Fair Oaks HEB opens doors Wednesday

New Fair Oaks H-E-B Store Leader Gilbert De La Rosa expected a crowd to line up as early as 2 and 3 a.m. Wednesday to be “first in line” when the 110,000 square-foot grocery opens its doors at 6 a.m.

Fair Oaks Ranch Mayor Greg Maxton told H-E-B officials that his community has been waiting much longer than that for the store to arrive.

“It’s probably been several years now, that we’ve looked forward to this H-E-B opening,” Maxton said during Tuesday’s ribbon-cutting for the store, its partners and guests. “I would expect a very large crowd tomorrow morning.”

De La Rosa, a 40-year veteran with H-E-B, comes to the Fair oaks store after two years as store leader at the Blanco Road/Loop 1604 store. He said he worked for the past year on becoming the store leader, a move that was announced about six months ago.

“There’s been a lot of work put into this store, a lot of details you don’t see in just any typical HEB,” De La Rosa said. “The facade, the 20-pump gas station ... it’s just something you don’t see in San Antonio.”

The store’s workforce numbers just over 400, he said. “I’m excited to say that 200 of those partners come from the surrounding community,” the store leader said. Many of the others “followed some of the great managers we have here.”

“We're excited to be a part of this community. It’s growing, and we’re growing, my team is just excited to bring something to this ... area that they haven’t seen before,” he said.

Maxton said H-E-B's presence means more than just fresher produce, a larger wine list and available gas pumps.

“H-E-B is an exceptional community partner. They strive to extend themselves beyond the store boundaries and integrate themselves within the community. It will be great to have them part of our community here,” the mayor said.

Store officials presented a $10,000 check to Hill Country Daily Bread Ministries Executive Director Agnes Hubbard. After officials cut a ribbon strung across the main aisle, confetti burst into the air, raining down on the assembled store partners and guests — one of whom exclaimed, “Clean-up in Aisle 1,” generating laughter from those standing nearby.