The Amazing Service Publix Offers To Customers Buying Seafood

Publix is a Southern grocery store staple that's known for its exceptional customer service. Among several awards recognizing the store's commitment to customers, Newsweek magazine has ranked Publix number one in supermarket customer service from 2019 to 2024. Indeed, it appears the grocery store chain lives up to its longtime slogan, "Where shopping is a pleasure." One specific example of Publix employees going the extra mile is demonstrated at its seafood counter, where, if a shopper purchases fish or shellfish, they can request to have it seasoned and steamed for free by the counter worker. 

Simply choose your fish, shrimp, crab legs, or lobster tails, and (upon request) the employee will flavor them in a bag with seasonings of your preference, like lemon pepper, Cajun, or Old Bay. Then, continue to shop for a few minutes while they steam the food for you. Pick up your freshly steamed seafood and head home for a tasty prepared lunch, dinner, or snack. 

Bear in mind that it's best to stick to smaller portions of seafood if you would like it to be steamed, since the seafood counter doesn't necessarily have the ability to steam massive quantities of food at once. Contrary to what some social media posts might claim, this service isn't intended to be for multiple types or large quantities of seafood, such as you might prepare for a seafood boil. It's also a service only provided for shoppers in the store — you can't call ahead and request steamed seafood for pick-up. 

 A significant part of what makes Publix eager to please its customers is its status as an employee-owned grocery store. In fact, Publix is the largest employee-owned company in the United States, with over 260,000 employees. According to research by the National Center for Employee Ownership, employee-owners generally have a higher income, better benefits, and more job stability than non-employee-owners, which translates to higher job satisfaction and productivity. 

Besides steaming seafood, Publix offers customers an array of services that aren't available at other grocery stores, like their free smash cake included with the order of a child's cake for their first birthday. Another popular offering is their deli subs or "Pub subs." Made with freshly baked bread in-house, deli cuts and other proteins, and fresh veggies, Publix subs are a fan-favorite among the Southern grocery store's shoppers. They also offer a wide array of types of subs, from classic options like the Boar's Head Turkey Sub and Publix Italian Sub, to unique creations like the Boar's Head Chicken Cordon Bleu Sub and the Publix Deli Spicy Falafel Sub. 

If you're hosting an event, you might want to consider using Publix's complimentary catering consultant service. The catering consultant will help you plan your menu for parties of any size. Publix has an impressive catering menu with options including charcuterie plates, a wide variety of appetizer platters, sandwich platters, sliders, salads, soups, seafood platters, fried and baked chicken platters, and meals for 24 people such as fried chicken, mojo or smoked pork, and smoked ribs.