H-E-B continued its expansion into North Texas with the grand opening of the first Plano location on November 2nd. Customers camped out overnight until over 250 people were eagerly waiting for the doors to open. The Plano West High School marching band played as shoppers filed past cheering H-E-B associates while confetti fell from above. The ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by H-E-B executives and Plano city officials. “We are humbled by the Texas-sized welcome from the Frisco and Plano communities and grateful for the enthusiasm many new customers are showing to our partners, who are working hard to provide the level of service H-E-B is known for,” said Stephen Butt, H-E-B Board Member and President – Central Market division. “Today is a history-making day for H-E-B as we continue to grow across Texas. In addition to the new Plano H-E-B, we’re also opening two new locations in the Houston area on the same day, adding to our strong network of stores.” The Plano grand opening fanfare is so large that H-E-B has restricted the new stores to customers-only for the first month of operation. Vendors are asked to postpone store visits until the traffic dies down.
H-E-B operates six Central Market stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, but this is the first official push into North Texas for the H-E-B banner. H-E-B opened the first DFW store in Frisco in September. New stores in McKinney and Allen are under construction, and the company recently broke ground in Fort Worth (Alliance) and Mansfield, Texas. “This endeavor into the DFW Metroplex has been a company-wide passion project,” said Juan-Carlos Rück, EVP of North West food drug. “At H-E-B, our goal is quite simple, we want to serve the community. Partners are the heart of our company and are committed to providing a fun, exciting shopping experience for Plano customers.” At 118,000 square feet, the H-E-B Plano store includes a full-service H-E-B Pharmacy with a drive-thru, Curbside and Home Delivery service, fuel station and car wash, and a True Texas BBQ restaurant with a drive-thru. To commemorate the move into North Texas, H-E-B released custom DFW-inspired sushi and coffee items. H-E-B designed the Plano location with environmental sustainability in mind by incorporating energy efficient CO2 refrigeration units, LED lighting, and native landscaping throughout the property. The company is currently building a 55,000-square-foot e-commerce fulfillment center adjacent to the Plano store that is expected to become operational by mid-2023.
