H-E-B will open market in Katy on Wednesday

H-E-B Katy Market will open at 6 a.m. Wednesday at 25675 Nelson Way.

It's the first major food store in Katy proper since Wal-Mart opened at Katy Mills mall in 2001.

It is part of Katy Main Street, at Pin Oak Road and Interstate 10, which is a multi-use development, including retail, restaurants, banks, a hotel and Class A office space.

Westward movement

In a March interview, Scott McClelland, president of H-E-B Houston, said his chain is watching development west of Houston. Following other stores at Fry and I-10, Mason and Highland Knolls and the biggest one on the Grand Parkway, the company keeps moving westward, he said.

"As the community has grown westward, we saw an opportunity. This store at Pin Oak will serve not just Old Katy, but Brookshire and all the way out to Sealy," he said.

"After years of research and careful planning, we have created an ideal destination for grocery shopping," said Cyndy Garza-Roberts, director of public affairs for the Houston Region. "Everything about the new Katy Market store, from its design to its fresh offerings, was specifically tailored to meet the needs and desires of this community."

The 85,000-square-foot store includes:

Full-service meat market offering USDA prime, natural and organic meats.

Full-service seafood department with fresh fish deliveries every day from around the world with a variety of wild and local species.

Produce department showcasing more than 900 varieties of fruits and vegetables from around the world, including a selection of organic produce and fresh-cut fruits and melons.

Full-service deli featuring Boar's Head premium meats and cheeses.

Cheese Shop with more than 300 varieties of specialty and imported cheese from around the world.

Bakery with an assortment of organic and homemade artisan breads baked on-site daily as well as fresh corn and flour tortillas from an in-store tortilleria.

Cooking Connection with live demonstrations and cooking classes.

More than 1,000 varieties of wine.

Hot and ready rotisserie chicken cooked fresh in-store and available in six flavors.

Full-service Sushi Bar with sushi made in-store daily.

Healthy living department with bulk foods, vitamins and more.

Organic offerings with thousands of organic and natural products, including a large assortment of Central Market products.

Homemade rice popper, found exclusively at H-E-B and Central Market in Texas, turns rice into low-fat air-popped cakes that mix with agave, honey, hummus or Healthy Living's freshly ground nut butter.

Fresh guacamole bar, where guacamole is handmade to order. Guacamole is made from ripe avocados using fresh lime juice, cilantro, tomatoes and/or onions.

Non-food features include a floral department; a pharmacy with a drive-up window; a selection of general merchandise and seasonal items; a fuel station and car wash; business center services such as bill pay and Western Union; and cosmetics.

Green building

Committed to the environment and green business practices, H-E-B designed the new store with numerous innovative and sustainable elements.

The store will feature reflective roofing, which keeps the building from heating up and therefore saves energy to cool the building interior; water efficiency features and equipment inside the store.

Energy efficient features include computer automated air conditioning and heating, administrative area light fixtures and energy-saving "Night Blind" roll down thermal shades on open front refrigerated display cases, reducing energy use.

The store will also feature natural skylights. The lights in the store will dim or brighten, adjusting to the density of the natural sun light.

Store staff

Twenty-six year retail grocery veteran Tim Morris will be the unit director of the store.

Morris previously worked as store director at the Memorial/Dairy Ashford H-E-B. More recently, he served as the unit director of the Bellaire store for four years. He has worked with H-E-B for 16 years.

Other key managers are Rexhe Kasumaj, store director, and Joey Garcia, assistant store director.

Kasumaj of Sugar Land joined H-E-B in 2003 and will be responsible for the fresh-food side of the store, ranging from seafood, meat and produce departments to the bakery, deli, sushi, floral and cheese departments.

Garcia, who lives in the Katy area, will be responsible for overseeing nonperishable goods such as drugs, grocery, cosmetics and general merchandise. A 24-year H-E-B partner, he has helped to plan and open 30 new stores in the Houston region.

The store will be staffed with nearly 400 employees.

Produce experts will provide samples of fresh fruits and vegetables, while seafood experts, artisan cake decorators and certified, trained meat specialists will assist customers.

H-E-B was founded in Kerrville in 1905 with a single grocery store.

The company has grown to more than 300 stores in Texas and northern Mexico with more than 70,000 employees.

H-E-B is one of the largest food chains in the United States, with annual sales of more than $15 billion, and is the largest privately held company in Texas.