NEPTUNE BEACH, Fla. – It’s pretty much a Florida tradition for any beach day: You load up the car and on the way to the ocean, you make the obligatory Publix run to grab all the beach essentials like Pub Subs, sweet tea and fried chicken.

Just check social media. There are a ton of creators who describe their Publix pit stops as a mandatory step before any fun-in-the-sun activity.

But any beachgoers heading down Atlantic Boulevard toward Neptune Beach will have a choice to make. That’s because two Publix stores sit just over 500 feet apart.

Yes, you read that right.

There are over 20 Publix stores in Jacksonville alone. Sometimes it feels like there’s one on every corner. And on Atlantic Boulevard just before 3rd Street, it’s like you’re seeing double.

Publix Super Market at Seminole Shoppes at 630 Atlantic Blvd. opened in 2010. It’s probably the most familiar Publix in the area if you don’t visit Neptune Beach often.

So, it might be a bit confusing to see a more modern-looking Publix sitting at the Neptune Beach Plaza on 580 Atlantic Blvd., just to the left of the original 54,130 square-foot store.

The updated store opened in 2023 after the company acquired the 29,810 square foot space that formerly housed Lucky’s Market for $2.3 million, according to News4JAX news partner the Jax Daily Record.

As convenient as it may sound, it’s also confusing. Why did the Florida-born company feel the need to build another Publix close to…well, another Publix?

A spokesperson for the company told News4JAX it is not “unusual to have Publix locations close in proximity.”

There are similar situations in St. Johns County, though not quite to the extreme happening at the Beaches.

In Nocatee, the Super Market at Nocatee Town Center at 120 Marketside Avenue sits less than a half mile from a Publix GreenWise Market across the street at 250 Pine Lake Drive.

GreenWise is Publix’s organic brand that was expanded to stand-alone stores with four locations in Florida, according to an online locator map.

St. Augustine’s Publix at Market at Shoppes at Murabella has a newly opened Publix Super Market at Parkey Village of St. Johns that sits right across State Road 16.

While both Neptune Beach stores are fully open and have been successfully operating next to each other, residents admitted the concept was rather strange.

McKenzie Fletcher moved to Atlantic Beach from Ponte Vedra Beach and shops at the newer Publix in Neptune Beach.

She said she questioned the employees about the store’s purpose.

“This is now the closest Publix to me and I was asking if they were shutting down the old one. Hence, why this one is brand new,” Fletcher said.

Nope, that’s not the case here. Both stores are open with no intention of shutting down.

When News4JAX reached out to Publix to learn the differences between the stores, the spokesperson confirmed while both stores operate as a “traditional Publix” with most grocery departments and a full-service bakery and deli, the newer store includes features from the GreenWise brand.

“The Neptune Beach Plaza location also has a Pours section where customers can purchase items like acai bowls, smoothies, beer, wine, coffee or tea and sip while they shop,” the spokesperson said.

Fletcher found the additional store to be convenient despite her confusion.

“It’s slightly closer to my house and it is kind of like stop-and-go. I do feel like they do have special things like the little bar and stuff. It’s cute.” Fletcher said.

Other people News4JAX spoke to also seemed to question the dueling Publixes.

One woman commutes around four miles from the Golden Glades neighborhood to shop at the newer Publix store because the store at Atlantic and Hodges Boulevards is temporarily closed for construction.

“I thought it was little a odd. I thought maybe because the one at Hodges is closed, maybe they thought they were going to have a bit of a spillover. I’m not quite sure why they did that. It is interesting,” one woman told News4JAX.

We asked Publix for a construction update and have not heard back.

But even with double the opportunity to buy groceries “where shopping is a pleasure,” some found minor inconveniences.

Another Atlantic Beach resident pointed out that the newer Publix does not have a pharmacy, which makes him have to take a trip to the older store. Although the two stores are side-by-side, unless you’re walking, you can’t simply drive from one store parking lot to another because there is a barrier blocking access.

News4JAX asked the spokesperson about the barrier but they did not immediately respond.

