H-E-B Celebrates 50 Years in La Grange

The La Grange H-E-B store held a 50th anniversary celebration on Saturday, June 22. A huge crowd of folks filled the store and the surrounding grounds for entertainment and free food throughout the afternoon.

“We’re really happy to see the growth that we’ve been able to bring to all the folks in La Grange and the surrounding area,” said Tamra Jones, a spokesperson for H-E-B. “We completed a remodel in September of last year. And to come full circle and have a 50th anniversary, we didn’t want to miss this opportunity celebrate it with our customers and thank them for being loyal shoppers.”

To mark the occasion, HE- B presented $15,000 in donations to the three local nonprofits: AMEN Food Pantry, Fayette Public Library and the Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter. Each organization received $5,000.

Jones provided the following brief history of the La Grange H-E-B store: “On January 24, 1973, H-E-B opened a 28,000 sq. ft. facility facing Jackson St., which is the same location as the current store, but the building at that time faced 90 degrees to the east. The rich history of this location being directly adjacent to the old high school and near to the Square has made H-E-B a pillar of the community.

“Previously an Associated Milk Producers plant, the adjacent limestone ditch that was built during the WPA programs introduced after the Great Depression provided infrastructure to allow dairy and butcher cattle to travel to the Colorado river for water, while also providing flood protection for the city. Over the years the small community of La Grange continued to grow, as did H-E-B. In 1996 the H-E-B Pantry was built with 22k sq.ft. of sales floor behind the old location facing Travis St. in its current orientation, and the old building was turned into leasing space that would later become a Sears.

“Later, in 2010, H-E-B would expand again into the lease space and add on another 10,000 sq. ft., to grow to 32,000 sq. ft. total. This introduced the combination Bakery/Deli as well as expanded drugstore assortment like cosmetics and seasonal.

“In August of 2022, H-EB completed its fourth expansion of the La Grange location, adding in a full service bakery including tortillas, chips and cakes, expanded sushi, expanded deli, market and produce assortment, a full service seafood counter, healthy living, self checkout, expanded drugstore seasonal selection, floral, triple the wine and beer selection, and numerous other additions throughout the store to maximize the service to the customer.”