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H-E-B produces plans for even bigger store in San Antonio suburb

H-E-B is planning a bigger store for New Braunfels shoppers.

H-E-B is replacing a nearly 25-year-old grocery store in New Braunfels with a location that’ll be almost 25 percent bigger.

According to a filing with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, H-E-B plans to start construction in mid-January on a 122,222-square-foot store at 651 S. Walnut Ave., near I-35. The nearly $17.6 million is project is scheduled for completion in December 2021. An H-E-B gas station also will be built on the 12-acre site.

Selser Schaefer Architects of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is designing the new store. The firm is H-E-B’s longtime architect.

“Every single H-E-B grocery store Selser Schaefer Architects has helped create throughout its relationship with the Texas-based brand is unique to its setting,” the architecture firm says on its website. “Yet the experience encountered in each H-E-B store is designed to inspire the same feeling: ‘Here Everything’s Better.’”

The current 99,175-square-foot store opened in 1994. San Antonio-based H-E-B operates two other stores in New Braunfels: one at 2965 I-35 North and the other at 1655 W. State Highway 46. The I-35 store is a larger-format H-E-B Plus!

The San Antonio-based chain is one of the most beloved companies in Texas, a reputation further burnished amid the pandemic. In recent months, H-E-B has been named one of the best companies for consumers and rolled out raises to hourly employees working through the COVID-19 crisis, all while growing its footprint across the Lone Star State.

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NEWS YOU CAN EAT

Grill power and supernatural cider conjure San Antonio restaurant news

Singhs Vietnamese/ Facebook

Singhs Vietnamese will soon debut its new location.

San Antonio has made great strides in proving it's not just a barbecue town, but there's no denying locals get fired up about their meats. This week, two of Alamo City's most idolized pitmasters share big news as a smattering of openings pokes through the smoke.

Openings

St. Mary's Strip hot spot Singhs Vietnamese is being coy about its Northwest Side sequel, Singhs Cantina. News of the location leaked when the restaurant filed paperwork with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in May 2023. Designer Victor Hinojosa of Cognitive Creative added to the speculation by posting a slideshow of the renderings, promising an opening by the end of that year. Since then, Singhs has remained mum, but the project appears nearly complete. On January 16, the restaurant posted photos of an apparent friends-and-family service. No exact date was given for its public debut.

Wedding complex Tuscany Venue is seemingly adding a restaurant to its portfolio. A concept called Trattoria Dall'Oste filed for a mixed beverage permit with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) at the complex's 16102 Old Fredericksburg Rd. address. The name is shared with a Florence, Italy steakhouse chain. Although the latter's website states it is expanding to Korea, there's no indication of an international connection to San Antonio.

A sprawling industrial site at 420 Lombrano St. might soon be the site of the city's first cidery. TABC records indicate that Psychic Cider has applied for a winery permit at the space. The property contains office space and four industrial spaces, including a large Quonset hut, but it is unclear which will house the budding project. The only other information about the project comes from an AI-heavy website with florid product descriptions and curious bot-driven spiritual readings.

Other news and notes

Mikhail "Mischka" Timofeyev, the proprietor and chef of Beacon Hill staple Web House Café and Bar, passed on January 22. Timofeyev's husband, Manny Castaneda, broke the news on the business's Facebook page, stating that his spouse "has given his heart to all of us." The San Antonio community responded in kind with an outpouring of almost 400 comments paying homage to the late community leader.

Laura Loomis is returning to her roots at Two Bros. BBQ Market. During her first stint as head pitmaster at the Jason Dady helmed restaurant, Loomis received widespread media kudos and was included in Eater's 2017 Young Guns list of emerging culinary talent. Most recently, she has been minding the grills at the Empty Stomach Group's High Horse Ice House with Mara Serna.

Elsewhere, Double A Barbecue is ending its half-year residency at Shady Lady Saloon, according to a January 15 Facebook announcement. Owner Adrian Davila, however, will still have plenty of red meat to chew on. On the same day, the popular pitmaster appeared alongside Live from the Southside publisher April Monterrosa and Brooster's Backyard Icehouse owner Norman Velez to announce the return of steak nights at the popular bar. Starting on January 23, the promotion will run on Thursdays, beginning at 6 pm.

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