Substantially Special
PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL
It’s a hearty, endlessly customizable meal you don’t need a plate for.
People get off a plane or complete a long car ride from another part of the country, walk up to the deli counter and their internal compass tells them they are home.
It took 62 years for Publix to introduce its distinctive version of the sub sandwich, but since 1992 the Pub Sub has serendipitously become an icon that represents modern foodie culture (did you know you can ask for almost any deli item to be put on a Pub Sub?) and the chain’s undying commitment to making customers smile.
The travel website “Thrillist” once called Pub Subs “the country’s best sandwiches,” there is a trove stories of people being cheered up during life’s most challenging moments by someone bringing them their favorite Pub Sub order, and on April 1 this year, Lakeland Moonwalk—a bounce house and inflatables rental company—posted a “gotcha” by dreaming up a Pub Sub bounce house that included everything except a pool of mayonnaise to dive into.
Many people who grow up near Publix stores don’t think twice about grabbing the company’s best-selling sub, the Chicken Tender Sub, or chowing down on a fresh Ultimate Sub, complete with Boar’s Head deli meat and fresh sliced cheeses. But the popularity of the Pub Sub is highly atypical considering it is a grocery store creation that competes head-to-head with food chain retailers and specialty shops dedicated to doing it better than anyone else without thousands of other product SKUs to focus on.
“As far as I know it was born out of customers calling it a Pub Sub long before we ever stated it through our communications.”
- Tim Cox
How Publix Became a Sub Hub
Lakeland is home to the headquarters for the supermarket chain “Where Shopping is a Pleasure,” and the first Publix opened in Winter Haven in 1930, but the birthplace of the Pub Sub is about 500 miles north. Although a trio of Floridians claim to have concocted the first official “chicken tender sub” in the late 1990s by convincing a deli worker to ring up their custom creation as a sub, the Tampa Bay Times debunked that story. The actual recorded history insists that Publix subs first rolled out in 1992 at the opening of store No. 33, located in Marietta Ga.
Terry Simpson, who retired from Publix in 2016 after working in a number of roles over the course of 43 years, including Business Development Director for Publix Bakery, and then Business Development Director for Publix Deli, said “the crispy crust and delicious airiness of the bread” set the stage for what would help turn a deli counter into a custom-made sandwich kingdom.
It makes sense that the 90s was also the decade when Publix began carrying Boar’s Head products and that Publix went from having zero stores in Georgia to more than 100 in roughly eight years.
Tim Cox, who worked for the grocer for more than 40 years and is widely revered for his work as the Director of Creative Services, said he would love to be able to tell people that the Pub Sub moniker came from a hugely successful marketing campaign, but that’s not the case.
“As far as I know it was born out of customers calling it a Pub Sub long before we ever stated it through our communications,” Cox says. “Fan pages (on social media) would pop up and customers were using that terminology long before…in part just due to our sub’s popularity.”
Simpson said it was humbling to see people acknowledge the quality of their product by raving about it online, and over the years Publix has worked diligently to turn the initial success of Pub Subs into a longterm pillar of the brand.
Simpson notes that during his tenure as Business Development Director for Publix Deli, the chain continually expanded its sub offerings, made efficiency improvements to reduce customer wait times, introduced online ordering and brought a handful of signature NFL team subs to different markets.
For example, the Tampa Buccaneers sub features chicken tenders, bacon, cheddar cheese and a “spicy gold sauce,” while the Miami Dolphins sub is a spin on a Cuban sandwich that includes a lemon garlic aioli sauce and crispy jalapenos.
In 2024, Publix unveiled a partnership with the NHL’s Florida Panthers, and the Publix marketing team acknowledges more fan favorites are likely to be added in the future.
Forever Dialed In
Woven throughout the history of the Pub Sub’s rise to fame is the company’s relentless devotion to customer service and experience. Publix is staunch to ensure the quality and variety of its products, whether its for catering or a picnic lunch and whether it’s at a store here in Lakeland or somewhere as far away as Walton, Ky.
Sure there are times at the end of the day when you might run into bread that is a little extra crusty or find your favorite fixings are out, but the grocer that employs more than 260,000 associates is ready to pit its popular offerings at more than 1,400 stores against any competitors.
Technical Specialist Heather Beck, who joined us for a photoshoot of the delectable sandwiches, said deli associates undergo a rigorous training regimen to prepare for the pace and responsibility of making fresh subs, and employees at brand new locations are fine tuning their skills for at least six to eight weeks before the store even opens to
the public.
The learning curve can be steep with an ever changing menu that attempts to include something for just about everyone. And just when an associate has the menu down, there’s undoubtedly something new on the horizon. In February, Publix unveiled the new “soft sub roll,” a more pillowy white canvas for subs to add to its lineup of sub rolls and wraps that includes gluten-free and keto options.
Publix Media Relations Manager Lindsey Willis actually prefers her Pub Sub without a bun, instead choosing a fresh salad that packs the same memorable flavors.
Simpson says his go-to is the Ultimate Sub with everything on it, while Cox’s favorite is the Boar’s Head Italian sub with black olives, banana peppers, salt, pepper and oregano—with a special request that is a must.
“The key part is to put the sub dressing on the bread before you put the other ingredients…if you put it on first, it soaks into the bread and it’s less messy,” he says.
It’s doubtful Cox’s creation would ever make it on the set of a meticulously planned commercial shoot for Pub Subs, something the longtime creative helped build campaigns around during his tenure.
“For television commercials it had to be dialed in. We would have experts from the deli retail business on set to make sure that everything was prepared to specification.”
The key part is to put the sub dressing on the bread before you put the other ingredients…if you put it on first, it soaks into the bread and it's less messy.”
- Tim Cox, regarding his go-to order of an Italian sub
Feeding the Soul
Even more important than the ingredients—which run aplenty—is the way Publix works to build relationships with customers.
It is the expectation of Publix corporate that an associate responds personally to every customer who has feedback or complaints about a product, including subs, no matter how arduous that can be with emails, letters, social media, etc.
Cox says the brand equity of Publix is built on the earned trust of its customers, and the company’s marketing often strives to connect that trust to the intangibles that have made the grocery chain so successful.
“It’s really trying to connect with people in a way where they believe what you say. It’s also the kind of thing that allowed us to do holiday commercials where we’re really not trying to sell a turkey, what we’re really trying to do is share a little story that resonates with our customers…to communicate in a way that says, ‘Yeah, they get me.’”
While Publix is not about to disclose how many Pub Subs the company has sold the past 33 years, they are certainly keen to convert customers into fanatics—as evidenced by the new line of Pub Sub merchandise that is hitting 363green.com this year.
Their mission is for the lore and popularity of their deli sandwiches to grow along with every new customer, including those youngsters who shyly ask for a free cookie at the bakery, who might just spend the rest of their lives shopping at Publix.
“Our blend of condiments, especially our specialty sub sauce, all combine for the utmost sub experience,” Simpson says. “Add a pint of deli tea and some dirty chips, and life is good!”
“Add a pint of deli tea and some dirty chips, and life is good!”
Pub Sub Trivia
Best-Selling Pub Sub:
Chicken Tender Sub
Most Popular Toppings:
Lettuce, Tomato, Onions
There are four different sub rolls and six different wraps to choose from
The fan favorite limited-edition Turkey Cranberry sub debuted in 2010