Now, signs recently posted inside and outside of the front entrances of Publix stores throughout the state, including in South and Central Florida, suggest the store\u2019s policy has shifted again.<\/p>\n
The signs, including those at an Alafaya Trail store in Orange County and an Orlando Avenue store in Maitland, read: \u201cPublix kindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores.\u201d Publix\u2019s customer service FAQ website shows<\/a> the same message.<\/p>\n Publix\u2019s corporate office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the signs or its policy. The grocer is a popular shopping option in Florida, with 900 stores in the state.<\/p>\n The signs were first reported Tuesday by the Suncoast Searchlight and the Tampa Bay Times.<\/p>\n The Orlando Sentinel contacted four Publix stores in Orlando, Clermont, Kissimmee and Sanford. Customer service and store management referred questions to the company\u2019s corporate media relations.<\/p>\n The South Florida Sun Sentinel contacted nine Publix stores in South Florida, including locations in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Sunrise and got the same response.<\/p>\n In the fall, news that some customers could be openly carrying firearms while shopping at Publix stores prompted anger and threats of boycotts but also support from some who said it would make them feel safer.<\/p>\n Florida began allowing\u00a0open carry<\/a>\u00a0on Sept. 25 after an appeals court overturned the state\u2019s ban\u00a0on openly carrying firearms, deeming it unconstitutional<\/a>.<\/p>\n In October, Lindsey Willis, a Publix spokesperson, sent the Sun Sentinel a statement that suggested, but did not expressly state, that the company would allow open carry in its stores.<\/p>\n The statement said: \u201cAs of Sept. 25, 2025, Florida law allows the open carry of firearms. Publix follows all federal, state and local laws. Treating customers with dignity and respect is a founding belief at Publix. In any instance where a customer creates a threatening, erratic or dangerous shopping experience \u2014 whether they are openly carrying a firearm or not \u2014 we will engage local law enforcement to protect our customers and associates.\u201d<\/p>\n However, several store managers contacted at the time said clearly that open carry was allowed in their stores. One manager at a St. Cloud Publix said no one would approach a customer with a visible gun \u201cas long as the customer is respectful to others and not causing a disruption.\u201d<\/p>\n Sun Sentinel staff writer Susannah Bryan contributed to this report.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/1778216725_616_IMG_5805_c79e4e-e1778110797586.jpg\")
A sign at a Publix in Miami Beach says the grocery chain \u201ckindly asks that only law enforcement openly carry firearms in our stores.\u201d (Angie DiMichele\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n