LAKELAND — It’s not just a few times a month or even two or three times a week Sandy Couch purposely plants herself in what can sometimes be a 10- to 12-person queue. No, it's five times a week she stands, waiting for the end result.
That result is the ordering, purchasing and procurement of what a writer for Thrillist — an online media brand covering food, drink, travel and entertainment — called “the country’s best sandwiches.”
Those sandwiches are made by delicatessens at Publix Super Markets’ 1,167 stores as far west as Alabama and north in Richmond, Va. According to a Dec. 27 Thrillist article by contributing writer Jason Diamond, Lakeland-based Publix’s sub sandwiches “are always high-quality and reliable.”
And that’s precisely what a few Lakeland deli shoppers at Publix in Lakeland’s Southgate Plaza said they basically think about the supermarket’s sandwiches: consistently made with top-notch ingredients and, most importantly, good.
“Every day during the (work) week, I come in here to order for five people,” said Couch, a Lakeland mortgage brokerage standing in line Friday. “The ingredients are fresh and everything is made to order. They’ll even pull anything off the shelf to make you a sandwich.”
There are currently 23 Publix supermarkets in Polk County, each serving the doted deli sandwiches, such as the standard turkey, ham and roast beef subs — both Publix brand and Boar’s Head brand — as well as more exotic hoagies such as chicken cordon bleu, maple honey turkey and mojo pork.
To Couch’s right, Lakeland’s Jeramiah Roberts, 24, stood at the deli counter as a worker stood ready to slice bread.
Roberts said he and his wife, Ryan, 22, read the Thrillist article and wholeheartedly agree with it. He said he liked the fact the store would even fix up seasonal sandwiches, such as the “Buccaneer,” even when it’s not in season.
Even with a chain sandwich shop just down the road from his downtown Lakeland residence, Roberts, like the article stated, said the grinders are high quality and reliable.
“Maybe you want something from the store on the sub. They’ll get it and they’ll cut it up and put it in there for you," said the Lakeland dairy plant worker.
Brian West, Publix media and community relations manager in Lakeland, said Publix introduced subs in the early 1990s and they’ve remained popular. He said the store’s culinary staff constantly looks for ways to keep the sandwiches tasty and interesting.
“We are very proud of what we do in our stores; the Publix subs are items customers go out of their ways for," he said." Anyone in Florida knows Publix is known for its subs; it’s interesting now the rest of the nation is finding out.”
Paul Catala can be reached at paul.catala@theledger.com or 863-802-7533. He can be reached at Twitter @pcat0226.