H-E-B Is Opening New Food Hall and Beer Garden on South Congress Avenue | Eater Austin

"Planned as a “community gathering place,” I learned the H‑E‑B at 2400 South Congress Avenue in Dawson will be extensively renovated and expanded from 69,000 to about 100,000 square feet and is expected to reopen sometime in 2022. The overhaul will add a food hall and, for the first time, a beer garden, with indoor and outdoor seating where people can eat and drink on-site; the food hall will feature some of H‑E‑B’s current restaurants (like tacos and barbecue) and the company is exploring adding local restaurants and chefs. Other changes include underground parking, murals and art installations by Austin artists, more food offerings (organic, prepared, bulk), and updated signage. The store — which originally opened in 1957 — will remain open during planning and permitting (expected to last until mid- to late-2020) and then close during construction. I also noted H‑E‑B’s ongoing COVID-19 preparations and its encouragement to buy what you need without stockpiling." - Nadia Chaudhury