Photo by Shawn Arrajj

The newest Cypress H-E-B will open at 6 a.m. Oct. 8 at the corner of Spring Cypress and Grant roads. The 100,000-sqaure-foot Grant Market will include several brand new features being tested out by the grocery store chain for the first time.

The store will be the first to feature The Caf at H-E-B, a bistro caf where sandwiches and salads are made to order daily from 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Meals are made with ingredients from the on-site deli, fresh produce and artisan breads from the bakery. Customers can order freshly squeezed juices made from fruits and vegetables with a new on-site juicer.

The store will also feature more than 1,500 organic items, an expansive selection of gluten-free offerings, a specialty cheese shop, floral department, a wine and craft beer section staffed with an expert wine steward as well as a full service seafood section and meat market. The full-service bakery includes the largest cake display of any Houston-area H-E-B.

The location was chosen based on feedback from shoppers in the Cypress area asking for a store that was more accessible to suburban residents. H-E-B broke away from its typical location strategy of putting stores at major intersections, Unit Director Rick Copeland said.

"We found that customers were looking for a location that was more centrally within the community, as opposed to another one along busy highways where people have to fight traffic," he said. "We've done smaller neighborhood stores, but this is really the first time we'll have a store offering the latest and greatest in a neighborhood setting."

The store is also notable for its wide aisles and open feeling, Copeland said.

"When you shop on weekends or at peak hours at a lot of places you'll run into a lot of congestion going from aisle to aisle," he said. "We've gone to great lengths to do wide aisles with no obstructions."

The store is expected to create around 340 jobs once fully staffed, Regional Vice President Richard Castillo said.

H-E-B has already committed to a community service project at the nearby Black Elementary School on Grant Road, said Cyndy Garza-Roberts, director of public affairs. An art wall will be constructed over the next 30–60 days along the playground, which children and teachers will be allowed to paint and decorate.