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The other day, I was talking to my son about why I drive over 15 miles to get to an H-E-B rather than go to a store a mile down the road. “H-E-B makes me excited about food,” I told him. “Tom Thumb makes me sad about food.”
(At me, Tom Thumb. Lower your prices after hiking them during the pandemic, and provide more fresh options. Make the pharmacy coupon easier to access; we shouldn’t need a rocket science background to use it. Be present for customer feedback. Act like maybe you care even a skosh. A skosh!)
Anyhoosie. H-E-B isn’t building a store closer to my house, but if you live in Carrollton, mazel tov. The San Antonio-based store has earned a rock-star-like status in Texas for its replete and abundant grocery options at competitive prices. The stores turn the chore of shopping into an adventure, and if that’s not the vibe you’re looking for, consider avoiding a weekend trip. The stores typically have a bakery, seafood counter, meat market, floral section and housewares, but most people linger long in the abundant produce section. You can also get a nice seasonal plant.
According to documents from the Carrollton City Council, a store located on a 17.2-acre city-owned property at the northeast intersection of Josey Lane and Parker Road is headed for approval.
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A Few Details
The Carrollton Planning and Zoning Commission is holding a public hearing on November 24 to consider an ordinance that would amend the current zoning on this land, allowing for a retail space with a gas station and car wash on site.
Per the report, a traffic impact analysis was submitted and reviewed by Carrollton’s Transportation Engineering Division.
The staff recommends approval of the site, with stipulations, which is a few pages long, but seems like it mostly requires a certain percentage of trees, shrubs and landscaping in the parking lot. That’s nice.
The 120,000-square-foot store will feature a gas station, car wash, restaurant and pharmacy, with the latter two offering drive-thru services. Covered grocery pick-up will also be provided. There will be more than 600 parking spaces. H-E-B will also offer plants for sale at the front of the store.
We reached out to Mabrie Jackson, H-E-B’s managing director of public affairs, and they said they look forward to sharing more details in the future.
H-E-B’s Dallas Takeover
Finally! H-E-B has been expanding its presence in North Texas since it opened its first store in Plano in 2022. There are now more than a dozen H-E-B stores, mostly to the north and south of Dallas.
However, that’s slowly changing: after a bit of NIMBY, the first H-E-B is scheduled to open in Dallas at the intersection of Hillcrest Road and LBJ Freeway, hopefully sometime in 2026.
H-E-B bougie sister-concept Central Market has been long established in North Texas, with stores in Fort Worth, Southlake and three in Dallas.
And we love Joe V’s Smart Shop, a slimmed-down version of H-E-B for price-savvy shoppers. A new Joe V’s just opened in Irving, with two other existing stores in East Dallas and South Dallas. Below is a map of H-E-B and its sister concepts in North Texas.
Courtesy of H-E-B
