Last updated on September 8th, 2023 at 12:53 pm
H-E-B has opened a 107,000-square-foot store at 12021 Highway 290 West in Austin, Texas, the site of a longtime popular music venue.
Previously operated as the Nutty Brown Café & Amphitheatre, the location also was the original home of Nutty Brown Mills, a flour mill and candy shop. H-E-B bought the property in 2015, with construction beginning in March 2022.
Dating back more than 70 years, the site’s history will be on display throughout the store, which incorporates some of its building materials and showcases memorabilia.
Shoppers will notice red brick from Nutty Brown Café’s oven. The team also designed a tribute wall that serves as a beacon near the store’s entrance.
A mural includes vintage photography and colorful iconography inspired by original signage such as the blue “welcome” awning and the neon cowboy sign.
Mike Farr, who owned the Nutty Brown Café & Amphitheatre music venue for some two decades, gave more than 15 signed guitars from Texas musicians who performed there. The store also has historic memorabilia displayed at both entrances.
Crafted to fit into the surrounding communities of Bear Creek, Cedar Valley and Dripping Springs, the location’s exterior design embraces the Hill Country aesthetic.
Sarah Longoria, top store leader, described the H-E-B in a statement as a “special store at an iconic site.”
“We are excited to preserve and showcase the history of such an important landmark, as well as provide a unique shopping experience our loyal customers will be proud of for decades to come,” she said.
The store has more than 400 employees. At a ribbon cutting ceremony, H-E-B commemorated the grand opening by giving $20,000 to several local nonprofits.
Receiving donations of $5,000 each were the Central Texas Food Bank, Health Alliance for Austin Musicians and Treefolks. Two $2,500 gifts went to the Dripping Springs Education Foundation, which will support Sycamore Springs and Rooster Springs elementary schools.
H-E-B was also named The Shelby Report of the Southwest’s 2022 Innovator of the Year.
