159 replies to this topic

[Stadtplan]

H-E-B is a tease when it comes to how they handle PR on their new store locations.  I'm not sure if they're trying to time the market on construction material costs or what.  I would probably shop there once in a while but I'm not going to drive way out of my way on a regular basis.  I drove down to Burleson one time to get a special kind of pasta and they had it.

[youngalum]

H-E-B is a tease when it comes to how they handle PR on their new store locations.  I'm not sure if they're trying to time the market on construction material costs or what.  I would probably shop there once in a while but I'm not going to drive way out of my way on a regular basis.  I drove down to Burleson one time to get a special kind of pasta and they had it.

Agree!

 

Either build it or be quite about it. Their games are stupid. 

[rriojas71]

Likewise.  I'm not entirely sure why everyone makes a big deal about them.  It's a decent store but I'm not going to get excited about a grocery store chain.

[Jeriat]

It's Alliance, but it's still Fort Worth. 

Still will shop at Burleson since that's the closest to me. 

 

Likewise.  I'm not entirely sure why everyone makes a big deal about them. 

- Texas owned
- Sells a lot of local products 

- treats their employees better than certain other chain stores

- actually goes out of their way to help Texas cities and towns during a crisis while certain other people in power jet off to Mexico...

Those are the reasons.  

[Stadtplan]

Is there a reason that HEB focuses more on way outer ring rural communities Ennis, Granbury, Weatherford or Burleson and now Alliance?  I know they said they didn't want to compete with Walmart, Kroger, Tom Thumb, Albertsons closer into DFW and also I think they cited distribution channels coming from the south, but to my question, don't most of the communities also have those other types of stores?  Just seems like their ideal "demographic" somehow overlooks large groups of suburban areas.  Am I reading too far into this or is there more meaning behind it from a corporate decision making point of view?

 

Here's their placement in other major cities:

 

 

 

[gdvanc]

I've heard several times that HEB and another chain (Kroger? Albertsons?) had some kind of agreement that kept HEB out of much of the Metroplex (and I think the other store out of San Antonio)... but of course never saw any proof of that. But if the agreement existed, it seems no longer to be a thing. (I read recently that Kroger doesn't have stores in San Antonio or Austin but is setting up fulfillment centers to deliver groceries there; the timing of that vis-a-vis HEB's planned expansion into DFW is interesting.)

[JBB]

I've always heard that they didn't yet have the distribution network in place for widespread expansion here.  I thought it was discussed earlier in the thread and I couldn't find it.  What I did find is that this thread is 9 years old (that's when HEB began teasing) and the Mansfield store that appeared to be happening was first mentioned 6 years ago. 

[Stadtplan]

I've heard several times that HEB and another chain (Kroger? Albertsons?) had some kind of agreement that kept HEB out of much of the Metroplex (and I think the other store out of San Antonio)... but of course never saw any proof of that. But if the agreement existed, it seems no longer to be a thing. (I read recently that Kroger doesn't have stores in San Antonio or Austin but is setting up fulfillment centers to deliver groceries there; the timing of that vis-a-vis HEB's planned expansion into DFW is interesting.)

 

This sounds like some kind of Sun Tzu "The Art of War" type stuff (keep your enemies closer) or one of those secret handshake deals.  It also has the same tone as Sam Walton's "Made in America" pitch that he did in the 80's to try and ease everyone's mind that globalization is a fantasy and we'll make everything right here in America and we bought it hook line and sinker. 

 

I was half-awake when I watched it last night but there was a PBS Newshour youtube (https://youtu.be/JgJt4sArUHI) that was essentially did a follow-up to the "Walmart destroying small town business" story where now Walmart is pulling out of some small town years after 90% of small businesses closed and the only one still going strong in their market segment was a TrueValue Hardware store, only because they rightsized their staff and sold building products Walmart didn't carry.  I'll need to watch the rest but interesting how they keep closing some stores and opening others.  I heard on the radio Sam's distribution is going to use 26' autonomous box trucks to deliver paper products to their stores in TX....in partnership with Georgia Pacific.  Does that mean my paper towels will be cheaper now that they aren't paying someone to deliver them?   They went up $3 since I last bought them. 

 

Do companies still play like this and if so, it smells like collusion.  I know every time I swipe my card at the register they're out for my blood, why not destroy your competitors and the best product win?  

[gdvanc]

I've always heard that they didn't yet have the distribution network in place for widespread expansion here.  I thought it was discussed earlier in the thread and I couldn't find it.  What I did find is that this thread is 9 years old (that's when HEB began teasing) and the Mansfield store that appeared to be happening was first mentioned 6 years ago. 

 

My wife worked for 8 years (until late last year) at a free-standing ER in Grand Prairie. Around the time she started, she found that HEB had bought the land adjacent to the ER. She was looking forward to having that convenience. It still hasn't been built, of course.

[gdvanc]

This sounds like some kind of Sun Tzu "The Art of War" type stuff (keep your enemies closer) or one of those secret handshake deals...

