H-E-B’s downtown store stands out

H-E-B is entering new territory — literally and figuratively — with its downtown outlet.

The store, slated to open Dec. 2 at César E. Chávez Boulevard and South Flores Street, stands out among H-E-B’s more than 370 outlets in Texas and Mexico.

It has a quirky design, with a “living wall” thick with plants, a stylized neon sign for the entrance and reclaimed wooden beams from the Joske’s building, still bearing the signatures of companies that made them in the late 19th century.

The company designed the store with residents of the King William District in mind, as well as tourists staying at nearby hotels and office workers looking for a quick lunch, officials said.

It will emphasize grab-and-go prepared food and drinks, with fresh sushi and a variety of Central Market products on display near the entrance.

Visitors can get the company’s Café Ole brand at a coffee station and drink them at tables outside, or prepare meals at the microwave and condiment station. Three small aisles will be devoted to wine, and a long section of refrigerators will carry craft beer.

The store’s most notable quality is its size. At 12,000 square feet, it’s the smallest H-E-B store, officials said, while most of its stores are larger than 100,000 square feet. It will have 35 employees — well below the average 200. The aisles are 4.5 feet wide, slightly less than half the width of the typical 8-foot-wide H-E-B aisle. Customers will be able to choose between small push carts or pull carts to carry merchandise.

To counter its small floor area, the store has a high, multilevel ceiling with layers of windows letting in sunlight and offering views of trees in Commander’s House Park.

“We know it is a small store,” said Bill Triplett, the project’s lead designer. “We want to make it feel bigger.”

Lake|Flato also worked on the design, as well as members of H-E-B’s strategic design team, which works on special projects.

A challenge for the company was deciding how to make use of the small space. The store will offer as many types of products as a typical H-E-B, but there will be fewer options for each product type, officials said.

The store — which will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day — has a 47-space parking lot and a gas station offering self-service 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It won’t have a pharmacy.

It will include other amenities well-suited to its site in the King William District, such as paintings by local artist Chuck Ramirez, a “fix your bike” station and a water station for dogs. The company is considering holding events such as yoga lessons in Commander’s House Park.

The store’s exterior, and much of the interior, is D’Hanis-style brick, similar to that of other buildings along Flores Street.

“The intention was to use material that’s consistent with the history of the street,” Triplett said.

The store will be LEED certified, thanks in part to its abundant natural lighting, its use of reclaimed materials and low-flow water usage, officials said.

H-E-B broke ground early last summer on the store, which was approved by the City Council in December 2013. The company’s decision to build the store was a major achievement for former Mayor Julián Castro, who pushed for a downtown grocery as part of his “Decade of Downtown” agenda.

Nearby, the company is in the midst of a $100 million expansion of its headquarters complex, which is set to bring 1,600 workers to that area by 2030, officials have said.

The store will be a learning experience for H-E-B due to its small size, officials said Thursday. For months, they’ve studied the logistics of supplying the store and considered ways to arrange merchandise on its shelves, testing product assortments in a mock facility.

“This is a store that’s going to be very fluid in the way we operate and merchandize,” company spokeswoman Dya Campos said.