A look inside H-E-B's new South Congress store
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The new South Congress H-E-B opened Wednesday morning. Photo: Nicole Cobler/Axios
Hundreds of customers lined up in the cold and rain before dawn Wednesday to be among the first inside H-E-B's new South Congress store.
Why it matters: It's the latest multi-level H-E-B in Austin, and the opening comes as the region's dominant grocer renovates many of its central Texas stores and continues to expand its footprint in the area.
- The rebuilt South Congress store has been a long time coming.
- Demolition of the brand's longest-standing Austin location began in February 2022 and a small, temporary store — stocked with pre-cut produce and fewer options — opened across the street for shoppers during the construction period.
What they're saying: Store officials nearly doubled the size of the original footprint, according to Cathy Harm, H-E-B's regional vice president for central Texas.
- "It may have taken us a while to get here, but we got it done," Harm said in a private ribbon-cutting event Tuesday evening. "We are clearly bringing you all the very best that H-E-B has to offer in this store."
Zoom in: The 145,000-square-foot store is now the largest H-E-B in the Austin area.
- Customers will find three levels of covered, above-ground parking and enter the store through the parking garage by the True Texas BBQ restaurant.
- Escalators take shoppers and their carts up to the second floor and drop them off beside the Blooms flower shop, featuring plenty of floral arrangements, gift baskets and balloons.
Context: The store expands what H-E-B shoppers have come to expect, including house-made guacamole, fresh-squeezed juice, an expansive produce section and, of course, house-made tortillas.
- There's also a Cooking Connection counter for cooking demonstrations and samples, H-E-B's sushi station Sushiya, a bakery and fish and meat markets.
- Like the Lake Austin store which opened last year, shoppers will find a massive beer and wine section, which features a machine that delivers wine samples.
Dig in: H-E-B's expanding True Texas BBQ has been named the best barbecue chain in the state by Texas Monthly.
- Meats are cooked for over 12 hours every day in a smoker, and each location has a dedicated pitmaster, an H-E-B spokesperson told Axios.
- The South Congress location has indoor and outdoor seating, soda fountains, TVs, and beer on tap.
Fun fact: The store features artwork and sculptures from various Texas artists, and the giant, red heart hanging over the escalators was made from the outdoor pylon sign at the original store.
What's next: The retailer has announced 12 major projects for the Austin area, including new stores in Southeast Austin near McKinney Falls, Manor, Georgetown and San Marcos and renovations for its Ed Bluestein store in East Austin and others in Kyle and Bastrop.
- H-E-B officials said in a news release that the projects will add more than 4,000 jobs to the local economy.