Yeah - and I don't put a lot of stock into it, but I've heard it repeated so many times and it always seemed strange that they weren't here and Kroger wasn't in San Antonio. Logistics makes more sense, but conspiracy is a more engaging story.

 

 

We do like HEB in this house. Has some of the interesting variety like you find at their Central Market stores (but at a lower price) with some things that other chains don't carry. Sweet wife makes the drive to the Burleson HEB probably at least once a month. 

[JBB]

HEB still owns the land they purchased in Euless in 2015.

 

The FW store is going to be about 20-25 minutes from my house depending on traffic.  That's close enough for me to shop there from time to time.

[WTXKid]

I'd love to see a location in Northside (just north of stockyards) and in downtown (probably a central market). Maybe one of East Lancaster or Rosedale. To the strategy, I think it is all a function of land price. Suburban areas tend to be cheaper than inner city real estate, especially when you're looking a 5+ acre tracts in high AMFI areas. They're based out of South Texas and are privately held, I think they're growing at their own pace. It seems like their plan is to ring around DFW. I would guess the inner city stores are 10 years out.

[John T Roberts]

You are probably correct on your guess for the inner city stores.  I still think they own the old Safeway/Minyard's/Sack'nSave store at McCart and Altamesa.  If they build a store at that location, that would be reasonably close to me to visit somewhat often.

[Dylan]

This article came out the day after I shopped at an HEB (Granbury) for the first time.

 

HEB has a lot of pre-made meals that all you need to do is microwave (like TV dinners, but made fresh instead of frozen) as well as raw pre-made meals that you simply place in an oven to cook.

 

So, I would be happy if this HEB came to fruition.

[Doohickie]

You are probably correct on your guess for the inner city stores.  I still think they own the old Safeway/Minyard's/Sack'nSave store at McCart and Altamesa.  If they build a store at that location, that would be reasonably close to me to visit somewhat often.

That would be one of the closest stores to my house if they built it.  That neighborhood is not going in the right direction though; I wouldn't be surprised if they had zero plans to build there any time soon.

[Jeriat]

You are probably correct on your guess for the inner city stores.  I still think they own the old Safeway/Minyard's/Sack'nSave store at McCart and Altamesa.  If they build a store at that location, that would be reasonably close to me to visit somewhat often.

 

And speaking of inner city stores, these are a couple in Houston:

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

I understand that Houston is a MUCH larger city and all, but if we had even a fraction of these types of stores inside the 820 loop, I'd be happy. 

[gdvanc]

This article came out the day after I shopped at an HEB (Granbury) for the first time.

 

HEB has a lot of pre-made meals that all you need to do is microwave (like TV dinners, but made fresh instead of frozen) as well as raw pre-made meals that you simply place in an oven to cook.

 

So, I would be happy if this HEB came to fruition.

 

Those meals are pretty good and a nice option that provides a reasonably healthy meal with close to fast-food convenience but without the cost of eating out.

[Stadtplan]

 

First H-E-B grocery store is coming to Fort Worth. Here’s where and when

 

https://www.star-tel...e262292327.html

but don't hold your breath as it may not be until 2026?

 

 

Drainage Study Filed for the new HEB in North Fort Worth:

 

https://accela.fortw...ShowInspection=

 

Record DS-22-0147: 

Drainage Study

Record Status: In Review

 

Project Description:

Proposed Grocery Store

Proposed Grocery Store with public and private storm drain extensions

 

Site / Plat Area (ac): 10.243

Address: 3451 HERITAGE TRACE PKWY

 

[txbornviking]

from 3 days ago... https://www.expressn...re-17241085.php

 

H-E-B puts kibosh on Fort Worth’s glee over what developer said will be grocer’s first store in city

 

PR Firm representing Hillwood basically saying they had "inadvertently" named H-E-B and modified the announcement to be "a major grocer" would anchor the center.

 

basically corporate HEB saying "The developer retracted that statement. We have no plans"

 

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Stadtplan]

Here they go again teasing everybody.  HEB's name is on the actual drainage study but the address comes back to Central Market's regional headquarters in Dallas.   Maybe it makes more sense to put a Central Market up there?

[John T Roberts]

I think it would make more sense to build a Central Market at Alliance.

[Stadtplan]

I am convinced more than ever that this will be a Central Market.

[Volare]

Across the street from a giant Kroger??? Oh whatever will those poor people do. Decisions, decisions... Meanwhile grocery deserts continue in Fort Worth.

[Stadtplan]

 

 

First H-E-B grocery store is coming to Fort Worth. Here’s where and when

 

https://www.star-tel...e262292327.html

but don't hold your breath as it may not be until 2026?

