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| Image 1. HEB #404 Exterior 1PM |
Today was a great day at HEB! For my first HEB review, I headed over to #404, located in exotic Bee Caves, TX. Coming up to this HEB I felt a comforting aura as I was welcomed into the wide-eyed open air of the Hill Country. I have been to 404 a few times before, and I choose it to be my first and furtherest review from my brief familiarity with it.
AESTHETICS
The first thing to notice coming to #404, is its modest stone peeked exterior reminiscent of a late 00's renovation. This stone motif is actual quite popular for HEBs in West Austin and the Hill Country, but the added color accents fit #404 well. The parking lot is also well adorned with live oak trees and flower beds adding to the charm. Three entrances line the front. Normally I find that number of entrances excessive, but it fits well into the design later on in the review. When you come to #404, make sure that you enter from the right most. There you will find the spacious produce section, filled with cafe and other in-store amenities. Here can also be found the most disappointing feature of #404-namely the poor lighting.
For a well and recently modeled HEB, this one has some of the poorer lighting. Little to no natural light filters through doors at the front, while the high ceilinged white metal roof lattice remains unspotted by skylight or life. This combined with the sterile length and tri-segment structure give #404 an empty look, especially should one make it to its interior belly (see Pic 2a). The only lights are the 6 halogen bulb fixtures, common among most HEBs with metal ceilings. Here, the halogen fixtures are moderately populated, illuminating well, but coolly. Perhaps it is a nitpick, but I think that simple features such as skylights are all that is separating this HEB aesthetically with its hypermodern counterparts like #580.
Glancing from up to down, one finds a floor of solid marblesque concrete, polished to a low gleam. Here the empty nature of the lights give way to the open feel of the country. #404 certainly has a very grounded feeling to it. When you are amongst the aisle of groceries, smiling around eye level, the store feels free and inviting. Look up and around to find where you are and it seems too free for its own good. Perhaps a bit of paint design could do this HEB well. Extending the traditional section markers upward, as well as coloring the central segments could have added a little more life to this HEB’s sky. Instead we got a lot of grey.
As the number of entrances might suggest, #404 is divided into three distinct sections. While most HEBs might be beholden to this motif, this one takes it to extreme with its large ground to ceiling walls. Positively, this gives the right section which contains the cafe and other ammenties a cozy, whole foods feel. Negatively, it sucks that life away from the rest of the store. Due to this divide, the store seems longer and more empty in the middle and left sections.
Aesthetics- 1.8/5
DESIGN
Before getting into discussion of design let me first provide the location of important features, and thus give you perspective on how they are spatially related to one another. Maybe a quick navigation tool if you every find yourself shopping at #404 too! Directions are given as absolute NSEW or relative to looking at the entrances from the outside. i.e. Front, Back or Right=to the right of the entrance.
Produce Section in the front right
Amenities including Cafe in the middle right and front right
Meat and packaged meats and delis in back middle and back right
Common Groceries in the center back
Dairy and Eggs in the back left
Checkout aisles in the front center near the middle entrance
Bathrooms in the front to the left of the checkout aisles
Bear/Wine in back middle/right
House supplies and Health and Beauty in the left third of the store.
Designwise, #404 has a lot of the standard features included in the past decade of HEB design. The shopping aisles which run up and down through the store are divided into two giving way to a long central aisle (img 1a). This shortens the length that one is stuck in an aisle, reduces traffic jams, and gives the average “aisle-hopper" like myself more room to navigate. The central aisle is uncluttered, allowing one to easy jot from one side to the other, while proudly displaying the HEB aisle markers. Given this I would say that #404 has some of the easiest navigation, excepting the section dividers between the right and middle of the store.
A small peeve that I do have about this aisle layout is the tendency to put non grocery related or infrequent purchase items in the front set of aisles. Here lower numbered half-aisles contain frequent purchase items such as bread, salad dressing and chips in the back, while the front half-aisle contain assortments such as cooking supplies and gift cards. Here it is not too obtrusive, but this half-aisle design flaw will be sure to come up frequently when applicable in later reviews.
I also have a distaste for the exact checkout aisles layout. Each aisle is stacked two deep giving the total area of a square. While some people have told me they prefer this layout in the case of HEB Hancock #425, I find that it makes evaluating line waits difficult.
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| Image 2. Center aisle, ceiling and floor |
One cool thing about this HEB is how the three entrances function to improve customer traffic flow. The checkout aisles sit compact in the center front of the store, channeling departing customers through the center. As with a mindful mediation, the left and right–use the right–nostrils draw customers into #404’s bosom before expelling outwards a joyous shopper breath from its central mouth. The old in and out is furthered in the car. In cases where an HEB falls on a major intersection such as 71 and Bee Caves, it can often be hard to arrive by automobile. Here the bountiful driveways and safe turn lanes provide easy access to a sometimes crowded parking lot. If you are coming on SH71 eastbound, I would recommend taking a left onto Bee Caves Rd as entering directly from 71 eastbound can require a u-turn. Likewise, from RM620 take the Bee Caves Pkwy cutover to Bee Caves Rd and scootch in from the double width turn lane.
