Jacksonville #4 | Publix #177

Sing Food Store | Deli

9370 Philips Highway

Jacksonville, FL 32256

On The Fly

Scroll Down for today's MTC post on Publix #177

Welcome back to The Sing Oil Blog! If you are reading this, chances are that you've noticed something odd. You are probably asking yourself, "Didn't I just read about a former Sing Store two weeks ago? I thought this was supposed to be a week of 'bonus' content!"

Okay, I doubt most of you are that keen on my posting schedule, but the fact is that this post was originally intended to go live back on November 2nd instead of my piece on the old Opp Sing and Winn-Dixie #426 in Dothan. My personal schedule has just been a bit crazy as of late, and this post had to be put on the back burner.

Courtesy of me, myself, & I

On the other hand, yours truly will take a quick break from touring today's Sing while AFB of The Albertsons Florida Blog provides our convenience store tour. AFB was kind enough to stop by this former Sing several years ago as part of a broader trip to the area following my plea to any and everyone for help with some of these far-fetched locations.

I am ashamed to admit that I passed by this store several years later during an unexpected trip to Jacksonville and neglected to venture inside. I was traveling with a friend, and I'm sure he was already tired of me dragging him to see the old Publix #177 that was slated to be torn down in a matter of months. I didn't want to press my luck!

I also knew that AFB had already photographed the place, and I have to say, he did a really good job. Convenience stores are extremely nerve-racking places to capture due to their confined space and reputation for robbery, which makes a set of 8-10 relatively clear photos seem like a goldmine. Furthermore, C-stores often lack any interior shots on Google Maps, Yelp, or Foursquare (R.I.P.), which makes a physical visit all the more important.

Jacksonville's Sing Food Store #4 was an important one for Sing Oil Company because it was possibly the last station opened before the October 1990 merger with Amoco. Thanks to the spotty (but improving) online coverage of the Florida Times-Union, I don't have an exact opening date; however, there are good odds that it opened after the Perry, GA, Truck Stop did in June 1989. I should be able to update this post in a few weeks with more details on this front.

I mentioned in the Perry #2 post how, according to Tom Perry, Sing's former Executive VP & General Manager, Sing started to reserve resources as talks with Amoco began regarding a potential merger. I've seen records that indicate the original articles of merger were drawn up in 1989, so it makes sense that no stations were built or opened in the year leading up to the Amoco acquisition. Just like what we have witnessed with the Winn-Dixie / ALDI debacle, it doesn't make sense to perform capital expenditures if your acquirer has different corporate goals in mind.

Amoco indeed had little use for many Sing Stores; however, certain markets proved to be of higher importance. Jacksonville must have been one of those stronger markets for the Chicago-based oil giant because it has two of only three former Sings to have maintained the "proper" brand lineage. Sure, you could argue that Tallahassee also falls into this category since the Circle K deal only came about thanks to a requirement by the FTC for Amoco to divest from the market in 1999, but that doesn't change the fact that Jacksonville #3 & #4 continue to sell Amoco Ultimate gasoline from bp rather than the Thursday special found at Circle K.

In addition to the two Jacksonville stores that AFB has covered, Sing Oil once owned two vacant lots in the area: one on the other side of I-95 at 11025 Philips Highway and one at Silverleaf in St. Johns County. Several former Sing executives, including Dick Singletary, Dallas Strickland, and Tom Perry, sold the Philips Highway parcel in 1992 and a convenience store was built on it in 1993.

The St. Johns County land was originally purchased by Sing in 1984 for $75,000 and was later sold back to the original grantor by Amoco in 1998 for $50,000. Mr. & Mrs. Roberts got one heck of a deal by getting paid $25k to let Amoco/Sing hold their land for 15 years . . . Anyhow, that parcel now features a U-Haul storage facility and is across the street from a brand new Harris Teeter that is about to be built. If only Amoco had held onto that deed, it would be worth quite a bit more than $50k today. It's still crazy to think that Sing purchased the land over four-decades ago in an area that is just now being built out. That new Harris Teeter will also face the fierce competition of a nearby Publix across the street from a Publix (GreenWise). Riveting stuff is happening at Silverleaf.

Without further ado, let's see what AFB has to say about his time in the US' largest city.

