Thanksgiving 2017: Where To Buy Groceries In Florida

Don't even think about waiting until Thanksgiving to buy your turkey unless your guests enjoy poultry popsicles. But if you do happen to find yourself out of a critical item on the big day — aside from the traditional main course — there's no need to get your apron all knotted up in a tizzy. You still have options as long as you know what's open and closed around the Sunshine State on Thanksgiving Day 2017.

Some grocery stores will be open for a time and local pharmacies may also be open with limited grocery items and alcoholic beverages. The same goes for gas stations. Don't forget that you can always head to one of the big box stores that might be open to give shoppers a head start on Black Friday.

Patch reached out to a number of Florida area supermarkets and pharmacies to see which stores will be open for that last-minute dollop of whipped cream or perhaps a forgotten bottle of wine to make your holiday just a little bit more special — or your once-a-year guests a little more tolerable.

"As is our tradition, we are closed Thanksgiving Day," Nicole Krauss of the Publix supermarket chain told Patch. You can take all of the Florida Publix locations off your list of what's open on Thanksgiving and not waste time driving to your neighborhood store.

But Publix isn't alone in giving its employees the day off. All Costco Wholesale locations will also be closed as will BJ's Wholesale Club and Sam's Club locations. So scratch those off your list too.

With respect to grocery stores, ALDI stores will also be closed. Winn-Dixie locations in Florida will be open until 4 p.m. while Whole Foods stores will have differing hours depending on the location. The earliest closing times will be at 2 p.m. and the latest at 4 p.m., according to the chain's Heather McReady. See the complete list of Whole Foods closing times for Florida at the end of this story.

All Walmart Neighborhood Market and Walmart locations in Florida will follow a regular schedule on Thursday but you'll have to wait until 6 p.m. if you want to get your Black Friday specials and your groceries at the same time. Target also sells grocery items but the chain won't be opening until 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. It plans to close at midnight and reopen at 6 a.m. on Black Friday.

Walgreens will operate on a normal schedule throughout Florida for both Thanksgiving and Black Friday, according to Emily Mekstan of the chain. You can find the closing time of your local store on Walgreens.com. Some CVS Pharmacy stores in Florida will be operating on a regular schedule for Thanksgiving but some stores will only be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. so it's best to call first if possible. All 24-hour pharmacies will remain open on Thanksgiving but CVS Pharmacies that are located inside Target stores will be closed. CVS will operate on a regular schedule for Black Friday, according to the chain's Stephanie Cunha.

The following are Thanksgiving store closing times for Whole Foods stores in Florida:

Whole Foods Market - Altamonte Springs – Open Until 3 p.m.
305 E Altamonte Drive, Ste 1000
Altamonte Springs, FL 32701

Whole Foods Market - Bayhill – Orlando – Open Until 3 p.m.
Phillips Crossing Center
8003 Turkey Lake Road
Orlando, FL 32819

Whole Foods Market – Biscayne – Open Until 2 p.m.
21105 Biscayne Blvd
Aventura, FL 33180

Whole Foods Market - Boca Raton – Open Until 2 p.m.
1400 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431

Whole Foods Market – Carrollwood – Open Until 2 p.m.
3802 Northdale Blvd
Tampa, FL 33624

Whole Foods Market – Clearwater – Open Until 2 p.m.
Westfield Countryside Mall
27001 US 19 North, Suite 8520
Clearwater, FL 33761

Whole Foods Market - Coral Gables - Open Until 2 p.m.
6701 Red Road
Coral Gables, FL 33143

Whole Foods Market - Coral Springs – Open Until 2 p.m.
810 University Drive
Coral Springs, FL 33071

Whole Foods Market - Davie – Open Until 2 p.m.
1903 University Drive
Davie, FL 33324

Whole Foods Market – Destin – Open Until 2 p.m.
4402 Legendary Drive
Destin, FL 32541

Whole Foods Market - Ft. Lauderdale – Open Until 4 p.m.
2000 North Federal Hwy
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33305

Whole Foods Market - Jacksonville – Open Until 2 p.m.
10601 San Jose Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32257

Whole Foods Market – Downtown Miami – Open Until 4 p.m.
299 SE 3rd Street
Miami, FL 33131

Whole Foods Market – Naples – Open Until 2 p.m.
9101 Strada Place
Naples, FL 34108

Whole Foods Market - Palm Beach Gardens – Open Until 2 p.m.
11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Drive
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410

Whole Foods Market - Pembroke Pines – Open Until 2 p.m.
14956 Pines Blvd
Pembroke Pines, FL 33027

Whole Foods Market - Pinecrest – Open Until 2 p.m.
11701 S. Dixie Hwy
Pinecrest, FL 33156

Whole Foods Market - Pompano Beach – Open Until 2 p.m.
2411 N Federal Hwy
Pompano Beach, FL 33062

Whole Foods Market - Sarasota – Open Until 2 p.m.
1451 1st Street
Sarasota, FL 34236

Whole Foods Market - Sans Souci – Open Until 2 p.m.
12150 Biscayne Boulevard
North Miami, FL 33181

Whole Foods Market - South Beach – Open Until 3 p.m.
1020 Alton Road
Miami, FL 33139

Whole Foods Market – Tallahassee – Open Until 2 p.m.
1817 Thomasville Road
Tallahassee, FL 32303

Whole Foods Market – Tampa – Open Until 2 p.m.
1548 North Dale Mabry Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33607

Whole Foods Market - Wellington – Open Until 2 p.m.
2635 State Road 7
Wellington, FL 33414

Whole Foods Market - West Palm Beach – Open Until 2 p.m.
1845 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd
Bldg. C
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Whole Foods Market - Winter Park North – Open until 3 p.m.
1030 N. Orlando Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789

Image via Shutterstock.