Some consider the store a Disneyland for people who like food. What is certain is that Central Market is recognized as Austin's second-largest tourist draw, Maureen Hearn, marketing and advertising associate, tells GlobeSt.com. Parent firm, HEB of San Antonio, has two stores up and running in Austin and one in San Antonio. But it's the Houston store, which opens in two weeks at 3815 Westheimer, that is serving as the "footprint" and it's one that totals about 75,000 sf in a European-style market design.

Central Market is overseen by HEB's divisional offices in Austin and Dallas. While there's talk of up to 17, Hearn says nothing is definite at this time. The focus for now, she tells GlobeSt.com, is to get the seven up and running. She says the bottom-line goal is to develop a partnership with the communities that have been selected for Central Markets. Standard to the design are community rooms that can be reserved for meetings at no charge.

According to Hearn, the retail concept is so popular that people make the three-hour drive from Dallas-Ft. Worth to shop at the Austin stores. Soon, that trek will be unnecessary. A 75,000-sf Central Market is under construction in Plano and another DFW store is being built at the intersection of Interstate 30 and Hulen in Ft. Worth. The Plano location opens in October and Ft. Worth's by summer's end. By 2002, the Greenville section of Dallas will have its Central Market.

Drive-through windows for food and pharmacy needs are being incorporated into all new Central Markets, starting with Houston. And, says Hearn, the windows are being installed at Austin's Westgate location.

The first Central Market opened its doors in 1994 at 4001 N. Lamar in Austin. San Antonio opened in 1998 at 4821 Broadway and 4477 S. Lamar, known as Westgate, followed in 1999.

What makes Central Market such a hot ticket? Its fresh produce section encompasses 18,000 sf; the fresh seafood counter stretches 75 feet; the wine list spans 2,000 domestic and imported brands; and the cheese counter has more than 700 varieties. Each store has some 30 chefs, who prepare food for take-out or in-store dining. There also is an in-store traditional European-style bakery that has been acclaimed as Texas' best. And, the list goes on. "You just can't compare us to a normal grocery store," emphasizes Hearn.

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Central Market Roll-Out Strategy Under Way

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