Winn-Dixie’s Sleek New Look

The store recently underwent major renovations to update and expand its offering. (Key News via Maria Iriondo)

BY MARIA IRIONDO Key News Contributor

Next time you step into Key Biscayne’s one and only supermarket, you might wonder where you are. No, it’s not Whole Foods or Fresh Market, it’s the newly-refurbished Winn-Dixie.

For many longtime residents, the island’s grocery store has been a sort of Village square – ‘la plaza del pueblo,’ as they say in Spanish – where residents run into each other and stop to say hello. The store, which re-opened in 1993 after flooding during hurricane Andrew, has always been an important part of the community. But for years, some locals chose to shop elsewhere for items they couldn’t find at Winn-Dixie. 

That might change.

A $2 million renovation has turned the old Winn-Dixie into a cool, modern marketplace designed to make grocery shopping easier. Wider aisles, large colorful signs and highly organized shelving that displays a wider assortment of goods aims for a more welcoming and functional setting. 

The new organic shelves at Winn-Dixie. (Key News via Maria Iriondo)

The vast produce section is neatly filled with generous selections of conventional and organic fruits and vegetables that could easily compete with any prime supermarket on the mainland. 

“People are loving the new Winn-Dixie – it’s an exciting change,” says cashier Emma, who has worked at the store for over 20 years – though she did admit that some customers have complained at not being able to find items due to the adjusted layout. 

There’s a natural and organic section stocked with products like dairy alternatives and nutritional supplements. Refrigerators are packed with organic, gluten-free and vegan choices like Udi’s breads, sausage patties and chicken nuggets from Morning Star Farms and fish-less fillets from Gardein.

Speaking of fish, there’s also a new European style seafood counter that entices customers with fresh cuts of sushi grade tuna, Chilean salmon and stone crabs and octopus to name a few. A prime beef section with fine cuts of grass-fed tenderloin or ribeye is complete with an array of vegan alternatives like Beyond Meat burgers and Pure Farmland plant based meatballs. 

The new seafood counter at Winn-Dixie. (Key News via Maria Iriondo)

Shoppers are mostly reacting well. “I’m thrilled to find such a nice variety of meat alternatives,” says vegan shopper Mylene Diaz. “I don’t have to leave the Key to shop anymore.”

Freshly-made pizza and an olive and salad bar are new additions to a well-stocked deli department. The couple behind the sushi counter, Tin-Tin and Billy – familiar faces to regular customers – welcome customers with fresh, new favorites like spicy avocado crab inaki, chicken summer rolls as well as salmon and tuna bowls. The wine aisles too are bumped up with more labels from France, Spain and Italy.

“We’re offering more selections in every department,” says Winn-Dixie general manager Jose Llanes, who oversees more than 140 employees at this store. “Our mission is to serve our community better.”

Sushi royalty, couple Tin-Tin and Billy, with their newly updated section. (Key News via Maria Iriondo)

A brand-new café, right at the entrance, serves espresso, wine and craft beer as well as a full menu. It remains to be seen how shoppers will receive this particular addition, which follows in the vein of several Whole Foods locations in Miami. 

What about protecting the environment by limiting the use of plastic bags? Recently Winn-Dixie’s initiative to replace plastic bags with paper did not seem to go well with all shoppers. What is Llanes doing to tackle the problem? 

“Some customers complained that paper bags were not strong enough to hold their groceries,” explained Llanes. “But we are presently working on a plan to incentivize the use of reusable bags.”

Council Member Katie Petros encouraged the community to go check out the updated store at the Oct. 15 Council meeting. Perhaps a good place to start is the official ribbon cutting ceremony, Wednesday, Nov. 6, at 7:45 a.m. 

The first 100 customers to arrive will receive a free mystery gift card valued between $5 and $250 and a free reusable tote bag. There will be music, wine and food samples. 

Then on Saturday, Nov. 9, Winn-Dixie will hold a community celebration from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with live entertainment, wine and food tastings as well as raffle tickets to win a $100 gift card which will be distributed every hour.