GreenWise opens on Gaines

GreenWise opened last week on Gaines Street.
Photo submitted by Jenee Mathew.

After two long, anticipated years, Publix Supermarkets has finally launched the first ever GreenWise Supermarket.

Located on Gaines Street between the campuses of Florida A&M and Florida State, GreenWise opened its doors on Thursday, Oct 4.  

This GreenWise store focuses on convenience and healthy lifestyles, serving an array of natural, organic and specialty foods, including fresh-prepared items. Fresh-made products feature antibiotic-free meats, organic cheese, and vegan items and include handcrafted sandwiches, acai bowls, gourmet pizzas, burritos, bowls, sushi and sausage made in-house.

GreenWise, a Publix supermarket organic grocery concept, creates its products to meet one or more of these strict requirements: USDA Organic, made with at least 70 percent organic ingredients, made without artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors; may contain colors from natural sources, raised without antibiotics or added hormones; federal regulations prohibit the use of added hormones in poultry and pork; all GreenWise meats are fed a 100 percent vegetarian diet and being a non-food products that make an environmental claim on the package.

Dwaine Stevens, a Publix spokesman, offered media outlets a tour of the supermarket a day before it opened. He talked about the different trials it took to get the supermarket ready for customers.

“When we opened our first GreenWise Publix over a decade ago, we knew there was a need,” Stevens said. “We learned from that, and this prototype is created from those findings.

Publix opened a GreenWise in Palm Beach Gardens in 2007, as well as two other locations in Boca Raton and Tampa.

Jasmine Ross, a 24-year-old vegan from Jacksonville, expressed her excitement for the new supermarket.

“It’s sometimes so hard to find healthy options when grocery shopping,” said Ross. “Although Tallahassee already has a Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, they are so far compared to the new GreenWise location. It’s made it so convenient for me to find healthy products at great quality and good price.”

Stevens said: “Tallahassee is a hot spot in terms of organics and food selection. Customers are pursuing a healthier lifestyle not just purchasing products. Our Customer Care Department used the input from the community in the development of this store. We wanted to give the community what they were asking for. ”

Emanni Bates, a pescatarian and a FAMU student, was very intrigued by the opening of the new supermarket.

“I have always purchased GreenWise products from the typical Publix supermarkets but with the limited selection, it was sometimes hard to even find those products in stores,” said Bates. “With this GreenWise Supermarket, they provide an unlimited supply of solely organic products so I don't have to spend as much time searching for the things I need.”

Aside from the wide product selection, GreenWise offers customers a rewards program to provide personalized deals all year long. This program takes a portion of the purchase amount each time and gives it to a local charity.

Charities currently benefiting include Sustainable Tallahassee, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Big Bend and the Foundation for Leon County Schools.