Fort Worth’s first H-E-B grocery store may be in this shopping center.
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H-E-B in Fort Worth
Yes, it’s finally happening. After multiple announcements that H-E-B is expanding into North Texas, a location of the popular Texas grocery chain is finally coming to Fort Worth. Here’s what you need to know:
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Fort Worth appears to be getting its first H-E-B grocery store.
The developer Hillwood announced Wednesday morning that an H-E-B is planned at Parkside at Alliance Town Center on the north side of Fort Worth, along with a Torchy’s Tacos, CAVA, Black Rifle Coffee Company and Dash Nail Spa. The restaurants and other retail businesses are anticipated to be completed by early 2023.
A spokesperson for Hillwood said that there was no estimated date for the H-E-B store’s opening, but the popular Texas grocery chain will anchor the development. Soon after, an H-E-B spokesperson said the grocer has not made an announcement about a store in Fort Worth.
On Wednesday afternoon, Hillwood sent out a revised statement saying that it “inadvertently” included H-E-B in its announcement about the development, and that the grocer has not made any public announcements. The revised statement says “a major grocery” will be built on the land. H-E-B owns the property.
The new additions are expected to be located north of Heritage Trace, on the east side of Hillwood Parkway and adjacent to Bluestem Park. The construction will be part of a 30,000-square-foot food and entertainment destination in the “heart of Alliance Town Center,” the news release said.
“Parkside at Alliance Town Center continues to be a destination for the region and I’m excited to welcome some new additions to serve our growing community,” said Mark Miller, senior vice president of retail development at Hillwood, in the release. “Torchy’s, CAVA, Black Rifle and Dash Nail Spa diversify our existing retail, restaurant and entertainment options, promoting strong community engagement and building upon Alliance Town Center’s vibrant atmosphere.”
H-E-B expansion timeline
According to deed documents, H-E-B agreed to build a store in Alliance by August 2026.
In April 2021, former Fort Worth City Councilmember Cary Moon announced H-E-B had purchased the site on his Facebook page, but the company hadn’t confirmed that it owned the land or intended to build on it.
The deed states H-E-B is required to build a supermarket within 66 months of the execution of the deed, which took place in February 2021.
H-E-B purchased the property on Dec. 23, 2019.
Residents in the neighborhoods around Heritage Trace Parkway were surveyed in 2006-07 when the area was first being developed and the number one thing people wanted was a grocery store like H-E-B, said Alan Blaylock, a Fort Worth City Council member whose district includes Alliance Town Center.
“Hopefully we’ll see many more to come,” Blaylock said.
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While H-E-B has stores in Hudson Oaks and Burleson, the store in Alliance will be its first in Tarrant County.
“HEB owns a number of properties across the region and they are very strategic about when and where they make investments,” said Robert Sturns, the head of economic development for the City of Fort Worth, in an emailed statement. “We’re excited that they are moving forward with this store in one of the fastest-growing areas of Fort Worth and I’m hopeful that we will see other investments over the next few years.”
The news comes weeks after the grocery chain announced the groundbreaking of a location in Allen in mid-May.
The Fort Worth H-E-B location would join a recent North Texas expansion, with an approved location in Forney, a Kaufman County city about 55 miles east of Fort Worth, which was announced in March.
H-E-B also broke ground on locations in McKinney, Plano and Frisco.
Construction for the location in Forney has not begun yet, but the McKinney store is expected to be completed in 2023, with the Plano and Frisco stores expected to open in the fall.
H-E-B purchased land in Mansfield in 2016, but six years later no movement has been made on when construction will begin. During a Feb. 10 city council meeting, Mansfield City Council addressed H-E-B company leaders present at the meeting about the need and desire to start construction.
Mansfield Councilman Casey Lewis promised the city will do anything it can to work with H-E-B to make the store happen. Despite encouraging words from council members and the mayor, company leaders have not set a time frame of when ground will break on the property.
At the Plano groundbreaking, Juan-Carlos Ruck, vice president of food and drugs for the northwest division of H-E-B, told the Star-Telegram the company doesn’t rush into decisions on expansion.
“We’re starting here [in Plano and Frisco], but obviously we’re committed to the Metroplex,” Ruck said. “Our interest is to serve all of the Metroplex over time with all of our formats.”
In a March survey published by the Star-Telegram, 2,243 out of 2,267 survey respondents said they wanted to see an H-E-B in Fort Worth. While the new location will be around 20 minutes from downtown, it will be closer than both the Burleson and Hudson Oaks locations, which are both about 25 minutes away.
Parkside development
The Parkside development began in late 2017. Phase l on the west side of Hillwood Parkway features dining options with expansive patios overlooking Bluestem Park, including Grub Burger Bar, Shell Shack, First Watch and MOD Pizza, the release said.
The new additions will include Torchy’s Tacos, “an Austin-based craft fast-casual taco brand known for its street tacos and addictive green chile queso,” the release said.
CAVA, a Mediterranean restaurant chain, “continues to grow its presence in the region, offering a flavorful and healthy fast-casual restaurant experience,” the release said. CAVA’s menu includes salads, grain bowls, pitas and house-made juices.
Black Rifle Coffee Company, founded by veterans, “imports high-quality coffee beans from around the world and offers a range of subscription options,” the release said.
The other addition will be Dash Nail Spa, which offers luxury manicure and pedicure services.
“Parkside at Alliance Town Center is designed to complement the surrounding natural environment and seamlessly blend with Bluestem Park with easy access to walking and biking trails,” the Hillwood release said. “Complete with vast, welcoming patio spaces, the development overlooks the picturesque open landscape and creates a relaxing yet sophisticated atmosphere.”
With the addition of the newly announced businesses “among others currently in negotiations, less than 3,000 square feet of retail space remains available at Parkside, showcasing the area’s popularity and growth,” the release said.
About Alliance
Alliance Town Center is a 900-acre mixed-use development within the larger 27,000-acre AllianceTexas area developed by Hillwood, which is anchored by Fort Worth Alliance Airport. AllianceTexas “is home to 559 companies that have created more than 63,000 direct jobs and has approximately 53 million square feet of developed commercial real estate assets,” the release said.
The area includes also includes residential communities.
The development’s cumulative economic impact since 1989 is an estimated $100.6 billion, the Hillwood release said.
Staff writers Harrison Mantas and Megan Cardona contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 8, 2022 at 9:48 AM.
