A new Publix supermarket will open Thursday, August 13, at 3050 19th Ave. NE in Apollo Beach, giving Waterset residents a full-size grocery store inside their community for the first time.

The 50,325-square-foot store will anchor the Wolf Creek Commons shopping center and include a drive-through pharmacy and an adjacent liquor store, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. It will feature Publix's modern redesign with wider aisles, self-checkout lanes, expanded online ordering and curbside pickup, larger bakery and deli displays, and shopper seating areas.

The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners cleared one of the final regulatory hurdles on Tuesday, July 21, approving the acceptance of off-site road, drainage, and water improvements serving the Waterset Publix project. The board also accepted a $66,184.99 warranty bond for those improvements. Commissioner Joshua Wostal made the motion; Commissioner Harry Cohen seconded it. The item passed on the consent agenda.

Developer Redstone Investments said in a July 14 construction update that the project had secured its Temporary Certificate of Occupancy and crews were completing final interior and exterior finishes, system testing, and merchandising ahead of opening day.

The new location sits just under three miles from the existing Publix at South Shore Village in Ruskin and about 3½ miles from the Apollo Beach Publix on U.S. 41. Publix said it is not unusual for stores to open in close proximity when local population and traffic patterns warrant it.

That growth has been dramatic. Apollo Beach's population surged 85% between 2010 and 2020, climbing from 14,055 to 26,002 residents, according to U.S. Census data. A commercial real estate flyer from April 2026 estimates the area's current population at roughly 33,355. Daily traffic on NE 19th Ave. near the store site runs about 17,800 vehicles.

Waterset, the 2,734-acre master-planned community where the store is located, continues to add density. A 400-unit apartment complex broke ground in fall 2025, and an Encompass Health rehabilitation hospital is planned for 2027.

The Waterset community blog described the store in a January 2026 post as "a Publix near every entrance of Waterset," calling it one of the year's most exciting additions.

The Lakeland-based chain has opened 13 new Florida locations so far in 2026. The Wolf Creek Commons store will be its third within about 3½ miles of each other along the South Shore corridor.