Publix has signed a lease for a nearly 55,000-square-foot supermarket at Dominion Square in Culpeper, planting its flag in a town that sits well outside its current Northern Virginia footprint. The store is expected to employ about 140 associates, though the company has not said when it will open.
The new location will sit at the northwest corner of James Madison Highway and Ira Hoffman Lane, according to WJLA, which reported the lease signing and the store's footprint of nearly 55,000 square feet. Publix spokesperson Jared Glover told the outlet the company is excited to extend its growth across Virginia with the new Culpeper location.
No Timeline Yet for Opening
As reported by WTOP News, the Culpeper store will employ about 140 associates once it opens, but no opening date has been set. Glover said in an email that Publix looks forward to bringing its offering to new customers in the community, though the company has not released details on construction timing or hiring.
Culpeper would become the third Northern Virginia community to land a Publix, joining existing stores in Stafford and Fredericksburg. Those two locations currently anchor the chain's presence in the region, per the same WJLA report.
A Growing Northern Virginia Push
Publix's arrival in the D.C. region dates back to December 2020, when the company opened its first local store at Embrey Mill Town Center in Stafford County. That Stafford store opened at 48,300 square feet and was expected to employ approximately 165 associates, according to the Town of Stafford.
The chain is also pushing into Prince William County, where it has announced plans for a store at Ashland Square in mid-county. That location is expected to employ approximately 150 associates, the same WTOP report notes.
Further south in Prince William County, a possible third regional Publix has been floated for Dumfries. As reported by InsideNoVa, a new grocery store, possibly a Publix, has been proposed for the town. Bridgeline Development's plans call for a 50,325-square-foot grocery store at 17439 and 17471 Old Stage Coach Road, including a drive-thru pharmacy, outdoor dining, 6,700 square feet of additional retail, and parking and site improvements, according to a separate InsideNoVa report on the Dumfries town council's approval of permits for the project.
A Major Player in the Grocery Business
Publix describes itself as the largest employee-owned company in the United States, with more than 260,000 associates. The company currently operates 1,421 stores across Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky, per WTOP's reporting.
Whether Culpeper shoppers will be loading up on Pub Subs anytime soon remains unclear, since Publix has not released a construction schedule or opening window for the Dominion Square store. For now, the lease signing marks the most concrete step yet toward bringing the Southern grocery chain to Culpeper.
