Over the years, Publix has spread from its small-town roots to dominate the Southeast.

1930 — The first store opens in Winter Haven, Florida.

1940 — Mr. George closed his first two stores to open his dream store complete with electric-eye doors, air conditioning and piped-in music, making it the first of its kind.

1951 — The first warehouse opens in Lakeland, Florida.

1956 — The first Publix shopping center is built in Largo, Florida.

1959 — The first store in Miami opens.

1963 — The Miami Division opens with an office and warehouse.

1971 — Publix moves into North Florida by opening three stores in Jacksonville.

1972 — Publix begins making its own bakery items with the opening of the bakery plant in Lakeland.

1981 — The Lakeland dairy plant opens, making 500,000 gallons of milk and 100,000 gallons of Publix Premium Ice Cream each week in the first year.

1991 — The first store in Georgia opens in Savannah.

1992 — The Atlanta Division opens its doors with the first store in Marietta, Georgia.

1993 — Mount Pleasant becomes the site of the first South Carolina store.

1996 — The first store in Alabama opens in Owens Cross Roads.

2002 — The first two stores in Tennessee open in Franklin and Hermitage.

2007 — The first Publix GreenWise Market opens in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

2014 — The first store in North Carolina opens in Charlotte.

2015 — Central Fill opens in Orlando, Florida.

2017 — The first Virginia location opens in Glen Allen.

2017 — McCalla Distribution opens its doors in McCalla, Alabama.

2018 — The first new-concept GreenWise Market opens in Tallahassee, Florida.

2020 — Publix broke ground on a new refrigerated distribution center in Greensboro, North Carolina.