 

 

Drainage Study Filed for the new HEB in North Fort Worth:

 

https://accela.fortw...ShowInspection=

 

Record DS-22-0147: 

Drainage Study

Record Status: In Review

 

Project Description:

Proposed Grocery Store

Proposed Grocery Store with public and private storm drain extensions

 

Site / Plat Area (ac): 10.243

Address: 3451 HERITAGE TRACE PKWY

 

 

 

Here's another permit filed yesterday for the new Central Market / HEB site:

 

Record FDP-22-00263: 

Floodplain Development

Record Status: Plan Review

 

https://accela.fortw...ShowInspection=

 

Project Description:

ACTN Grocer

122K Square foot grocery store and parking lot

 

Owner:

HEB, LP

3890 W. Northwest Highway

Dallas TX 75220

https://accela.fortw...ShowInspection=

 

[elpingüino]

H-E-B confirms location of first store in Tarrant County

(287 and Broad St. in Mansfield, groundbreaking in Q1 2023)

[arch-image]

I may have posted this before but I worked for the company who built the Burleson Store and was in charge of the HEB account, we built about 5 over several years. I talked to one of their Senior people about how they roll out new markets and basically was told they tend to by 4 to 5 locations in each area they are looking at building, they play a long game. They will buy property with no intention of doing anything for several years. They buy based on how they see growth patterns being then wait to insure their correct. Then begin narrowing down the location. Their build plan is encircle a city in the suburbs because typically are higher income so less risk, as well as a higher density, then gain a strong following and slowly begin moving closer into the central city where frankly it is riskier due to lower incomes and more competition. Grocery stores are one of the riskiest businesses there is if you research it their margins run about 2%, ya gotta sell a ton of groceries at that margin to keep the lights on! Why the multiple sites and secrecy, one, you don't know exactly where actual growth and retail centers will be and 2, they don't want Kroger, Walmart and Target to know where they are going. They can financially afford to buy multiple sites and since they are in growth areas I was told they have never lost money when they go back to sell the sites they don't use. I dont think we will see a store inside 820 or 635 for at least ten years. 

[John T Roberts]

It also wouldn't surprise me if they didn't move into or rebuild the old Safeway/Sack'n Save store at McCart & Altamesa.  They could easily sell that property off at some time in the future. 

[Dismuke]

I've heard several times that HEB and another chain (Kroger? Albertsons?) had some kind of agreement that kept HEB out of much of the Metroplex (and I think the other store out of San Antonio)... but of course never saw any proof of that. But if the agreement existed, it seems no longer to be a thing.

 

The version of the rumor that I heard was that the informal agreement was between HEB and the Tyler based Brookshire's chain.  I have no knowledge as to whether it is true - but it being with Brookshire makes more sense as both are Texas-based family owned chains. I can't see HEB making such an agreement with Kroger - they are hard-core rivals in the Houston market.   And I can't see them as having made such an agreement with Albertsons (or Safeway which owned the Randalls and Tom Thumb chains and was subsequently bought out by Albertsons).  HEB ran Albertsons out of Austin and, in Houston, reduced the once dominant Randall's chain to a pathetic shadow of its former self.

If such an agreement was ever in place, it no longer is, at least as far as North Texas is concerned.   There is an HEB Plus in Burleson just down the road from a Brookshire's on the highway towards Joshua and there is an HEB in Hudson Oaks not far from a Brookshire's in Aledo. But perhaps any such agreement only covered East Texas.   And my strong guess is if there was such an agreement it probably was made years ago when HEB was much smaller.  HEB would have little to fear from Brookshire's moving into South Texas.  Every Brookshire's I have visited has been very clean and pleasant but underwhelming in terms of selection and definitely high in terms of price. 

What I read years ago about one of the factors that had held back HEB's expansion into the Metroplex had to do with Walmart.  The D/FW area happens to have the densest concentration of Walmart locations of anyplace in the world.  If you look at all of their locations on the map, there are very few areas in the Metroplex where one is not within a very few miles distance from multiple Walmart locations, especially when one includes the Neighborhood Market locations,  And Walmart achieved that dense concentration within a fairly short period of time between expanding older style Walmart location into Supercenters and building new Supercenters.  According to what I read, one of the reasons for this was to build itself a "firewall" against a future HEB expansion into the area.   

 

HEB has a long history of going head to head with Walmart and can more than hold its own.   But such a saturation of Walmart stores in the market would have an impact on the volume new stores would be able to generate and thus make an expansion here much more costly.  It also makes sense in conjunction with another fact that was in play when Walmart was rapidly expanding its grocery operations in the Metroplex: at that time HEB was expanding into the Houston market with its full fledged stores (as opposed to the small, limited assortment HEB Pantry stores it operated in that area during the 1990s).  HEB already had a lot on its plate in terms of expansion opportunities in Houston and having to deal with competition from Walmart and Kroger. It was also in a bitter and sometimes nasty battle with Walmart for market share in Northern Mexico.  It is more economical in terms of distribution and advertising costs to operate a cluster of stores within a single geographical region than it is to have the same number of stores split between two regions.  And that is important if one is up against a vastly larger competitor with very deep pockets such as Walmart.

