New H-E-B store among latest signs of growth on San Antonio’s far East Side – KSAT

New H-E-B store among latest signs of growth on San Antonio’s far East Side  KSAT

Before the sun came up Wednesday, a spark was already ignited among the crowd gathered outside a brand-new H-E-B store on San Antonio’s far East Side. SAN ANTONIO – Before the sun came up Wednesday, a spark was already ignited among the crowd gathered outside a brand-new H-E-B store on San Antonio’s far East Side. Employees walked down the line, which at one point had swelled to more than 1,000 people, to shake hands and share pleasantries. Nearby, other workers dressed in costumes that looked like food items danced along the sidewalk as music blasted from a loudspeaker. Kenneth Cotton took it all in but then left rather than stand on his feet for too long.

“The line was humongous. The crowd, the parking lot, it was filled with everybody and everything,” he said when he returned hours later. Cotton was among those who were anxious for a peek inside the super-sized supermarket, a store now five minutes away from his Converse home. It was a long-awaited staple for their area, which they say had been without many options for grocery shopping. “Our choice was to go to La Vernia, which is 20 minutes away, or to FM 78, which is a smaller H-E-B, unfortunately. This is great,” said John Garcia, another late-morning shopper. Garcia, who has lived in the