Grocery Glory

San Antonio’s favorite grocery named best shopping experience in U.S.

H-E-B Montrose Market, grocery store, January 2013

H-E-B ranks No. 2 — out of 300 — for customer experience.

Photo courtesy of H-E-B

Shoppers continue to show their love for H-E-B.

Research firm Temkin Group has released its annual ratings of customers’ experiences with nearly 300 companies in the U.S., and San Antonio-based H-E-B, grabbed the No. 2 spot overall. H-E-B earned a score of 79 out of 100. Only Florida-based grocery chain Publix ranked higher, with a score of 81.

“Supermarkets have been the highest-scoring industry since their inclusion in the ratings in 2012, and this year was no different. Publix and H-E-B led the pack in this strong customer experience category,” says Bruce Temkin, managing partner of Temkin Group.

In its customer experience survey, Temkin Group asked 10,000 U.S. consumers to evaluate 294 companies in 20 industries based on three factors:

Success — Can you do what you want to do?
Effort — How easy is it to work with the company?
Emotion — How do you feel about your interactions with the company?

The Temkin Group ratings come on the heels of another recent accolade for H-E-B. In February, the American Customer Satisfaction Index said H-E-B tied with Publix for third place among grocery chains, with a score of 82. Grocery chains Wegmans and Trader Joe’s held the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively.

“When consumers put a premium on service and quality, smaller companies often achieve higher customer satisfaction scores, and it’s the smaller independent chains that continue to set the bar for supermarkets,” says David VanAmburg, managing director of the American Customer Satisfaction Index.

A consumer study released in April by research firm Market Force Information ranked H-E-B as shoppers’ seventh favorite grocery chain in the country, with Wegmans coming out on top.

Retail consultant Neil Stern may have nailed what’s propelling H-E-B’s popularity with consumers. In March 2015, Stern wrote that H-E-B fosters a culture of “restless dissatisfaction,” constantly striving to figure out what can be improved in its stores.

“H-E-B is one of the more consistently inspiring retailers in the world,” Stern wrote. “They are never content and constantly innovating, whether it be with a format … or with experimentation within their footprint.”

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Better Days, Same Burgers

Shuttered San Antonio burger joint stages surprising comeback

Teddy B's/Facebook

Teddy B's has made a surprise comeback.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of Teddy B's life. In October, the popular burger joint shuttered its decade-old location on Babcock Road, grieving a loss of foot traffic and rising costs. On November 20, the spot revealed a plot twist. The owners are now slinging patties at 9903 Fredericksburg Rd.

"Dear Teddy B's customers, we have good news," the restaurant posted on social media. "We are back in business...We are waiting for our new sign, but we are up and running."

The unexpected comeback is the culmination of a tumultuous year for the business. As the restaurant marked its 10-year milestone this summer, the outlook was much darker. On August 4, the restaurant took to social media to warn that closure could be imminent. A traffic decline affected Teddy B's ability to maintain its affordable price point.

The messaging worked, at least in the short term. Days later, the restaurant reported an increase in business. The marketing language was hopeful until October 13, when the restaurant abruptly announced it was closing for good.

The news of Teddy B's rebirth came just as suddenly. After a month-long social media silence, the restaurant announced it had taken over the former home of Burger Haven. The latter restaurant was little known, appearing to operate mainly as a ghost kitchen.

Assumably, burgers will be back on the menu, but it is unclear whether other favorites will be eliminated to streamline the operation. The business has not posted any revisions, and its website is down at press time.

The burger joint's comeback manifests as other shuttered legacy restaurants like The Lion and Rose and Fratello's have staged their own returns. While Teddy B's has offered no reasoning for getting back into the game, it is a testament to the resiliency of San Antonio's culinary community.

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