A few things have changed since then.  HEB is now number one in terms of Houston market share.  It continues to add new stores in the area and upgrade older stores.  But, for the most part, its future store expansion in that area will become increasingly dependent upon the region's growth.   And these days Walmart probably has bigger fish to fry than getting into costly price wars with HEB over market share in Texas and Mexico.  Walmart's biggest concern is trying to fend off and transform itself into a viable alternative to Amazon, which is now larger than Walmart in terms of retail sales.   Walmart is also at a bit of a disadvantage being a publicly traded company - it has to answer for its quarterly earnings to shareholders who expect them to always increase.  A privately held company is in a much better position to sacrifice quarterly or even yearly earnings growth in order to to achieve a long-term strategy. 

Walmart, by the way, went on record in an article I read years ago about how much it respects and admires HEB.  Early into Walmart's decision to enter the grocery business, it made an offer to purchase HEB because it felt that it was the best-run grocery chain in the country and was best qualified to teach Walmart about the industry.  And when Walmart did enter the grocery business, early on it deliberately opened Supercenters in HEB territory because they knew if they could learn to effectively compete with HEB they would easily be able to compete with anybody else. 

 

[Dismuke]

You are probably correct on your guess for the inner city stores.  I still think they own the old Safeway/Minyard's/Sack'nSave store at McCart and Altamesa.  If they build a store at that location, that would be reasonably close to me to visit somewhat often.

 

I have read of other inner city real estate in both Fort Worth and Dallas, including in lower income areas, that HEB has acquired doesn't strike me as the sort of locations that would be profitable for the types of stores that they usually build.

What many in North Texas are not aware of is that HEB owns two banners besides HEB and Central Market.  One of them is called Joe V's Smart Shop which is a discount grocer  https://www.joevsmartshop.com/  I have never been to one - if you go to their website and select the Curbside Pickup option you can view their product assortment and prices.  It heavily features products from the Hill Country Fare label which is HEB's lower-priced in-house brand.  I checked the prices on a few things and they are quite a bit less expensive then what I recently saw at the HEB in Burleson or at the Walmart in Westworth Village and vastly less expensive than what one will find at local Albertsons/Tom Thumb or Kroger stores.

The other chain they own is Mi Tienda which appears to be a format similar to Fiesta Mart  https://mitiendatx.com/   its website does not have a similar Curbside Pickup feature where one can browse the inventory and prices.  It merely offers a weekly flyer of advertised specials

Some while back I read that both formats were experimental.  I am not sure if that is still the case.  But Joe V's is now up to 9 locations in the Houston area whereas Mi Tienda still has only two.

A few months ago when news first broke of HEB's expansion into the area, there was a news article somewhere in which an HEB spokesperson mentioned that HEB intended to expand all of its banners into the Metroplex.  The article did not make any explicit mention of either Joe Vi's or Mi Tienda.  But from the way it was worded, I took it to imply that they had plans for the chains here locally.

If the Joe V's in the Houston area are profitable, I suspect it would be highly likely they would be part of HEB's North Texas expansion.  The items that Joe V's stocks are ones that are identical to what a standard HEB store stocks.  Given that its prices are a LOT less expensive than those of any other store in the Metroplex, I suspect it will be very well-received, especially in light of how the price of pretty much everything has been increasing.  If the stores are successful in Houston, I am sure they will be here as well and be a serious rival for Aldi.    And I suspect that having such stores would bring about some economies of scale for HEB's need to truck in items from its distribution center in Temple while it slowly builds up its larger flagship locations.  

[Stadtplan]

Thanks for the info Dismuke. I am interested to check out Joes Vs as I do not mind some of the private label brands that HEB carries I even prefer it in some instances like their HEB seltzer water which Central Market doesnt even carry.

That HEB plus in Burleson is King of Variety as far as Im concerned, they have a great selection of even hard-to-find items.

One other thing Ive noticed is some of the Neighborhood Walmarts have really stepped up their game lately. I had to stop in the Pantego location not long ago and I recall just months prior it was a mess and disrepair but wow, theyve renovated and the whole experience was efficient, clean store, well-stock shelves, tons of self-checkouts with no waiting. Thats a lot coming from me, I typically hate shopping at Walmart but they started carrying some gluten free items for dollars less than Sprouts or Whole Foods and Central Market. I dont even consider Tom Thumb, Albertsons or Kroger for specialty items anymore they are us usually way higher or lacking what I need.

[JBB]

Wal Mart remodeled both of the Neighborhood Markets and both of the full WM locations that I frequent earlier this year.  Between that and supply chain challenges, I started shopping and paying more at Kroger for a short time.  Now that all of them are fully renovated, the stock and quality is significantly improved.

[John T Roberts]

HEB has now confirmed they will be building a store in Alliance.

[John T Roberts]

Channel 8 has a story on the new H-E-B store and has several lists indicating where their existing stores are, where the new stores have been announced, and where all of the property they own in the DFW area is located.

 

https://www.wfaa.com...ribers - MASTER

[rriojas71]

HEB has now confirmed they will be building a store in Alliance.

