In November of 1905, Howard Butt, Sr. opened a quaint shop in Kerrville that would eventually grow to become the beloved grocery store chain, H-E-B, with more than 400 stores throughout Texas and Mexico that employs more than 120,000 Partners (employees). This week the company opened a new store on Main Street in Kerrville, Texas. Built by EMJ Construction, the store opened weeks ahead of schedule.
“There are few things that exemplify the state of Texas more than H-E-B,” said George Heath, VP of EMJ Construction. “We are honored to work for this company and iconic brand in its hometown.”
The store will offer fresh, quality food options, expanded departments and innovative services that allow customers to choose how they shop, pay for and receive their products.
Some highlights and updated departments of this new store include:
- H-E-B Curbside service allowing customers to shop online and pick up their order at the store
- Pharmacy with drive-thru service
- Blooms floral department with certified floral designers and local delivery
- True Texas BBQ restaurant with indoor seating and catering for events
- Large selection of craft and import beers and wines
- One of the company’s largest Meal Simple departments stocked with chef-inspired meals
- Showtime Kitchen featuring live demos and daily samplings using quick and easy recipes
- Sushiya offering handmade sushi selections made in-store daily
- A bakery department featuring handmade artisan breads, cakes and Tortillería for fresh tortillas
- A produce section with expanded organic and Texas-grown selections
- A cheese shop with expanded selection of more than 250 cheeses
- Gas station with car wash
- 22 check stands featuring several self-checkout registers for quick customer service
With more than two decades of service to the Kerrville community, Greg Nichols will continue to work as the location’s general manager. The 31-year H-E-B Partner has served on numerous local nonprofit boards and has dedicated his time to giving back to the community, including continuing to move the chains at area youth football games. He will lead a team that added 100 positions, growing the store’s workforce to more than 415 Partners.
“It’s not easy to finish a construction project of this magnitude during normal times, but this team of dedicated partners delivered during a global pandemic,” said Nichols. “They really did a great job and listened to what we needed and were really responsive as we got ready to open.”
The EMJ Construction team (L to R): Alex Thomas, Erick Perez, George Heath, Denver Moody, Matt Connors, Ryan Jarvis, and Kathryn Mueller. Not pictured are Nancy Mickle, Mindy Evans, Drew Halsey, and Andrew Lackey.
To complement the look and feel of the surrounding Hill Country community, H-E-B incorporated design elements such as metal shed roofs and limestone materials. The limestone used for the store honors the company’s second location for its stores, which opened in 1911 at the rock Masonic Building on Earl Garrett St. in Kerrville.
A nod to the company’s roots, part of the design element will include a decorative facade for the Curbside area that resembles the retailer’s original store. Dedicated in 2016, the Texas state historical marker will be located near the Curbside area.
H-E-B’s first store, which opened as C.C. Butt Grocery Store, was located in the 800 block of Main St. The new store is the ninth location where H-E-B has operated a store in Kerrville.