a free taste of 5 items. See what’s served and when
Publix celebrates the 95th anniversary of its founding and the birthday of its founder, George Jenkins, with free tastings on Saturday at all stores.
The sampling event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The theme for the Sept. 27 free tasting? History. Think modern twists on Jenkins’ Southern favorites from each department.
Jenkins, who was born Sept. 29, 1907, which would have made him 118, founded Publix in 1930 and opened the first store in Winter Haven in Central Florida, a town midway between Tampa and Orlando.
There’s a Miami connection, too.
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How Publix got its name
“The name ‘Publix’ was borrowed from a chain of theaters which was operating throughout Florida at the time. Most of them were closing up, and I liked the sound of the name so I just took it for my store,” founder George Jenkins wrote in his 1979 memoir.
Publix Theatres was founded in New York City as an affiliate of Paramount Studios in 1925, according to the Florida Memory website of the State Library and Archives of Florida.
The company had about 20 theaters in the state from the mid-1920s to the early-1930s, including the Olympia in downtown Miami.
Publix Theatres also ran other theaters in Miami nearly a century ago: the Fairfax Theatre, which it had acquired in 1929, the Hippodrome and the Paramount.
MORE: How did Publix supermarket get its name? It’s a Florida story made for the movies
What freebies can you taste?
Here’s what you can nibble on at Saturday’s sampling and the reasoning for the choice, according to Publix spokeswoman Lindsey Willis:
- Bakery: Mini Vanilla cupcakes, inspired by Jenkins’ fondness for a sweet treat.
- Deli: Popcorn Chicken, in honor of one of his favorite Southern foods.
- Grocery: Southern Banana Pudding Ice Cream, incorporates the founder’s love for fruit and the South.
- Meat: Brown Sugar-Glazed Honey-Cured Ham, another Southern favorite.
- Produce: Pecan Pralines, because Jenkins loved mixed nuts.
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 6:22 AM.
