Carting Off History
H-E-B building massive new store and barbecue restaurant in hometown of Kerrville
H-E-B is replacing its store in Kerrville — the Texas Hill Country town where the San Antonio-based grocery chain was born in 1905. Construction is already underway on the new 106,000-square-foot Main Street store and is scheduled to open in late 2020.
One of the new amenities at the new Kerrville store, which will be in the 300 block of Main Street, will be a True Texas BBQ restaurant, hailed as the best barbecue chain in Texas by Texas Monthly. The store will also add gas pumps and a car wash.
Other highlights include:
- 22 self-checkout registers
- Sushi made each day at the store
- Selection of global beers and wines
- Cheese shop
- Pharmacy with drive-thru service
In a nod to the company's roots, part of the design will incorporate a decorative façade that resembles the grocer’s first store, originally located in the 800 block of Main Street. It opened in 1905 as C.C. Butt Grocery Store. The H-E-B Curbside logo on the new store will feature a Model T, which pays homage to the early days of H-E-B grocery delivery.
“With an enhanced in-store experience and commitment to top-quality service and selection, this new store allows us to continue to serve the growing needs of our customers and provide the community with the best we have to offer,” Julie Bedingfield, public affairs manager at H-E-B, says in a release.
Kerrville's new H-E-B will take the place of the current 79,000-square-foot store located nearby at 300 W. Main St. That shop opened in 1984 and is scheduled to close once the replacement opens.
Although it’s not the site of the original store, a historical marker stands at the current Main Street property to commemorate H-E-B’s origins in Kerrville. The marker was dedicated in 2016.