H-E-B Reveals Landmark Project to Reimagine Grocery

H-E-B will start moving forward with improvement plans to its South Congress store, in Austin, Texas, early next year.

Texas retailer H-E-B has big plans for its longest-standing store in Austin. After more than six decades serving its local community, the South Congress store, located at 2400 South Congress Avenue, is scheduled to undergo major upgrades starting early next year. H-E-B aims to provide a dynamic, entertaining and innovative shopping experience with its reimagined grocery store.

The South Congress H-E-B originally opened in 1957 at 25,000 square feet. Currently, the store is about 69,000 square feet. Completely rebuilt from the ground up, the updated store will measure more than145,000 square feet. The new multilevel store will feature three levels in total: two levels for shopping and dining, and three levels of above-ground parking with more than 600 spaces.

H-E-B has plans to include a host of environmental features for the new store, including rooftop solar panels, smart lighting and abundant natural lighting. The grocer will also pay homage to the surrounding community with local art that celebrates the store’s longtime South Congress roots and today’s vibrant art scene.

“Our vision has always been to create a store that our customers will be proud of, an iconic location that reflects the personality and vibrancy of the South Congress community,” said H-E-B Group VP Central Texas Cathy Harm. “This store is an important part of this neighborhood, and we hope this new design conveys the deep gratitude we have for our loyal customers who have supported our business for more than 60 years.”

Other store features will include:

Curbside and home delivery services
Full-service pharmacy with drive-thru
H-E-B’s True Texas BBQ in-store eatery
Indoor and outdoor seating for dining, and an outdoor stage for live performances
Bakery with handmade breads and H-E-B’s store-made warm tortillas
Expanded beer and wine selection
Healthy Living, Pet, and Beauty departments
H-E-B Flower Bar with seasonal bouquets and arrangements
H-E-B Meal Simple section with fresh chef-inspired meals prepared in store
Sushiya sushi made in-store daily
Cooking Connection with live demonstrations and samplings

Demolition of the old South Congress store will start in February 2022. H-E-B estimates that the landmark project will take about two years to complete.

The grocer will open a temporary store located at the adjacent Twin Oaks Shopping Center to serve customers during construction. The temporary store will open one week before construction starts and offer Home Delivery and H-E-B Pharmacy services. Curbside pickup won't be available, but area customers will be able to access the service from the nearby Riverside H-E-B plus! store.

H-E-B also recently opened another location in the Austin area: a 103,000-square-foot store in Leander.

With approximately 400 stores in Texas and Mexico, San Antonio-based H-E-B is No. 13 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.