H-E-B Sets Sights on World-Class Shopping

H-E-B is moving forward on plans for a west Austin, Texas, store, with construction set to begin this October. The San Antonio-based grocer describes the new store, which will have a two-story porch overlooking Lake Austin, as “more than a grocery store.”

At a time when many grocers are opening small-format stores, H-E-B is going Texas-style bigger with a more than 110,000-square-foot store at 715 S. Exposition Blvd. H-E-B said it seeks to showcase a world-class shopping experience that offers top-notch customer service and a wide variety of fresh foods and quality products at everyday low prices. The store is expected to open in 2021.

“We are so excited to begin serving this area of west Austin. Our Lake Austin Boulevard store will allow us to better support the needs of these neighborhoods by creating a convenient and comprehensive shopping experience for our customers, allowing them to shop where they live,” Leslie Sweet, H-E-B director of public affairs, said in a statement.

The multilevel store will also include new features and innovations to make it a community gathering place with a fun plaza. Along with a wide selection of organic foods, bulk items and an expansive Healthy Living department, there will be a coffee shop; full-service pharmacy with drive-thru; expanded beer and wine department; full-service meat market and seafood counter; and the company’s largest Dinner Tonight selection with Meal Simple offerings, fresh sushi and Cooking Connection demos.

Store plans also include H-E-B Curbside and Home Delivery, innovative digital services that allow people to place orders online for pickup at the store or delivery to their homes, and a True Texas BBQ with a full bar and indoor and outdoor seating.

Structured underground parking will ensure the store has a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly perimeter with wide, tree-lined sidewalks to encourage walking and biking to the store as well as street-level landscape that softens the store’s impact on the neighborhood.

With a second-level sales floor, customers will have access to three elevators, an open stairway and multiple escalators and cart escalators. The project also includes plans to make upgrades to both Exposition and Seventh streets.

San Antonio-based Lake Flato Architects, an award-winning firm that also designed H-E-B Mueller Market, will introduce design elements that complement the neighborhood, including vine-covered walls; abundant natural lighting; pitched roofs; and complementary building materials and textures, such as limestone, wood, D’Hanis brick and metals.

The design also will involve several environmental sustainability elements, such as rooftop solar panels and energy-efficient refrigeration with condensation capture for landscape irrigation.

“The feedback and comments we received from this community were essential in developing the store’s design and features,” said Sweet. “As we continue to develop plans for this store, we look forward to hearing from our west Austin neighbors and becoming more involved with neighborhood charities and activities.”