7 Publix Deli Requests Georgians Don’t Know They Can Make

The Georgia-Oklahoma game at Sanford Stadium on September 26 is already marked sold out on the athletic department’s schedule page.

A crowd that size runs on food, and plenty of it starts at a Publix deli counter.

But many people stick to their same order.

These are the Publix deli requests Georgians don’t know they can make.

1. Pub Subs on Tutto Pugliese

Publix bakes a round Italian loaf called Tutto Pugliese.

Publix’s newsroom says a Pub Sub can be made with a fresh slice of that bread.

The instruction it gives shoppers is to ask a deli associate at a local store.

None of that shows up in the online sub builder.

That page lists white, whole wheat and Italian Five Grain, and stops there.

Publix says the flour behind the loaf is grown and milled in Italy, and that every loaf is shaped by hand.

Preparing the dough alone takes almost three hours.

The crust is crisp.

2. Wings Tossed in Sauce

Wings from the Publix deli come plain, Hot and Spicy, or tossed in a sauce the customer picks.

The published sauce list runs Caribbean Jerk, Garlic Parmesan, Korean Barbecue, Spicy Gold, Sweet Home Sriracha, and Buffalo in mild or hot.

Publix sells them bone-in or boneless, breaded or unbreaded.

So the sauce is a separate choice from the wing.

A plain order comes out dry, and a tossed order comes out coated.

The counter does the tossing.

3. Deli Samples Before You Buy

Publix’s sliced meats and cheeses page tells shoppers to ask if they want to sample a slice.

The invitation covers the deli meats and cheeses sitting in the case.

Someone deciding between two hams, or between provolone and Swiss, can taste one before naming a weight.

That matters on a specialty item nobody at the house has tried.

The ask has to land before the slicer starts, not after the paper is already wrapped.

One slice settles it.

4. Meat and Cheese Sliced to Order

Publix cuts deli meat and cheese to whatever weight and thickness a customer names, which replaces the pre-packaged tray on the shelf.

Ham shaved paper-thin for sandwiches is a different order from ham cut into thick dinner slices.

The same goes for cheese.

A quarter pound of one brand and a pound and a half of another can ride in the same order.

Brands and thicknesses don’t have to match.

Publix also takes orders for sliced deli meats and cheeses ahead of time for in-store pickup, on the same day.

That’s worth knowing on a football Saturday, when the case draws a line.

5. Special Instructions on Your Order

Publix builds an Add Special Instructions feature into its online deli orders.

The feature appears on some platters, some subs and some cakes.

It’s the place for a request the dropdown menus don’t cover.

Publix attaches a caveat to it.

Its in-store pickup FAQ warns that some special instructions may result in additional charges in the store.

So the request goes in online, and the price can move when somebody collects the order.

Publix says so up front.

6. Changes and Cancellations After Ordering

A Publix deli order isn’t locked the moment a customer submits it.

Publix’s FAQ says changes are always welcome, and it prints the store phone number on the order summary and the email confirmation.

Canceling runs on two clocks.

Platters and cakes can be canceled up to 24 hours before the scheduled pickup time.

Subs can be canceled if it’s more than two hours before that time.

Publix offers online cancellation at select stores and in select time frames, so the phone isn’t always the route.

Two hours, not two minutes.

7. Party Platters Sized to Your Crowd

Four platter sizes sit on Publix’s ordering page, and each is made fresh in the store on 24 hours’ notice or more.

A mini platter serves about 5 guests, and a small serves about 10.

A medium platter stretches to about 18 guests.

A large platter reaches about 28.

Those four numbers come straight off the Publix platter ordering page.

The lineup covers fruit and vegetable platters, sandwich platters, fried chicken platters, deli meat and cheese platters, and dessert platters.

Bigger spreads run through Publix’s catering consultants, who work at select locations and take calls at 1.833.PCATERS.

Publix adds one line to its platter FAQ that is worth reading before kickoff.

Platters that contain fried chicken, such as tenders and wings, are served chilled.

The chicken arrives cold.

What Deli Pickup Costs

Publix charges nothing extra to pick a deli order up in the store.

Its answer on the pricing FAQ is that the service is available without any additional fees or charges.

Sale prices carry over too.

Publix says the site reflects the sale price automatically whenever a pickup item is on sale.

Club Publix perks can come off the total, though Publix notes that not all perks and products qualify.

Payment takes a debit card, a credit card, a flexible spending card, a Publix gift card or Apple Pay.

Publix charges that payment method when the order is submitted.

One part of the order doesn’t ride along with the sub.

Publix reminds customers to collect the drink and the side from a combo themselves at pickup.

That part’s on the customer.

How Long a Deli Order Takes

Publix puts a published average on the deli wait.

One item runs about 25 minutes.

Publix adds that the wait can grow as the order grows, and that it can run longer than expected during busier stretches.

Ordering ahead moves that wait off the Saturday morning line.

Publix takes subs and wraps, sliced deli meats and cheeses, chicken tenders and wings, bread, sushi, and boxed lunches ahead of time.

Platters, cakes and seafood are the orders that need a notice of 24 hours or more.

The pickup window on a platter depends on when the order goes in.

Some platters ordered before noon can be picked up any time the next day.

Publix pushes the earliest pickup on an afternoon order to after noon the day after.

Noon is the cutoff.