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The smallest H-E-B store is in downtown San Antonio, the 12,000-square-foot South Flores Market.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Emma Weidmann\/MySA<\/p>\n
H-E-B stores<\/a> aren’t really known for their coziness. In fact, it can be\u00a0easier to waste time roaming the aisles (whether that’s on purpose or not) than to get in, grab just a few items and zip back out. But one location, the Texas-born grocer’s smallest, is a different story.<\/p>\n Where is the smallest H-E-B?\u00a0<\/p>\n South Flores Market is the smallest H-E-B you’ll find across more than 450 stores in Texas and Mexico. Standing at just 12,000 square feet at the corner of West Cesar E. Chavez Boulevard and South Flores Street, it’s a bit of a different concept than most customers are used to. First is the parking lot, which is small and tends to fill up fast. If you need gas, there are eight pumps for filling your tank.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Inside, you’ll find your produce, meat and deli items, baked goods, and other pantry staples, as well as small sections for beauty, health, household and pet supplies. Lots of beer and wine, too. There are lots of coolers for frozen food and chilled beverages, and the front of the store emphasizes the pre-prepared Meal Simple lineup almost as soon as you walk in. There’s even outdoor seating underneath the front awning for quickly inhaling a roll from Sushiya or a slice from South Flo Pizza.<\/p>\n South Flores Market feels like it’s made for quick errands or grabbing a lunch from Meal Simple, South Flo Pizza or Sushiya.<\/p>\n Emma Weidmann\/MySA<\/p>\n The check-out lane is mostly self-check-out, with two regular lanes. It really does have the vibes of a place to grab your quick essentials and head out, and it seems to be geared towards those faster H-E-B runs when you just need a few things.<\/p>\n It opened in 2015 and was originally supposed to be even smaller \u2014 no more than 8,000 square feet, according to a 2013 MySA article<\/a>. In that report, then-Chief Operating Officer Craig Boyan (now a senior advisor) said South Flores Market is “just another one of those (amenities) that make living in downtown more attractive,” although he questioned whether the downtown population at the time could support it. Over 15,000 people currently live there, according to ranking site\u00a0Niche<\/a>, and the store is consistently filled with people stopping by for a ready-made lunch, running a quick errand or filling up their tank. On its 10-year anniversary, H-E-B donated $10,000 to Contemporary at Blue Star for public events, a spokesperson for the grocer told MySA.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Does downtown San Antonio need a bigger H-E-B?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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