H-E-B breaks ground in Mansfield, plots major Waxahachie expansion

Texas grocer H-E-B broke ground on a new location in Mansfield and announced a major expansion planned for its store in Waxahachie, with both projects slated to be completed next year.

Both cities are about 35 miles from Dallas, furthering the San Antonio-based grocer’s commitment to growth in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

H-E-B had previously announced plans for its Alliance store on the northern edge of Fort Worth, about 30 miles north of Mansfield. Alliance and Mansfield will become the retailer’s first flagship format stores in Tarrant County, H-E-B said.

“We’re extremely excited to strengthen our commitment to the DFW Metroplex with our move into Mansfield,” Juan-Carlos Rück, H-E-B’s EVP of North West Food/Drug, said in a statement. “Our H-E-B locations across North Texas continue to stir up great excitement with customers, and this H-E-B store will allow us to answer the long-standing call for an H-E-B in this thriving community.”

The 118,000-square-foot store is expected to employee 700 workers.

It will feature native landscaping and energy-efficient design, including CO2 refrigeration units and LED lighting.

The Mansfield location will also feature a full-service pharmacy with a drive-thru and a True Texas BBQ restaurant, also with a drive-thru. It will also include the grocer’s Texas Backyard department with outdoor items, Home by H-E-B department with furniture and other décor, as well as a full-service bakery, deli, sushi made in-store, cooking demonstrations, Texas-grown produce, bulk foods, prepared meals and more.

The Mansfield store is scheduled to open in spring 2024.

H-E-B entered the Dallas-Forth Worth area in 2001 and currently has locations in Dallas, Plano, Southlake and Fort Worth, along with the nearby communities of Burleson, Hudson Oaks, Granbury and Waxahachie.

H-E-B is embarking on a major remodeling project at its Waxahachie, Texas, location. / Photo courtesy: H-E-B

H-E-B announced major renovations Monday of its store in Waxahachie, a remodeling project that will add more than 22,000 square feet to the location, transforming it into an H-E-B Plus format.

At 127,000 square feet, the revamped H-E-B will feature an expanded product assortment, a two-lane pharmacy drive-thru, an expanded curbside pickup area and nearly 50 additional parking spots for in-store shoppers.

New additions to the Waxahachie H-E-B will include a True Texas BBQ restaurant with outdoor seating, a sushi kiosk, cooking demonstrations, and new departments selling floral, home, apparel and outdoor cooking items.

Upgrades to existing areas include additional checkout lanes, a larger bakery, a full-service seafood counter, an expanded meat department with a full-service counter, expanded beer and wine, and a larger healthy living department with a nut grinding station.

The Waxahachie H-E-B will remain open during renovations. The upgrades are scheduled to be complete next year.

H-E-B opened more new grocery square footage than any other grocer in 2022, adding 1.2 million square feet, according to the recently released annual report from commercial real estate and property investment firm Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).

H-E-B currently operates more than 430 stores in Texas and Mexico and, with 154,000 workers, is the largest private employer in the state.