That's cool I guess... However I don't really consider this "Fort Worth" because I will most likely never go or have any desire to drive up 35.  Guess I'll have to stick with Trader Joes and Central Market

[Stadtplan]

HEB has now confirmed they will be building a store in Alliance.

That's cool I guess... However I don't really consider this "Fort Worth" because I will most likely never go or have any desire to drive up 35.  Guess I'll have to stick with Trader Joes and Central Market

You could always drive west to Hudson Oaks if you really want to check it out. Burleson isnt too bad either.

[John T Roberts]

The H-E-B Plus store in Burleson is closer to me than the future store in Alliance, and a whole lot easier to get to from my home.

[Jeriat]

The H-E-B Plus store in Burleson is closer to me than the future store in Alliance, and a whole lot easier to get to from my home.

 

It's basically "right down the street" for me, as I live in SWFW. I just ride down Crowley Road until it turns into John Jones. 

[Stadtplan]

Didn't take long for this to hit TDLR after the announcement.  

 

https://www.tdlr.tex.../TABS2023004086

 

PROJECT

Project Name: HEB Alliance

Project Number: TABS2023004086

Facility Name: HEB Alliance

Location Address: 3451 Heritage Trace Parkway

Fort Worth, TX 76244

Location County: Tarrant

Start Date: 4/24/2023

Completion Date: 12/27/2023

Estimated Cost: $24,985,834

Type of Work: New Construction

Type of Funds: This project is privately funded, on private land for private use.

Scope of Work: New Store

Square Footage: 128,650 ft 2

 

OWNER

Owner Name:

HEB Grocery Company

Owner Address:

PO Box 839999

San Antonio, Texas 

 

DESIGN FIRM

Design Firm Name: Selser Schaefer Architects

Design Firm Address: 2002 E 6th St

Tulsa, Oklahoma 74104

[Dismuke]

Thanks for the info Dismuke. I am interested to check out Joes Vs as I do not mind some of the private label brands that HEB carries I even prefer it in some instances like their HEB seltzer water which Central Market doesnt even carry.

That HEB plus in Burleson is King of Variety as far as Im concerned, they have a great selection of even hard-to-find items.

One other thing Ive noticed is some of the Neighborhood Walmarts have really stepped up their game lately. I had to stop in the Pantego location not long ago and I recall just months prior it was a mess and disrepair but wow, theyve renovated and the whole experience was efficient, clean store, well-stock shelves, tons of self-checkouts with no waiting. Thats a lot coming from me, I typically hate shopping at Walmart but they started carrying some gluten free items for dollars less than Sprouts or Whole Foods and Central Market. I dont even consider Tom Thumb, Albertsons or Kroger for specialty items anymore they are us usually way higher or lacking what I need.

 

 

You are now the second person besides myself I have heard complain about Central Market no longer stocking the HEB store brand seltzer water.  That was wonderful seltzer and I bought their plain, unflavored seltzer on a regular basis.  The national brands they now stock - well, they are tasteless as if they were made out of distilled water.  The reason bottled water marked "drinking water" often tastes better than bottles marked "spring water" even though it is usually sourced from a municipal water supply before being filtered is they add a trace amount of minerals to give the water a good taste. I suspect that is what makes the HEB seltzer taste so much better.

Based on when I checked out the curbside pricing on their website, I definitely would go to Joe Vs if they come to the area.  How often would depend on how close the location is.  When it comes to non-perishables, my tendency is to buy enough to last me at least three months in order to minimize the number of times I have to go to to a store for something.  I love Indian food and, unfortunately, there are no Indian markets in Fort Worth.  So, in the case of Indian food, I usually go to one of the Patel Brothers locations in Irving about twice a year and stock up accordingly. Before the pandemic and the imposition of quantity limits, I was regularly doing so with HEB either at the Burleson location or if I had occasion to drive further south.  The challenge for me is that a huge portion of my diet/grocery budget is fresh produce and it is not possible to stock up - so I am usually stuck making do with the options close to me. 

And you are definitely correct about the HEB in Burleson being nice. It not only has a lot of variety, I've noticed it seems to be a bit less expensive on identical items then their store in Hudson Oaks.  Before the pandemic, the store's produce department made me envious of people living nearby as it was excellent in terms of both price and quality.  Sadly, since the pandemic, it is not as nice as it once was.  My strong guess, however, is that this is due to the same supply chain issues that have been impacting all other retailers.

It is interesting that Walmart is putting new effort into its Neighborhood Markets.  I have read that, in other parts of the country, they have been closing such stores down and seem to be pulling back from the concept.  My guess is they know that they need to be ready for the arrival of HEB.  My experience with Walmart, at least as far as the Supercenters go, is they can vary tremendously from one location to the other.  Some locations are just nasty. Others are perfectly fine.  The quality of their store brand groceries tends to be high despite their rather depressing looking packaging.  But my biggest problem, regardless of which location, is getting through the checkout lines is usually a hassle.  For that reason, I try to stock up whenever I go there.  But since they tend to understaff their full service checkouts, that means, if I am stocking up,  I have to scan and bag a large number of items.  Self-checkout for a handful of items is no big deal and is something I prefer rather than waiting in line.  But scanning and bagging an entire cart load - that is actual work, and of a rather tedious and mind-numbing sort.  If an HEB opens near me, a lot of my business with them will come at the expense of Walmart and Sprouts. 

