Publix fans often rave about the Florida-based grocery store chain’s bakery section. Whether it’s a slice of cake or the classic sugar and chocolate chip cookies, a lot of Publix enthusiasts have a favorite sweet treat they can’t leave the bakery section without.
And recently, Publix’s bakery ranked in the top five on USA TODAY’s Readers’ Choice list of the top 10 best grocery store bakeries in the U.S.
Here’s where Publix’s bakery ranked on the list and some things to know about the Florida-favorite.
What is the most popular grocery store bakery in the U.S.?
The USA TODAY Readers’ Choice list of the top 10 best grocery store bakeries in the country ranks Publix high, in fourth place.
“Publix bakeries are an excellent choice for their dozens of scratch-made breads baked right in the store, such as the Italian Tutto Pugliese,” the rankings list says. “They also do bakery platters with a selection of petit fours, pastries, and cookies, in case you need to satisfy a crowd.”
Fresh Market took first place, Stew Leonard’s (a family-owned grocery store chain with stores in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey) took second place, and Gelson’s Markets (a grocery store chain in southern California) took third.
Here’s the USA TODAY Readers’ Choice list of the top 10 best grocery store bakeries in the U.S.:
- The Fresh Market
- Stew Leonard's
- Gelson’s Markets
- Publix Super Markets
- Safeway
- ACME Markets
- Wegmans Food Markets
- Whole Foods Market
- Albertsons
- H-E-B
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Does Publix still give kids free cookies?
Most Floridians know this, but Publix bakeries give free cookies to kids! If you’re on a shopping spree with your kids and they won’t settle down, a trip to the Publix bakery could quell them for a few minutes – at least enough time for you to check a few things off the list in peace.
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When does Publix open and close? Do all Publix locations open at the same time?
Most Publix stores open at 7 a.m. and close at 10 p.m. Some Publix stores close at 9 p.m. regularly, but not many. Publix Liquors stores open at 9 a.m. or 10 a.m., depending on the location.
Which states have Publix?
There are more than 850 Publix Super Markets in Florida alone, since it’s a Florida-based chain, but there are more than 1,300 locations throughout the Southeastern U.S.
Here’s a list of the states where you can find a Publix store, according to the Publix website:
- Alabama (92 stores)
- Florida (870 stores)
- Georgia (214 stores)
- Kentucky (1 store)
- North Carolina (54 stores)
- South Carolina (69 stores)
- Tennessee (58 stores)
- Virginia (20 stores)
Who owns Publix?
The Jenkins family founded and still partly owns Publix Super Markets, and are ranked as Forbes’ 39th richest family in America . The late George Jenkins, who founded Publix in 1930, started the Florida-favorite grocery store chain after leaving his job working for the Piggly Wiggly. The Jenkins family is now worth around $11.2 billion, according to Forbes.
George Jenkins’ grandson, William “Ed” Crenshaw, served as the company’s CEO from 2008 through 2016, and now sits on Publix’s board of directors . There are two other Jenkins family members, Jennifer and Howard Jenkins, also currently on the board of directors at Publix.
But Publix is also owned by its employees. Publix employees and former employees own around 80% of the company and Jenkins family members own the rest, making it the largest employee-owned company in the country.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: What is the most popular grocery store bakery in the U.S.? This list ranks Publix in top 5
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