AUSTIN (KXAN) — Grocery store chain H-E-B announced new temporary hours of noon to 5 p.m. Thursday as well as which of its stores will be closed entirely.
Those stores that will be closed Thursday include:
- #236 A7 – Wells Branch & 1825
- #236 A7 – Wells Branch & 1825
- #045 A8 – Congress & Oltorf
- #265 A14 – FM 1431 & 183
- #659 A16 – Hwy 183 & Lakeline
- #269 A17 – 183 & Braker
- #388 A20 – Parmer & McNeil
- #451 A24 – 620 & 2222
- #476 A25 – Parmer & I35
- #091 A12 – Riverside & S. Pleasant
- #183 A15 – Lamar & Rundberg
- Kyle
- Luling
- Leander
- Kingsland
- Elgin
H-E-B also announced hours of operation for its Central Market stores in Central Texas:
- Austin North Lamar
- Thursday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Friday: 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Austin Westgate
- Thursday: Closed
- Friday: TBD
What restrictions are there on purchases?
H-E-B said weather “has caused a severe disruption in the food supply chain” complicated even more by power and water outages. The company said its products will be limited “for a few days.”
That was the case at the location near John Lopez’s home near East 6th Street. He made a grocery run on Thursday for the first time since the winter storms hit.
“We were running out of food to eat,” said Lopez, who explained he and his girlfriend faced rolling power outages starting Monday. He said power finally returned on Thursday.
Lopez said they moved the contents of their freezer to the patio and kept their refrigerator closed to try to keep the cold air inside.
“I can probably assume that with it going on -— it was going on four days without power, that a lot of the items probably are spoiled,” he said.
Lopez got to his 7th Street H-E-B more than two hours before it opened and said the line grew to a few hundred.
He was also told what to expect once inside.
“One of the store managers came out letting us know that they weren’t going to have any meat, milk, eggs or any other type of refrigerated items,” Lopez said.
Stephen English and Jay Aved went to the Oak Hill H-E-B on Wednesday.
“It was just a mad house, I mean, it was like anything I’ve ever seen here in Austin,” English said.
H-E-B said it has placed limits on some store items to help ensure there is no hoarding and that more items will be available for more people.
“They didn’t have any bags, and you couldn’t go shopping with a shopping cart, so it’s anything you can carry in your hands, that’s all,” said Aved, who had not brought a bag of his own to the store.
H-E-B said it is working to get more food and other products to its stores. The snow and ice significantly hampered the grocer’s supply chain.
“Probably around two hours and all I was able to bring home was a case of water, a case of milk, a case of eggs,” English said.
Lopez says even with the limitations, he was able to buy enough and is grateful for the company’s efforts.
“We think we’ll be able to ride this out,” he said. “As always, they’re coming through again.”
People were lined up outside Central Texas H-E-B stores when they opened at 12 p.m. Tuesday. H-E-B plans to stay open until 5 p.m. Tuesday. (KXAN photo/Todd Bailey) Empty shelves at H-E-B on Slaughter Lane & Menchaca on Feb. 18, 2021. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) A product limit sign at H-E-B on Slaughter Lane & Menchaca on Feb. 18, 2021. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala) Empty shelves at H-E-B on Slaughter Lane & Menchaca on Feb. 18, 2021. (KXAN Photo/Ed Zavala)
Pharmacy, curbside pickup and home delivery
H-E-B said it will keep its pharmacies open at the same time as the adjusted store hours. Many other H-E-B services will be closed.
H-E-B said both curbside and home delivery orders have been canceled, because the grocer is not currently able to fulfill orders. It hopes to resume operations as soon as possible.
The H-E-B and Favor Senior Support phone line will also be closed.
Randalls getting new shipments Thursday
Randalls said it has some shipments of food on the road and coming into Austin Thursday.
“Our distribution center is operating and shipping product, and we are working with direct-to-store vendors to get products into the stores as quickly as possible,” Randalls said in a statement to KXAN’s Tahera Rahman.
“However, it will take some time to replenish our stores due to both the high demand and product distressed due to power outages,” the grocer added. “Getting groceries into our stores and onto the shelves for our customers is a high priority for our teams today and over the next few days.”
Many Randalls stores opened at 8 a.m. Thursday, but Randalls did not have store-specific information. Its Facebook page has the latest updates but does not have that information. You may try calling before heading to your local store.
Other grocery stores
WALMART
Walmart has a map of stores that are open and closed in the area. More than 200 stores across the country are closed as of 10 a.m. The map shows stores that are open, and has links to individual stores’ Facebook pages, which have up-to-date information about hours.
FIESTA
Fiesta said on its Facebook page its stores would open Thursday at 8 a.m. but hours may vary by store.
WHOLE FOODS
Whole Foods still has some locations closed but keeps its store locator updated.