[Dylan]

The H-E-B Plus store in Burleson is closer to me than the future store in Alliance, and a whole lot easier to get to from my home.

 

I guess it depends which side of I-30 you're on and whether you're inside or outside the loop.

 

There are several grocery stores that are closer to me than the proposed HEB. But, I'd be willing to drive 20 minutes for HEB vs 5 or 10 minutes for Kroger or Walmart.

 

As far as I'm concerned, the location in Burleson may as well be in Waco.

[John T Roberts]

Yes, it does depend on which side of I-30 that you are on and if you are inside and outside the loop.  I'm south of I-30 and I live inside the loop, so it is much easier for me to go south than to go north.  The H-E-B store in Burleson is 13 miles from my house, and is about a 20 minute drive.  The future H-E-B store in Alliance is 17 miles and the drive time can vary greatly, depending on traffic.  I have a Fiesta, Kroger, and Albertsons that are very close, with a Tom Thumb a little further away. 

[Stadtplan]

Some out-of-town family were staying at a resort in San Antonio last week and invited us to drive down and stay with them for a few days since they had a completely unused attached suite.  (Hard to pass that invitation up)  We went to the HEB Plus on Potranco Rd to stock up on some lunch and dinner stuff since they had a full kitchen and we had another kitchenette in our room.  They were a bit overwhelmed by the HEB experience, as was I, but we enjoyed discovering a few new things.  I really like the big BBQ counter up front and the grilled chicken counter on the other side was reasonably priced.....half a cooked splayed chicken with tortilla's, onions and peppers was around $8.80 enough food to feed three people.  I couldn't even describe how many aisles there were it just seemed like they went on forever.  The one glaring issue was the bakery.  It was minimally stocked and even if it had been freshly stocked, there really wasn't anything noteworthy about it, in fact it was a big disappointment.  It appears they do a lot of cakes and desserts but compared to Central Market, HEB's bread selection was pathetic.  I didn't make it to the far end of the store so perhaps there was another bakery (two in one store?) but that doesn't really make sense.  My observation of the Burleson store was that they had multiple locations for many of the items throughout the store, so it doesn't surprise me if I completely missed the main bakery and was looking at a sub-bakery.  I personally feel more comfortable shopping in a smaller store but willing to give it a try now and then even as a tourist attraction or special outing as part of the "Texas Experience" along with going to Buc-ees and What-a-Burger, both of which they didn't get a chance to do this time.

[Dismuke]

The one glaring issue was the bakery.  It was minimally stocked and even if it had been freshly stocked, there really wasn't anything noteworthy about it, in fact it was a big disappointment.  It appears they do a lot of cakes and desserts but compared to Central Market, HEB's bread selection was pathetic. 

 

The thing with HEB is that its stores can vary quite significantly.  If one goes to its traditional territory of Austin/San Antonio and South Texas there are a number of older stores which are a lot smaller than the chain's more modern stores and that, of course, will impact such a location's product selection.

The other thing with HEB is that, before they open a  new store, they are known to spend a great deal of time and effort researching the specific demographics in its market area and designing the store and its product mix accordingly.  Thus there can still be differences between two HEBs of a similar size.

 

One good example of this is the HEB in Cleburne.  Some while back they replaced their existing location with a new building.  But, given that Cleburne is a fairly small town, even the newer store is quite small and lacking in entire product categories compared to most of their new stores.  I personally would take their Cleburne location over any of the Albertsons/Tom Thumb or Kroger locations in Fort Worth.  But if that is the only HEB location a person has ever visited, they are not going to fully appreciate why the chain has such a fanatical following. 
.
Unfortunately, I cannot recall the bakery section in any of the HEBs I have visited as I purchase bread and baked goods only on rare occasion.  Thus bakery departments aren't something I pay much attention to.

I will say that, since the pandemic I have visited the HEB in Burleson on two occasions and found the produce section a sad shadow of its pre-pandemic wonderfulness in terms of both price and selection.  The second time I went the shelves in the section for their fresh greens were completely bare except for a few picked over remnants that really needed to be thrown out. Usually the store was abundantly stocked with greens of identical quality as what they stock in Central Market but less expensive. 

My inclination is to write that off to the same supply chain issues that all other retailers have been struggling with and, hopefully, over time, the store's produce section will return to what it historically has been. 

I don't know to what degree supply chain issues might impact their bread quality.  But the level of interest in high quality bread strikes me as something that can vary significantly according to demographics.  I have noticed that HEB locations in higher end areas tend to stock quite a lot of Central Market branded items. My guess is those locations are going to have more interesting bread options than a location where, if one were to ask shoppers for an example of high quality bread, a large number would answer "Mrs. Baird's."

