Publix Super Markets acquired the three remaining Safeway grocery stores in Florida, including one in Oakland Park.
The Lakeland-based grocery store operator will close the Safeway stores in September and reopen them as Publix stores by the end of the year, adding to the growing number of company-owned Publix stores.
The Safeway store at 950 Northeast 50 Street in Oakland Park is across the street from a Publix store in the Northridge Shopping Center.
But Publix plans to operate both stores and has no plans to close either one, company spokeswoman Nicole Krauss told the Sun-Sentinel.
Publix also acquired Safeway stores at 503 East Altamonte Drive in Altamonte Springs and at 10500 Ulmerton Road in Largo.
After merging with Safeway in 2016, Albertsons converted the stores in Altamonte Springs, Largo and Oakland Park to Safeway locations.
Albertsons spent $10 million to renovate each of the three Safeway stores and added in-store Starbucks cafés at each location. [Sun-Sentinel] – Mike Seemuth