Hello all! While the Sing Oil Blogger provided us with the lead in to today's Sing store, your correspondent from the Floridian Peninsula, AFB, will be bringing you the ground coverage for today's post (and some of the coverage for today's MTC visit too). Now that we've had a chance to learn a little more about Jacksonville's last - as well as the Sing Oil chain's very last - new store, let's see what remains here from the Sing days. Interestingly, for a Sing location that didn't last very long due to its opening right before the sellout to Amoco, there were a few pleasant surprises we'll be seeing here today.

Like some of its siblings that opened toward the end of Sing Oil's run (such as LaGrange #5 or Tallahassee #14), this store had a rather plain boxy, rectangular design for the convenience store. Overall, what we see here today (besides the paint scheme) is original to when this station was built in 1989, including the oh-so-1980's ribbed concrete walls and the projected overhang over the front doors.

One additional set of windows can be found on the left side of the building, looking out toward Shad Road. I believe these windows were installed to allow some natural light into what was once Sing's sitting area for patrons wanting to dine in-store with foods from the deli, even though (as we'll see once we head inside) that area isn't used for much of anything these days.

Like its slightly older sibling just down the road, Jacksonville #3, Jacksonville #4 is also branded under the "On The Fly" convenience store brand, selling BP fuels too. While Jacksonville #3 was heavily remodeled and modified in the years since Sing closed, this location took a totally opposite path and received very few updates since the late 1980's. Even though this station and Jacksonville #3 are both affiliated with Giant Oil (parent brand to "On The Fly"), they are franchised separately to different owners by Giant Oil, hence the two totally different paths those stores went down as far as remodeling goes.

Walking up to the front doors, I was intrigued by the wooden bench set placed outside. Not really the type of bench you'd see used for outdoor seating arrangements, this looked more like something you'd see inside a 1980's fast food operation. My gut was right, and in addition to this table, a few more identical ones could be found inside, this bench most likely dragged out here when Sing's old dining area was taken out of service. After conferring with the Sing Oil Blogger, while this particular bench design didn't look familiar to him, the booth set-up did match Sing's style (particularly the Formica color), leading him to believe these tables are original to Sing (the style difference probably coming from the fact this store was a very late build in Sing's tenure).

Nice reflection of the Hyundai. It could easily be sitting inside the store!

Here's a close-up of this store's al-fresco dining option, which is clearly weather worn from sitting out here for years (and most likely not intended for outdoor conditions). Behind the table we also get ourselves a close-up of some original wood paneling, most likely just repainted in the years since Sing closed.

Stepping inside, we find a rather wide but very shallow convenience store salesfloor. Stepping through the front doors, the cash register is immediately in front of you, stationed against the back wall (which per the Sing Oil Blogger, is the same placement as LaGrange #5, suggesting the layout of this store is original as well to Sing).

In addition to the layout, there should be one other pretty obvious Sing remnant standing out to any keen-eyed blog readers - that being the floor tiles. That tile pattern is very much a classic one from many of the stations toured on the blog in the past.

Going past the front windows, we find a small "this and that" section in the front right corner of the building, home to auto supplies, paper goods, Febreze, foam coolers, etc., and more etc., - all stacked almost to the ceiling too! While the variety of merchandise was impressive, what really intrigued me as I was walking around this store were the yellow and red stripe bands around the perimeter of the store. After seeing how original much of this store was, I wondered if those stripes were something original to Sing, although there really weren't any comparisons available for what the interior of a late-era Sing would have looked like as far as decor goes. After asking the Sing Oil Blogger about those stripes, here is what he had to share about those: "Sing was a fan of blue wall accents during the late-1980's. Those stripes look like they may be from the late-Amoco or earlier BP days."

While most likely not original to Sing, those stripes could very well be 20-30 years old in their own right, so still an interesting find.

The right side wall was home to the beer coolers, with the non-alcoholic options around the corner on the back wall. Over here by the coolers, any old wall striping was covered over by modern advertisement posters, but at least we still have the original floor tiles to hold our interest!

At the end of the coolers was a red-painted door that led into the backroom space of this store, with the cash register located just to the left of that door around the corner.

Jumping to the other side of the convenience store, the left side of the building was home to all the self-service drink stations. To the left of the cashier counter was the soda fountain, with the modern refreshment machines set atop what appear to be Sing's original counters.

The matching coffee counter was located across from the soda fountain, backing up to a closed off area of the salesfloor currently being used for storage, but previously would have been home to Sing's indoor dining area.

In addition to the lone table outside, two additional matching tables could still be found inside, tucked into the back left corner near the soda fountain and bathrooms. Per the Sing Oil Blogger, those tables all once would have been lined up against the left wall, going down past the window that looks out toward Shad Road. With the front corner being closed off for storage, this is what we're left with as far as indoor dining goes.

