After more than 60 years of serving neighborhoods surrounding South Congress and Oltorf, H-E-B is now taking steps to make major improvements to its longest-standing grocery store in Austin, taking it from one of the oldest stores in the city to one of the most innovative stores in the entire company.
The H-E-B located at 2400 S. Congress Avenue originally opened in 1957 at 25,000 square feet, and in 2022, 65 years after first opening its doors, it will reopen as a creative, world-class grocery store with more than 100,000 square feet to better serve shoppers. They can expect to see murals and art installations by local artists; a wide selection of organic foods, prepared foods and bulk items; vibrant signage and natural light throughout the store; and an overall vibe that reflects its iconic South Congress location.
The store will also include new features and innovations to make it a community gathering place, with influences from across the world, like an eclectic food hall with indoor and outdoor dining spaces, and H-E-B’s first-ever beer garden. Two levels of underground parking will ensure the store has a welcoming, pedestrian-friendly perimeter with wide, tree-lined sidewalks to encourage walking and biking to the store. And customers will still be able to count on everything they’ve come to expect from H-E-B — a wide variety of fresh foods and products at everyday low prices; and an affordable, full-service, friendly pharmacy. The new store will also reopen with the increasingly popular H-E-B Curbside and Home Delivery services.
“We are thrilled to share the news about our vision for this store with our neighbors. Our goal is to represent their needs and greatest wishes for their neighborhood grocery store, while keeping with the personality and vibrancy of the South Congress community,” said Jeff Thomas, H-E-B Senior Vice President and General Manager, Central Texas Region. “We still have a year of planning ahead of us before we begin construction, and we’re excited to use that time to listen to community members and gain their valuable feedback on how the new store can best serve them.”
Throughout its 60-plus years the store has undergone renovations to increase its footprint from its original 25,000 square feet to its current-day 69,000 square feet, and the reimagined store marks the first time this location will be completely rebuilt from the ground-up.
The permitting and planning process is expected to run through until mid- to late-2020 with the store remaining open and fully operational during that time. Once construction begins, it’s anticipated to take two years to complete. H-E-B is already putting detailed plans in place to ensure the neighborhood will still have the best shopping experience possible and will open a temporary store located at the adjacent Twin Oaks Shopping Center to serve customers through construction.
“We have spent years exploring options for how to address the needs of this community as it continues to grow while ensuring we could maintain the everyday low prices and outstanding customer service our shoppers expect,” said Leslie Sweet, H-E-B Director of Public Affairs. “We have a long, exciting road ahead of us, and our customers know we take the greatest care in planning and implementing any changes in our stores. This new store and its construction will be no exception.”
Customers looking for more information, including how to contact H-E-B with questions about the planning process and updates on the new store, can visit www.heb.com/SouthCongress, or contact our Customer Relations team 24/7 at customer.relations@heb.com or call 1-800-432-3113.
Media requesting more information can contact Leslie Sweet, H-E-B Director of Public Affairs.