One complaint I have read about from people in Houston is how that city only has one Central Market in its entire area whereas all of the other metro areas in the state have multiple locations. And, apparently, HEB has indicated it has no plans to expand HEB in Houston. But I have read that there are Houston HEB locations that carry a lot of Central Market type merchandise.

[Stadtplan]

Fort Worth Report article about new HEB Store:

 

https://fortworthrep...t-stays-strong/

[Stadtplan]

S-T reports that HEB is breaking ground tomorrow for the new Mansfield store.  Hopefully the ice melts in time for the ceremony!

 

https://www.star-tel...e272038892.html

[Stadtplan]

HEB Alliance Grading Permit:

https://accela.fortw...ShowInspection=

 

Project Description:

HEB Alliance

10.2 acre final grading for commercial grocery store

[arch-image]

 

Thanks for the info Dismuke. I am interested to check out Joes Vs as I do not mind some of the private label brands that HEB carries I even prefer it in some instances like their HEB seltzer water which Central Market doesnt even carry.

That HEB plus in Burleson is King of Variety as far as Im concerned, they have a great selection of even hard-to-find items.

One other thing Ive noticed is some of the Neighborhood Walmarts have really stepped up their game lately. I had to stop in the Pantego location not long ago and I recall just months prior it was a mess and disrepair but wow, theyve renovated and the whole experience was efficient, clean store, well-stock shelves, tons of self-checkouts with no waiting. Thats a lot coming from me, I typically hate shopping at Walmart but they started carrying some gluten free items for dollars less than Sprouts or Whole Foods and Central Market. I dont even consider Tom Thumb, Albertsons or Kroger for specialty items anymore they are us usually way higher or lacking what I need.

 

 

You are now the second person besides myself I have heard complain about Central Market no longer stocking the HEB store brand seltzer water.  That was wonderful seltzer and I bought their plain, unflavored seltzer on a regular basis.  The national brands they now stock - well, they are tasteless as if they were made out of distilled water.  The reason bottled water marked "drinking water" often tastes better than bottles marked "spring water" even though it is usually sourced from a municipal water supply before being filtered is they add a trace amount of minerals to give the water a good taste. I suspect that is what makes the HEB seltzer taste so much better.

Based on when I checked out the curbside pricing on their website, I definitely would go to Joe Vs if they come to the area.  How often would depend on how close the location is.  When it comes to non-perishables, my tendency is to buy enough to last me at least three months in order to minimize the number of times I have to go to to a store for something.  I love Indian food and, unfortunately, there are no Indian markets in Fort Worth.  So, in the case of Indian food, I usually go to one of the Patel Brothers locations in Irving about twice a year and stock up accordingly. Before the pandemic and the imposition of quantity limits, I was regularly doing so with HEB either at the Burleson location or if I had occasion to drive further south.  The challenge for me is that a huge portion of my diet/grocery budget is fresh produce and it is not possible to stock up - so I am usually stuck making do with the options close to me. 

And you are definitely correct about the HEB in Burleson being nice. It not only has a lot of variety, I've noticed it seems to be a bit less expensive on identical items then their store in Hudson Oaks.  Before the pandemic, the store's produce department made me envious of people living nearby as it was excellent in terms of both price and quality.  Sadly, since the pandemic, it is not as nice as it once was.  My strong guess, however, is that this is due to the same supply chain issues that have been impacting all other retailers.

It is interesting that Walmart is putting new effort into its Neighborhood Markets.  I have read that, in other parts of the country, they have been closing such stores down and seem to be pulling back from the concept.  My guess is they know that they need to be ready for the arrival of HEB.  My experience with Walmart, at least as far as the Supercenters go, is they can vary tremendously from one location to the other.  Some locations are just nasty. Others are perfectly fine.  The quality of their store brand groceries tends to be high despite their rather depressing looking packaging.  But my biggest problem, regardless of which location, is getting through the checkout lines is usually a hassle.  For that reason, I try to stock up whenever I go there.  But since they tend to understaff their full service checkouts, that means, if I am stocking up,  I have to scan and bag a large number of items.  Self-checkout for a handful of items is no big deal and is something I prefer rather than waiting in line.  But scanning and bagging an entire cart load - that is actual work, and of a rather tedious and mind-numbing sort.  If an HEB opens near me, a lot of my business with them will come at the expense of Walmart and Sprouts. 

 

 

Dismuke - Many of my clients are Indian from around the metroplex and I have never heard of an issue finding decent grocery stores. I am not sure where you are but here is a varied list of places I have been told are pretty good. Some are pretty decent size but some are smaller but still decent size. I don't think any are small convenience store type. 

