Foley's new Publix located along the Foley Beach Express will have its grand opening on June 18, the company confirmed on their corporate website and on social media.

The Publix is part of a new shopping center called The Village at Foley Crossroads, a retail center sitting on 10 acres of land. The first 1,000 customers on June 18 will receive a free reusable bag. Design plans indicate the grocery store will feature a drive-through pharmacy.

The store and shopping center are part of a project that was approved by Foley City Council in August 2023. In previous reporting by GCM, city officials said the new location, located within four miles from another Publix on South McKenzie Street, will provide shopping opportunities in east Foley, helping both visitors and residents avoid having to drive through the congestion that Alabama Highway 59 faces on a daily basis, especially during peak tourist season in the spring and summer, while also creating job opportunities and revenue for the city.

"It's going to create a grocer on the east side of the city that I think will be very beneficial to people who live on that side of town," City Administrator Mike Thompson said in a statement. "But also, and most important to me, is that it's going to give us the opportunity to secure some of the sales of groceries for tourists that are going down to the Orange Beach market. Obviously, today on Foley Beach Express, there really isn't an alternative for shopping as you go down for your vacation, but this will provide that."

The new shopping center will also have opportunities to house other businesses, but it is not known what businesses other than Publix will open there at this time.