H-E-B Readies 1st Multi-Level Store for West Austin

Site will include True Texas BBQ and South Flo Pizza restaurants

12/14/2022

H-E-B is expanding in Central Texas while also planning several future openings for the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

H-E-B is putting the finishing touches on its first multi-level location in Austin, marking a milestone in the grocer’s planned expansion in Central Texas. The long-awaited store, which was put on hold due to pandemic-related challenges, is expected to open on Feb. 15, according to local reports.

The 97,000-square-foot store at 715 S. Exposition Boulevard will feature a two-story porch with views of Lake Austin, as well as “features and innovations that make it a community gathering place," the company said. There will also be a True Texas BBQ restaurant with a full bar and indoor and outdoor seating, a South Flo Pizza restaurant and a coffee shop that serves breakfast tacos.

Construction on the new Lake Austin store began in late 2019 with an original opening set for last year, but was delayed due to the pandemic. The location was designed by San Antonio-based Lake Flato Architects and will feature vine-covered walls, natural lighting, pitched roofs, and limestone, wood, brick and metal materials.

Other features include an expanded beer and wine selection, the retailer’s largest Dinner Tonight meal section, space for cooking demonstrations, a meat market and seafood counter. Parking will be located underground and the store will also have a full-service pharmacy with a drive-thru and a deli with a charcuterie station.

H-E-B is currently finishing a location in the Central Texas city of Georgetown and another in Southwest Austin. At the beginning of November, the grocer also opened three stores on the same day in Plano, Texas, and in the Houston area.

It’s clearly been a busy year for the Texas company, with expansion plans underway in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, a one-day hiring push across the state over the summer and the planned addition of frozen capabilities at its distribution facilities in Temple.

The largest privately held employer in Texas, San Antonio-based H-E-B has more than 420 stores and 145,000 employees in Texas and Mexico. The company is No. 16 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.