H-E-B welcomes the first group of eager customers to its new East Side store today.
At 6 a.m., the San Antonio-based grocer opens its 125,000-square-foot location at Interstate 10 and Loop 1604 in Schertz, where it purchased about 60 acres in 2015.
“This community is very near to my heart,” general manager Will Tate said at a media preview of the store on Tuesday. “I grew up 10 minutes from this store, and my mother was a school teacher in the East Central School District for over 30 years. I’m really excited to serve the community where I grew up and give back with this store. Being here kind of feels like coming home for me.”
The new $21.2 million store is part of what H-E-B said in a statement is its “investment in a rapidly growing area on San Antonio’s eastern edge.”
With more than 400 employees manning the aisles and working behind the scenes, the store features 900 parking spots, a True Texas BBQ restaurant with indoor seating and a drive-thru, an expansive curbside pickup area, home delivery service and a drive-thru pharmacy.
Additional highlights include the bakery with tortillas made in-store daily, a large Sushiya stall with sushi and hot rice bowls, an H-E-B Meal Simple section with chef-inspired meals for takeaway, an expansive cheese selection in the deli department, Cooking Connection with live demonstrations and samplings, a meat market with Prime, organic meats and Wagyu, a beauty department and more.
There also are plans to open a convenience store with a 10-pump fuel station and car wash along the Loop1604 frontage road. It is expected to open in spring 2027. H-E-B said the 60-acre site also will feature new retail buildings and opportunities for future developments.
“The East Side of San Antonio is exploding with growth, and it’s pretty exciting to say the least,” Tate said. “I remember when the rural areas between La Vernia, Converse, Adkins and Seguin were cow pastures and cornfields. Now we have traffic lights and traffic, and it’s a great thing for the wealth of this community. It has been incredible to see all the new neighborhoods and businesses that have gone up in the area.”
H‑E‑B donated $40,000 to local foundations that invest in the community’s youth and future leaders, with $10,000 going to the education foundations of each of the four area independent school districts: Judson, East Central, Marion and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISDs.
