SAN ANTONIO, Texas — H.E. Butt Grocery Co. here opened a new store in the Montrose section of Houston Wednesday that will convert part of its parking lot to an outdoor events plaza on weekends for concerts, movies and artisan markets.
The 78,000-square-foot store, reportedly the most expensive ever built by H-E-B, has been tailored to fit the specific needs and desires of the local community, the company said, including an expanded organic selection and a variety of meatless selections in its dining area; a fresh juice bar; seafood flown in daily; and the chain's first food truck that will serve gourmet items Fridays and Saturdays in the parking lot.
The company allowed the community to vote on which of three exterior store designs it preferred. The exterior integrates expansive green spaces, including a green wall and tree clusters, plus 12 park benches in the parking lot made from unhealthy trees that were originally growing on the construction site, the chain said.
H-E-B said it widened the street alongside the store to accommodate a center turn lane. It also committed to using smaller, 24-foot trucks for deliveries, and it erected a tall retaining wall along the site's perimeter to buffer noise, the company indicated.
Over the first few days the store is open, shoppers will be able to cast votes for one of four community groups. H-E-B said it will donate $5 for each vote, and it will match the total donation, up to $10,000, for the group that gets the most votes, while the other three will each receive a donation of $5,000.