 

Hamro Market western center and 35

Bombay Bazaar – Feilder and 30

Desi Grocery Store – Cooper st in Arlington

IndoPak Grocery  - Off Green Oaks and 20        

Yousave Food – Trail Lake Dr  (has a lot of varied food from many countries)

[elpingüino]

 
Dismuke - Many of my clients are Indian from around the metroplex and I have never heard of an issue finding decent grocery stores. I am not sure where you are but here is a varied list of places I have been told are pretty good. Some are pretty decent size but some are smaller but still decent size. I don't think any are small convenience store type. 
 
Hamro Market western center and 35
Bombay Bazaar Feilder and 30
Desi Grocery Store Cooper st in Arlington
IndoPak Grocery  - Off Green Oaks and 20        
Yousave Food Trail Lake Dr  (has a lot of varied food from many countries)

Euro-Indo Market at Granbury Road and Wedgmont Circle has a good selection too.
https://euroindomideastmarket.com/

[Stadtplan]

 

Thanks for the info Dismuke. I am interested to check out Joes Vs as I do not mind some of the private label brands that HEB carries I even prefer it in some instances like their HEB seltzer water which Central Market doesnt even carry.

That HEB plus in Burleson is King of Variety as far as Im concerned, they have a great selection of even hard-to-find items.

One other thing Ive noticed is some of the Neighborhood Walmarts have really stepped up their game lately. I had to stop in the Pantego location not long ago and I recall just months prior it was a mess and disrepair but wow, theyve renovated and the whole experience was efficient, clean store, well-stock shelves, tons of self-checkouts with no waiting. Thats a lot coming from me, I typically hate shopping at Walmart but they started carrying some gluten free items for dollars less than Sprouts or Whole Foods and Central Market. I dont even consider Tom Thumb, Albertsons or Kroger for specialty items anymore they are us usually way higher or lacking what I need.

 

 

You are now the second person besides myself I have heard complain about Central Market no longer stocking the HEB store brand seltzer water.  That was wonderful seltzer and I bought their plain, unflavored seltzer on a regular basis.  The national brands they now stock - well, they are tasteless as if they were made out of distilled water.  The reason bottled water marked "drinking water" often tastes better than bottles marked "spring water" even though it is usually sourced from a municipal water supply before being filtered is they add a trace amount of minerals to give the water a good taste. I suspect that is what makes the HEB seltzer taste so much better.

Based on when I checked out the curbside pricing on their website, I definitely would go to Joe Vs if they come to the area.  How often would depend on how close the location is.  When it comes to non-perishables, my tendency is to buy enough to last me at least three months in order to minimize the number of times I have to go to to a store for something.  I love Indian food and, unfortunately, there are no Indian markets in Fort Worth.  So, in the case of Indian food, I usually go to one of the Patel Brothers locations in Irving about twice a year and stock up accordingly. Before the pandemic and the imposition of quantity limits, I was regularly doing so with HEB either at the Burleson location or if I had occasion to drive further south.  The challenge for me is that a huge portion of my diet/grocery budget is fresh produce and it is not possible to stock up - so I am usually stuck making do with the options close to me. 

And you are definitely correct about the HEB in Burleson being nice. It not only has a lot of variety, I've noticed it seems to be a bit less expensive on identical items then their store in Hudson Oaks.  Before the pandemic, the store's produce department made me envious of people living nearby as it was excellent in terms of both price and quality.  Sadly, since the pandemic, it is not as nice as it once was.  My strong guess, however, is that this is due to the same supply chain issues that have been impacting all other retailers.

It is interesting that Walmart is putting new effort into its Neighborhood Markets.  I have read that, in other parts of the country, they have been closing such stores down and seem to be pulling back from the concept.  My guess is they know that they need to be ready for the arrival of HEB.  My experience with Walmart, at least as far as the Supercenters go, is they can vary tremendously from one location to the other.  Some locations are just nasty. Others are perfectly fine.  The quality of their store brand groceries tends to be high despite their rather depressing looking packaging.  But my biggest problem, regardless of which location, is getting through the checkout lines is usually a hassle.  For that reason, I try to stock up whenever I go there.  But since they tend to understaff their full service checkouts, that means, if I am stocking up,  I have to scan and bag a large number of items.  Self-checkout for a handful of items is no big deal and is something I prefer rather than waiting in line.  But scanning and bagging an entire cart load - that is actual work, and of a rather tedious and mind-numbing sort.  If an HEB opens near me, a lot of my business with them will come at the expense of Walmart and Sprouts. 

 

 

Record UFC23-0098: 

Urban Forestry

Record Status: Plan Review

 

Work Location

8437 PARK VISTA BLVD

 

Project Description:

India Bazaar

Retail/Restaurant

Retail - 12,500 sf; Restaurant - 2,500 sf; Total 1,750 sf building. 67,404 SF lot.

 

Permit Boundary in Acres: 1.547

[elpingüino]

H-E-B is opening two stores in its budget chain, Joe V's, in Dallas. Maybe they'll put more Joe V's on the properties they already own in Fort Worth?
https://newsroom.heb...ores-in-dallas/