We’ve come a long way since the 1st Publix Food Store opened in Winter Haven, Florida, on Sept. 6, 1930. We’re now operating across 8 states and have become the largest employee-owned company in the U.S.

Leading up to our 95th anniversary in September, we’re looking back through the decades.

The 1980s brought us beloved movie series like “Indiana Jones” and “Ghostbusters,” introduced us to Mario and the world of Nintendo, and popularized music videos with the birth of MTV. Huey Lewis and the News sang that “the power of love makes the world go ’round” in their 1985 song created for “Back to the Future,” but in Florida, the power of Publix was on full display by adding several innovations and conveniences throughout the decade to make shopping even more of a pleasure for our customers.

1980: Publix celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Publix marked its 50th anniversary all year long with a new logo that was incorporated into packaging, trucks, decor, signage and memorabilia. Associate gifts included a gold coin medallion, glass Coke bottles and a book titled “Fifty Years of Pleasure” by Pat Watters.

1980: We rolled out checkout scanning companywide.

Getting checkout scanning into all our stores was a 7-year process. In 1973, we piloted the new system at #36 (now #1270), Lakeland, Florida. Additional stores were added throughout the 1970s, and checkout scanning became a staple in every store in 1980. Self-checkout also went through years of testing before it became what it is today. We piloted this technology for the 1st time at #348, Deerfield Beach, Florida, in 1988.

1980: Our 1st dairy plant opened.

We opened our initial dairy plant in the Lakeland Industrial Center on Oct. 13, 1980. The plant bottled milk, juice, fruit drinks and water, packaged cracked ice, and manufactured ice cream. Some of the plastic bottles and packaging were also produced at the facility.

1982: The cake water tower in Lakeland, Florida, was completed; Lakeland Industrial Center dedicated to Publix President Joe Blanton.

The Lakeland Industrial Center — about a mile from our original corporate headquarters — was dedicated to Joe Blanton, the 1st president of Publix, on Dec. 29, 1982. A new water tower was also built to help support the water system on-site. It was Blanton’s idea to style the water tower in the shape of a Publix 3-tier cake. The tower holds 250,000 gallons of water, stands at around 150 feet and has 11 candles on top that light up. Ten candles represent every 5 years of service from 1930 to 1980, and the 11th stands for future growth.

1983: We started opening stores on Sundays.

For over 50 years, Publix was closed on Sundays. But our internal research found that people were beginning to prefer to do their shopping on Sundays, and our major competitors were all open on that day. In February 1983, the Publix board of directors voted to try things out at our Food World stores, which were a different Publix format. After that was deemed a success, all Publix stores opened on a Sunday for the 1st time on April 24, 1983.

Mr. George explained the change in a video to associates, and at the start, stores would be staffed only with people who wanted to work on Sundays.

1984: The Presto! ATM network rolled out.

Publix created the Presto! ATM network as an added convenience for customers. In addition to ATM services, the network also made it possible for customers to use debit cards at checkout instead of having to use cash or write a check.

1986: Our 1st Publix Pharmacy opened at #301, Orlando, Florida.

On Oct. 30, 1986, the 1st Publix with a pharmacy opened, allowing people to not only have prescriptions filled but also get advice from trusted pharmacy associates. Pharmacist Paul Hines filled the 1st prescription for Mr. George, who attended the store opening. By the end of 1986, there were 5 Publix stores with pharmacies inside.

Our logos during the 1980s

Check out our logos throughout the decades.

Our uniforms in the 1980s

See what our uniforms looked like over the years.

Lessons from our founder: Treat customers like royalty

Mr. George continually looked for ways to make customers feel valued, whether that was through our store presentation or by delivering premier service. He once said, “The aim is to learn all you can about the business to do the best you can for the customer.” In the 1980s, opening on Sunday, giving people the option to pay with a debit card and fulfilling pharmacy needs while grocery shopping were additional ways to make sure customers continued to feel like royalty.

Learn more about our history through the decades

Explore our prior anniversary articles and celebrate Publix’s 95th anniversary by reflecting on past milestones and creating new memories together.

Next month, we’ll revisit the 1990s when Publix explored new frontiers — on land and digitally. We opened our 1st stores in Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama; plus, publix.com launched at the end of the decade.