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H-E-B opens first store in mixed-use development

Urban supermarket anchors apartment/office complex in Houston

Russell Redman

October 9, 2019

4 Min Read
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H-E-B

H-E-B today opened a new, 96,000-square-foot supermarket in the heart of Houston that marks its first location in a mixed-use development.

At the corner of at Washington Ave. and Heights Blvd., the H-E-B store anchors the new Buffalo Heights District project, a 742,000-square-foot, multilevel development including upscale apartments, offices, retail space and parking.

H-E-B is located on the ground floor at 3663 Washington Ave. and has 111,000 square feet of covered parking on the second level. Elevators, escalators and a cartalator enable customers to navigate to and from the store more easily.

Along with products and services tailored for the community — which includes Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Park, Memorial Park, The Heights, the Washington Avenue Corridor and downtown area — the Buffalo Heights H-E-B houses the fourth location of The Roastery Coffee Kitchen. The coffee shop and eatery features a curated, chef-made menu, the vendor’s signature H-town roast coffee, and indoor and outdoor seating. H-E-B also has The Roastery Coffee Kitchen cafés in its Bellaire Market, The Heights and San Felipe stores.

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H-E-B said the Buffalo Heights store brings more than 50,000 food and beverage options, including what the San Antonio-based retailer called the largest assortment of Texas-made products. In addition, the supermarket focuses on better-for-you products, including hundreds of H-E-B Organics products and H-E-B Select Ingredients, a store-brand line that excludes unwanted ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors.

Related:H-E-B expansion into West Texas to continue with Lubbock store

On the fresh side, the store includes a 15-foot salad bar with more than 60 items. Breakfast also is served all day starting at 6 a.m. The full-service Scratch Bakery and Tortilleria offers a breadth of organic and artisan breads baked daily plus fresh tortillas and a range of desserts, pastries and custom cakes.

The Prime Case Butcher Shop offers USDA Prime, natural, and organic meat, 21-day dry-age beef (and the option for custom age), and a variety of fully cooked and kosher selections. Besides fresh fish and other seafood, the full-service seafood department includes fresh sushi and poke bowls handmade in-store daily by Sushiya.

Convenient meals are a highlight as well, H-E-B noted. The Buffalo Heights location offers the full line of H-E-B Meal Simple heat-and-eat options. Prepared in minutes, selections run from grab-and-go salads to casseroles and entrees. Meanwhile, H-E-B’s Cooking Connection and Showtime Kitchen features live demonstrations and daily samplings of quick, easy recipes that can be replicated at home. Shoppers, too, can taste fresh squeezed juices and freshly made guacamole made in the store.

Related:H-E-B has new vision for oldest store in Austin

The wine and beer department has more than 1,800 bottles of wine and 300 beers, with a focus on Texas craft and hyperlocal craft beer. Customers can sample wine and beer before they buy as well as get assistance from a wine steward.

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EPA administrator Ken McQueen (left) presents Scott McClelland, president of H-E-B Food & Drug, with the GreenChill Partnership's gold award for the Buffalo Heights store.

"While each H-E-B is special, my team and I have collaborated to create a truly unique store from its aesthetics to its contents,” store general manager Donna Theriot said in a statement. “I believe the Buffalo Heights H-E-B shopper will find exceptional variety and phenomenal service here, not to mention a grocery source close to home.”

Other features include the Healthy Living department, with bulk foods and supplements; a full pharmacy that offers delivery; and the H-E-B Blooms! floral and gift shop, also offering delivery service. For online grocery orders, the store offers click-and-collect service through H-E-B Curbside Pick-Up and delivery via H-E-B Delivery, Favor, Shipt and Instacart.

H-E-B added that the Buffalo Heights store is its first to receive a gold-level award from the Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill Partnership for green refrigeration technology. The grocer said it’s the second Texas retailer to earn the gold award.

“H-E-B is proud to join this cutting-edge initiative, which further signifies our commitment to be strong environmental stewards, providing our customers with more than just a great place to shop,” commented Winell Herron, group vice president of public affairs, diversity and environmental affairs for H-E-B.

The Buffalo Heights location expands H-E-B’s inner loop footprint in Houston, where it has more than 80 stores in the metropolitan and surrounding areas. Overall, the company operates 400 stores in Texas and Mexico.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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