Compared to many of the Sing stations we've seen in the past on the blog that have been modernized by Circle K or other big-name corporate c-store brands, some of these one-off franchisee stations can be interesting little glimpses into the past. While not perfect, this building still contains many original elements from Sing, which is pretty impressive considering this store's brief tenure as a Sing ended almost 35 years ago!

Unfortunately, I didn't get any great photos of the station's fuel canopy while I was here, with this being the lone photo I got from my car after I finished fueling up here. These days the station sells BP fuels, the BP branding stemming from this store's transition to Amoco following that company's purchase of Sing in 1990. Following Amoco's own merger with BP in 1999, this station was eventually transferred from corporate ownership to independent ownership (Giant Oil), although the fuel branding relationship has remained ever since.

After I finished pumping my gas and taking photos of the convenience store itself, a freight train happened to come by. Said freight train then decided to stop completely and block the railroad crossing on Shad Road right behind this station, in turn jamming up traffic on US 1 out front. As such I was essentially blocked in for a little bit until the train finally passed, so that gave me a few extra minutes to wander around the parking lot until the traffic broke. Looking out toward the growing traffic on US 1, here's a look at one of the light poles on the perimeter of the gas station property. According to the Sing Oil Blogger, while the light fixture itself hails from Amoco, the pole is most likely original from Sing.

Courtesy of me, myself, & I – Wow, one of my photos proved to be helpful!

Passing by during his Jacksonville trip, the Sing Oil Blogger managed to make up for my lack of an overview shot showcasing the convenience store with its fuel canopy. You can also see the railroad crossing in his photo that caused the delay during my trip!

Wow, diesel was expensive! - The S.O.B.

Right on the corner was the station's main sign, which faced traffic on US 1. The sign is very much standard issue BP and was probably replaced a few times through the years here.

Lastly from my ground coverage, here's a look at the air and vacuum station located off to the right side of the building, complete with the matching light post we've seen many times before. Anyway, I'll leave it to Sing himself to finish out this portion of the post with some satellite images, as now that the freight train has moved on out, I'll be leaving to drive up the road to our MTC destination, where I'll rejoin everyone on My Florida Retail! Also, keep scrolling down to read the Sing Oil Blogger's take on today's MTC store, the former Publix #177.

Street Views

Google Street View - January 2008 - The final stand for Amoco Fuels

Google Street View - November 2008 - Notice how there were only three gas pumps.

Google Street View - July 2016

Google Street View - June 2024 - It looks like the store got a new canopy.

Aerial Views

Historic Aerials - 1988
Future site of the Jacksonville Sing #4

Google Earth - December 1994
Former Sing at the corner of Shad Rd and Philips Hwy

Google Earth - January 2025
Former Jacksonville Sing Store #4

Additional Resources:

Historic Aerials

Google Earth Pro

Google Maps

Duval County Property Records

Parcel ID: 159637-0100

You Thought You Had Escaped

Publix #177

Deerwood Village Shopping Center

9964 Old Baymeadows Road

Jacksonville, FL 32256

For a different perspective on this store, check out AFB's companion post over on My Florida Retail.

Rather than combining our coverage on former Publix #177, AFB said it would be faster to have two separate posts; I think he just wanted to write his own piece on this store! Oh well, I suppose you can deal with another week of me nagging to you about a supermarket.

Considering how I thought I was going to get a short vacation this week, you at least shouldn't have to put up with too much of my nonsense here – I'd say that we should keep things short and sweet (unlike Publix' time here). Well, I shouldn't speak too soon . . .

The Florida Times-Union (Newspapers.com) - Publix #165 Grand Opening - October 3, 1971

Store #177 first opened its doors on August 14, 1974, as Publix' fifth attempt in Duval County. It joined stores #162, #163, and #165, which had opened three years prior (shown above). The Florida Times-Union unfortunately does not include coverage on Newspapers.com beyond 1971, so we are stuck without a grand opening ad for the store du jour.

The Florida Times-Union (Newspapers.com) - Publix #177 Grand Opening - August 12, 1974

Little did I know, two days after writing that last sentence the Times-Union coverage would expand to encompass the entire '70s. I'm sure it won't be long before the website includes papers from the 1980's and 1990's as well.

Moreover, we now have our long-awaited grand opening ad showcasing the gourmet store "heapin' with fine foods." In addition to a deli, premium meat department, and produce department showcasing "nature's best," the new Publix also featured a Danish Bakery in an adjacent storefront. It's also neat to see how this store remained its original look until the end.

