Since 1991, Plato the Publixaurus has been Publix's mascot.  

The company wanted to create a mascot that would appeal to children, so Publix artist Warren Dossey was asked to sketch two characters — a farmer and a dinosaur. Ultimately, the dinosaur was selected to represent education, nutrition and environmental awareness. 

“We thought he needed a real name rather than just Publixaurus. I named him Plato, and it seemed to work,” Warren said. 

After Plato had a name, Publix’s ad layout artist Stacy Smith took over.  

“Once Warren did the illustration, it was easy to write about Plato. He has so much personality,” she said. 
 
According to his backstory, Plato was a good little dinosaur who learned about nutrition and exercise. Other dinosaurs wouldn’t listen to what he’d learned, so he left his home to share his knowledge with Publix. He went to sleep one night and woke up in the 20th century. Construction workers building a new Publix store found him and introduced him to store associates. Publix was impressed with Plato’s message, and they asked him to be their spokesdinosaur. 

Plato debuted at the 1991 grand opening of the company’s first Georgia store in Savannah and has made thousands of appearances at store openings and other Publix and community events.  

In 2016, Plato underwent a transformation that brought fresh, exciting energy to his character. 

“We dove into the world of animated characters to figure out how Plato should evolve,” explained Warren. “It was all about bringing him into the present.” 

Plato’s redesigned look became lean, fit and energetic. His colors turned more vibrant, reflecting his renewed vitality. He was also dressed to impress, sporting a white T-shirt with the Publix logo. 

The redesign wasn’t just about his appearance — it aligned perfectly with Plato’s backstory and mission. As the spokesdinosaur championing nutrition and fitness for kids, Plato needed to embody the healthy lifestyle he promoted. The new look proves that staying active and eating healthy can be just as fun as it is important. 

Today, Plato is doing just that as he continues to be a motivation and inspiration for health and wellness!