“As a whole, we look for opportunities to best serve our customers and, in some cases, alleviate congestion in stores, in addition to allowing for the best traffic patterns in a particular area,” the spokesperson said responding to a separate email asking about the benefit both stores serve.

Most people we spoke with said they preferred the newer location because it didn’t seem as busy.

“I prefer the smaller one. There’s a different atmosphere, a little bit more positive. It’s a little easier to find stuff, less walking. It’s the same thing. It’s just newer,” one man said.

The two locations have coexisted for at least a year. One thing is for sure, Floridians love Publix, so double the opportunity is a double bonus for shoppers.

The ever-growing grocery store recently opened a new Jacksonville location at 11341 Normandy Boulevard in the Plaza at Normandy. The closest store to that location is 5.3 miles away.

Topline

Former President Donald Trump said Sunday he would vote for a Florida ballot measure seeking to legalize recreational marijuana in the state, a move that puts the Republican presidential candidate at odds with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state GOP leaders.

Key Facts

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Key Background

Trump’s support for the legislation is a stark contrast from the position taken by DeSantis and other GOP leaders in the state. In April, DeSantis attacked Amendment 3, saying it “does not just decriminalize marijuana. It’s a license to have it wherever you want.” The Florida governor also warned the state will “start to smell like marijuana in our cities and towns”, if the measure passes. Billionaire Ken Griffin—a key GOP donor and DeSantis supporter—has poured $12 million into opposing the measure, arguing it only serves “special interests” and will lead to an “increase in crime.” Trump’s first comments in favor of Amendment 3 last month faced strong pushback from some Florida Republicans. David Biddle, the GOP Chair for the state’s Gilchrist County, wrote: “Don’t listen to Trump. Vote NO on Amendment 3.”

Tangent

In his original post on the matter last month, Trump said the state legislature should create laws to prohibit marijuana use in public places: “so we do not smell marijuana everywhere we go, like we do in many of the Democrat run Cities.” This was likely an effort to address one of the key talking points raised by DeSantis and other opponents of the measure. The Florida governor, however, has argued that if Amendment 3 passes, the state’s constitution will only allow “regulating the use of *medical* marijuana in public, but not *recreational* marijuana.”

Big Number

60%. That is the percentage of votes the ballot measure needs to secure for its passage.

Further Reading

As DeSantis fears ‘putrid’ pot smell, Trump says Amendment 3 could be ‘very good’ (Orlando Sentinel)

Javion Hilson, ESPN’s No. 71 overall prospect in the 2025 cycle, has decommitted from Florida State with plans to make a final commitment closer to the Dec. 4 early signing period, the four-star defensive end announced via social media Sunday afternoon.

Hilson had been committed to the Seminoles since Jan. 12 and was the second-ranked member of Mike Norvell’s 2025 class, per ESPN’s rankings. His decommitment comes amid Florida State’s 0-2 start to the 2024 season and marks the second departure from the program’s incoming class this weekend after four-star defensive tackle Myron Charles (No. 166 in the ESPN 300) flipped to Texas on Saturday.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to decommit from Florida State and reopen my recruitment,” Hilson said in his announcement. “I will be making my final decision in December. Thank you to everyone at FSU for their support.”

Hilson is a star pass rusher at Florida’s Cocoa High School, where he logged 97 total tackles and 14 sacks while leading the program to a second consecutive Class 2S title as a junior last fall. The 6-foot-5, 235-pound defender is ESPN’s No. 11 defensive end and the 11th-ranked prospect from the state of Florida in the 2025 class.

Hilson took official visits to Florida, Texas and UCF this spring before a pair of trips to Florida State from June 21 to July 27.

Florida State’s 2025 class came in at No. 18 in ESPN’s latest rankings for the cycle before Hilson and Charles pulled their pledges. The Seminoles did gain a recruiting boost in the 2026 class earlier this week when former Syracuse safety commit Izayia Williams, ESPN’s No. 39 prospect in 2026, announced his pledge to Florida State following a Labor Day visit with the program.

The Seminoles were off Saturday and will host Memphis at Doak Campbell Stadium in Week 3.