Following two-decades in Deerwood Village, Publix decided to expand the roughly 35,000 sq ft store with a 10,000 sq ft addition on the east side of the store. Expansions were very common to see at Publix stores during the 1990's, and unlike Winn-Dixie's similar efforts at the time, no two Publix expansions seemed to be exactly the same.

Foursquare - August 28, 2012

Likewise, this store's reconfiguration totally flipped the service department layout and tacked on a new vestibule to the front of the building. Some minor façade modifications were included as well, but the original Spanish-style look persisted through the changes. The pink diamond column accents were most definitely added during the 1990's expansion, though.

Foursquare - June 20, 2014

On the inside, this store underwent at least two full remodels following its Wavy Pastel look during the late-'90s; the first of those likely being a re-image to the Invigorate / Classy Market 2.0 package.

Foursquare - April 29, 2013

We should recognize that seafood sign by now, and I'd also like to point out the aisle markers shown here. These were the ones used in new-construction Invigorate stores, which leads me to believe this store entirely skipped the Kiwi / Classy Market 1.0 package. It likely would have kept the signs from that slightly older interior up until the store remodeled to Sienna in late-2014 or 2015 had it ever sported Kiwi.

Ultimately, and expansion and remodels could not prevent this 50-year-old store from falling victim to the wrecking ball. Publix #177 last served customers on October 5, 2024, while its 45M replacement, #1841, is set to open next month.

Just outside the store's left entrance, we find this circa 1974 Pati Mills tile mural of what appears to be the Mexican countryside (notice the mountains, Catholic church, Spanish tiles, cacti, and yucca). These murals are increasingly hard to find on active Publix stores, with only ~~thirteen or so~~ (make that fourteen) remaining and another twelve-ish preserved on former stores.

Courtesy of Publix - Store #2043 Grand Opening - November 13, 2025

I initially thought that the old mural from #177 was demolished along with the rest of the building, but now I'm not so sure. In a surprise move, Publix unveiled the above Pati Mills mural (trimmed in classic green Publix marble) at the grand reopening of the Lake Miriam store in Lakeland earlier this week. Several of us Southeastern Retail Bloggers were discussing this mural and where it came from; I eventually solved the mystery . . .

Courtesy of The Albertsons Florida Blog - Mural at former Publix #11 - August 2017

. . . Thanks to information compiled by either GeorgiaPubDude or AFB, I found a video showcasing the old #11 mural and realized that I had a match. AFB shared this picture with me after I sent the news, and it indeed looks like Publix was able to salvage the art before store #11 was demolished in 2018.

Was the mural from #11 only saved because it was from a Lakeland store? I don't know the answer to that, but now I wonder how many other Pati Mills tile mosaics were put in storage over the last seven years. Did Publix plan for this to go on display at a different Lakeland store all this time?

Stepping back into Jacksonville, we find the expansive vestibule added during the 1990's. These ceilings look very tall!

Also, we see our pre-2016 Sienna remodel tile band glued to the walls. You'll notice that the green and brown tile pattern has a bull nose at the edges to show that it was installed atop of the existing white tile. Publix did this in all of the service departments during the early Sienna days as a way to hide the bright coral, teal, and grey tiles from days gone by. Later Sienna remodels opted instead for vinyl wraps to cover the old tile, while previous interior packages either covered the walls with marbled plastic, stainless steel, or nothing at all. The occasional lucky store had its offensive tile bands ripped out and replaced with plain white squares.

Looking out from our vintage vestibule vantage point, we find one of the most unique aspects of Publix #177: it's original concave entryway. Most remodels removed this wall all together, so it is interesting to see how construction crews decided to leave it in place here.

Publix has used this same style of "information center" for over two decades now. Newer stores seem to favor small shelving units instead, but I still come across these rotating displays in most locations. I'm also a bit surprised to see a bilingual in-store ad here. I didn't think those were used in North Florida.

Once inside the second set of doors, we find a vast open space in front of the customer service desk that was used for the weekly specials. This store's service counter was originally found below the "restrooms" sign to the right.

On the contrary, the dairy aisle (and the right side of the store as a whole) remained largely unchanged during the 1990's expansion. I'm sure that a few extra refrigerated cases were added, but that is about it.

Turning around, we can see the customer service desk's "new" location along the front wall of the building.

Lunch meats and refrigerated pasta continued along the back wall to cover the space once home to the deli.

