Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar
Audio By Carbonatix
If you’ve ever braved the narrow aisles, endless lines, and cutthroat parking lot of the Publix Super Market on Monza Avenue near Madruga Bakery, you know the struggle is real. For decades, the pint-sized store has been a rite of passage for University of Miami students, Gables families, and South Miami residents alike. But this month, Publix is finally giving residents the glow-up they deserve: a massive, modern, two-story mega Publix that’s about to transform grocery shopping in Coral Gables (at least for those who don’t enjoy shopping down the block at the Whole Foods on the same street).
Set to open at 7 a.m. on September 25 at 1542 S. Dixie Hwy., the new Riviera Plaza Publix clocks in at nearly 46,000 square feet. That’s twice the size of the old Monza location across the street, which opened in 1963 and is still hanging on (for now). The new build is Publix at its most ambitious: block-long, sleek, and stacked with amenities designed to ease congestion and make the dreaded U.S. 1 grocery run just a little more enjoyable.
@howard.cohen2024 All about the new #Publix #supermarket opening at the old Riviera Plaza site in #CoralGables, Florida. Read more @Miami Herald. #groceryshopping #fyp ♬ Glimpse (Slowed + Reverb) – Gabriel Albuquerqüe
A Familiar Spot, Reimagined
The new Publix rises from the site of the old Riviera Plaza (R.I.P.), a once-beloved strip mall that, for generations, was anchored by the Loew’s Riviera movie theater. The cinema first flickered to life in 1956 and over the decades, became a favorite for UMiami students and neighborhood regulars. After its closure in 1999, the space housed everything from Area Stage theater to longtime shops like Misha’s Cupcakes (which is still located nearby at the former Swensen’s spot!) and My Yogurt Bliss (if you know, you know. There has never been a frozen yogurt shop quite like it ever since).
Publix’s new mega-store is a stark contrast to the humble and not-too-appealing shopping plaza so many residents grew up frequenting. However, families will certainly be thrilled to have an easier-to-access Publix, which will have escalators, elevators, and a full parking garage to make the trip easier.
The new mega store along U.S. 1 and Yumuri Street in Coral Gables looks similar to the brand new one across from Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay called Publix at Briar Bay Shopping Center
Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar
What’s Inside the New Mega Publix
Publix has pulled out all the stops for the Riviera Plaza store. Alongside staples like the bakery, seafood, produce, meat, and pharmacy departments, the location adds a customer seating area where you can enjoy your Pub Sub with a kombucha chaser before braving traffic on South Dixie. It’s a perk already found at newly rebuilt Publix locations in Briar Bay (across from Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay), and in Key Largo, and feels tailor-made for Coral Gables’ mix of students, professionals, and affluent area families who turn their grocery runs into social outings.
Parking will also be a game-changer. Instead of the tiny, stress-inducing Monza lot, Riviera Plaza offers garage parking on two levels, with the store itself located on the ground floor. Shopping carts will no longer be bumper-to-bumper in the lot, and squeezing your car between two Range Rovers won’t feel like a workout.
The old school Publix is still kicking over 60 years later
Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar
Two Publixes, Double the Pleasure
Publix swears it’s not unusual to have two locations in such close proximity – and history proves them right. Just like the Publix at Pinecrest store located directly across the street from the new Briar Bay one (both just off of 136th Street), the chain has perfected the art of giving customers options. And in Coral Gables, this will be no different. The Monza store will remain open, so locals can choose between cozy chaos and mega-store comfort.
But make no mistake: this new Publix is more than just a grocery store. For Coral Gables and South Miami, it’s a sign of what’s to come for the sleepy suburban side of South Gables, which borders on South Miami. Plus, for UM students just trying to grab chicken tender Pub Subs between classes, it’s a game-changer.
Publix at Rivieria Plaza. 1542 S. Dixie Hwy., Coral Gables; publix.com/locations/1770-riviera-plaza. Opening on Thursday, September 25.
