H-E-B completes remodel of North Austin store

After more than two years of work, Texas grocer H-E-B has finished a major remodeling project at its North Hills grocery store in Austin.

The location, which opened in 1989, is nearly 100,000 square feet and now features a number of new departments and offerings. The store remained open during the renovation. the grocer said in its announcement Friday.

Upgrades include a new Home by H-E-B department, dedicated curbside pickup parking, a pharmacy with a two-lane drive-thru, more checkout and self-checkout lanes, a full-service meat counter, an H-E-B Blooms Flower Bar, and a health living department with bulk foods and a nut grinding station.

H-E-B updated the store’s bakery to include a tortilleria that sells fresh-made tortillas, as well as a variety of desserts, pastries and cakes.

There’s also a new, expanded dairy department, and larger areas for frozen foods, outdoor items, beer and wine, and beauty.

H-E-B did not say how much it spent on the renovation, but the grocer frequently invests millions into its upgrades.

In September, the retailer started work on a $10 million remodel of its supermarket in Uvalde, Texas.

Last month, H-E-B announced it would rebrand its 12 convenience stores to H-E-B Fresh Bites, with a focus on fresh, grab-and-go foods.

In March, H-E-B embarked on a “wall-to-wall remodel and expansion” of its Lincoln Heights store in San Antonio.

“Our team is hard at work reinventing our Lincoln Heights store to better reflect and serve this vibrant community,” said Kyle Stevens, H-E-B group VP San Antonio, in a statement at the time. “We want to create a store our loyal customers can be proud of, and we look forward to continue offering a quality shopping experience and the best H-E-B has to offer.”

The fast-growing grocer opened more new grocery square footage in 2022 than any other food retailer, adding 1.2 million square feet, according to a report from commercial real estate and property investment firm Jones Lang LaSalle.

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