I believe the vaulted ceiling transition that we see here was originally adorned with natural cedar paneling. The Portabello brown paint does a decent job of matching that look.

I miss the old banners! The last time I remember seeing a new set was way back in December 2023; it seems like Publix has since deemed them a waste of money.

Back up front, this store previously had a Barnett Bank / NationsBank / Bank of America branch from June 29, 1996 through November 9, 2007. I would imagine the bank was adjacent to the customer service counter because I don't see many other places it could have been. The only other option I can think of is if there was an island of sorts where some of the BOGO tables were in 2023.

Another unique aspect about this store was how it had several express checkout lines that lacked conveyor belts. These fixtures must have been fairly old considering how there are two "new" express cubes nested inside of old black express lights.

That is quite the large air vent! Just like we saw in Perry's Winn-Dixie #104, the vaulted ceiling over the grocery aisles was only made possible thanks to the lack of HVAC ducts above those acoustic tiles (hence the air vents lining the ceiling transition).

Returning to the back of the store, we find a small window to the butcher room below the "meats" sign.

The seafood counter was directly to the left of that and featured our second Sienna tile band design of the day. Can you imagine the look on people's faces if sushi was offered for sale here in 1974?

Continuing to the left, we find the transition between old and new; striped and solid; seafood and produce.

Accenting the right wall in this shot is Shagreen – one of the rarest colors in the Sienna palette. I'm not sure why the pale shade of green is so elusive, but I can only recall finding it in fewer than five stores. Most locations instead opted for some combination of brown, orange, and a darker green.

The line of control joints in the original flooring that runs parallel to the back of the store was likely cut to provide utilities to a series of island coffin cases. Publix was a big fan of these in the past; now the grocer prefers to have longer aisles and more freezers elsewhere in the store (like the ones off to my right).

A selection of frozen foods called aisle 12 home, along with an endcap of bulk foods. It's been a long time since I've seen bulk food hoppers like these in a Publix, and that probably has to do with how quickly the product inside spoils (or how much of a pain it is to ring up at the register).

In spite of these, this store still had its fair share of boxed bulk goods available in the produce department.

Looking down the grand aisle, we see a layout that reminds me of one of the old Miami Food World (store #223). It seems strange that Publix could have taken inspiration for this store's new layout from a then 15-year-old design, but nothing is out of the question. After all, Publix revived the 61M design for one last hurrah seven years after the next newest one was built.

Shifting the deli and bakery departments to this wall most definitely gave both of them more prep room to work with. It was probably easier to locate them in the brand new space rather than trying to retrofit them on the opposite side of the store.

Look at how nasty the floor looks here! As a consequence of me visiting this store over two years ago, I can't remember if Publix installed real or epoxy terrazzo in the addition. I'm leaning toward it being real since I think I see control joints. In any regard, it desperately needed polishing.

Chips are not a common find on the last aisle of a Publix, yet here they were.

Last, but not least, we find the deli in the front left corner of the store (paired with its brown tile design). It must have been fairly crowded (shocker) considering my lack of photos.

It is odd to see these tall ceilings up front because this part of the store otherwise reminds me of a 40E from a decade later.

Looking across the front end, we see this store's wide selection of magazines adjacent to the wine aisles. Sounds like two things that make for a great girls' night out!

Let's take one last look across the front wall of the store and see how Publix managed to fit a full Instacart staging area here.

Two things you'll likely never see again in a Publix: a concave entryway and a Redbox machine.

Our parting shot showcases the original trapezoidal road sign facing Old Baymeadows Road, which is quite the rare sight in itself. Surprisingly, Publix decided to reuse the old frame for the new store. I wish the same could be said about the old Lake Placid store's sign, but it least it was recycled in some fashion.

Courtesy of Robert J D Trego (Google Maps) - July 2025

Thanks to several images from Google Maps, we can see that the sign has been re-faced and still stands proudly in front of the new store.

Speaking of the new space, Publix #1841 is scheduled to open on December 11, 2025, marking an end to the year-long hiatus of Publix at Deerwood Village. Shoppers will soon no longer have to drive an extra 2.5 miles to get their Pub fix or settle for the Rowe's IGA in the former Winn-Dixie next door.

That will conclude today's post, so I hope you enjoyed our Jacksonville adventures. Thanks again to AFB for helping me out with his coverage of the old Sing – make sure to read his post on Publix #177 as well.

Until next time,

- The Sing Oil Blogger

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