AMENITIES
HEB #404 is outfitted with all the amenities that make HEB shopping such a pleasure. I often waltz through my favorite HEBs just to surround myself in the market like atmosphere with all the brightly covered stations and wide-eyed shoppers. 404’s right wing contains the fish market, butchery, sushi cuisine, cheese shop, deli, and cooking connection. While the fish market and bakery or just par, the butchery is well stocked with an emphasis on steaks. Outside, the shopping center sports the usual HEB accompanying businesses: Starbucks, Thundercloud Subs, Twin Liquors, Great Clips and Advanced Auto Parts. In the past have likely been to #404 most for a quick gas fill up. It is conveniently located right off of SH-71 westbound, which was a cornerstone of my commute a few years back. Last time I was here, there was a bit of crowding of cars around the fuel pump, but I find that in general, the wait time is highly variable depending on the time of day.
Perhaps one of the more unique features of #404 is in the design of the cafe. The in-store dining area, dubbed “Food on the Run,” falls in between the front right and middle entrances. The cafe itself serves many cold or simply prepared foods, similar to #024 or #659. Moderately priced sandwiches and bulk side dishes can be ordered here for home on in-store dining. A self serve soup and salad bar as well as drink machines, serve those looking for a quick meal. I personally, ordered a club sandwich with a side of soup for $5 from the service counter. If you have every had one of HEB’s cafe sandwiches it was on par with those, though no where near amazing. There is also a self checkout counter just for the purchasing of simple grab and go food such as chips or soda, and a microwave for reheating pizza. I tried my hand buying a drink on the machine and found it convenient and quite fitting the “Food on the Run” philosophy of buying. I do normally prefer purchasing my food at a manned register, but I think the idea of a cafe only register makes since here.
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| Image 3. Dinning area |
The actual dining area in #404 is especially unique. For an HEB that generally lacks style, this dining area is superb. Natural light filters in from tall windows, and the wooden chairs accent the cloth covered, flower adorned tables. Since I have seen many of these “Food on the Run” dining areas pop up in the past 5 years, I do not know if HEB is shifting toward more quick cafes style featured here in #404 or the higher end dining experiences of #639. Either way, I love having a place to sit and eat in my HEB. Buy a soda, grabs some chips and watch the HEB go by.
Amenities 3.2/5
SELECTION
A quick aside on this review, this was the first HEB for which I actually did my full review regiment. As such I am missing the exact layout of some things and the depth of focus that I developed in my later research. In this example, I missed a checkout interview and did not comment very much on the overall selection when doing my initial research.
From the notes that I did gather, #404 has a good range of options for traditional grocery items. Overall the produce section is par with many other HEBs in the area, but it does offer a broad selection of greens and organic fruits. As I mentioned in the amenity section, the meat market is well stocked with a broad selection of chicken and beef cuts. This does come at the cost of the fish market, which had no tuna or shellfish upon my last visit. Of course the onsite dining area is great, but it would be better if they offered some higher end prepared food to complete the full dining experience. The beer and wine section includes a broad selection of craft brews and local Texas beers. But be warned, since #404 is outside of the Austin City limits, several of the Austin craft brew standards are absent.
From the notes that I did gather, #404 has a good range of options for traditional grocery items. Overall the produce section is par with many other HEBs in the area, but it does offer a broad selection of greens and organic fruits. As I mentioned in the amenity section, the meat market is well stocked with a broad selection of chicken and beef cuts. This does come at the cost of the fish market, which had no tuna or shellfish upon my last visit. Of course the onsite dining area is great, but it would be better if they offered some higher end prepared food to complete the full dining experience. The beer and wine section includes a broad selection of craft brews and local Texas beers. But be warned, since #404 is outside of the Austin City limits, several of the Austin craft brew standards are absent.
Selection 2.5/5
SPIRIT
When defining the spirit of an HEB, I tend to look at the people involved. From the friendly faces stocking cans of Ponk’N’Beanes to the stoic segway riding figure monitoring the exterior, an HEB is a group effort. And not only does the HEB staff define our experience, but we a courteous shoppers define them. Being in Bee Caves, I found that the atmosphere of #404 to simultaneously easy going and businesslike. Most customers seem to mind there own business, and never need to impose their will on your own. Polite and to the point. Likewise can be said of the staff. It is a simple form of curtesy, from one person to the next that you find here. No need for the aggressive “How Ya Doing” or the canned lines demanded by overly controlling managers. A negative point of spirit must be addressed in the single self checkout machine for the in-store dining area. As I mentioned early in the design section, the self checkout machine makes wonderful design sense, but it also takes away from the personal touch that each HEB transaction provides.
On a side note, when re-researching the area around #404 I discovered that there is a Whole Foods located across the street. Never in my 2+ years coming to this HEB have I ever noticed it. It seems the people here at #404 haven’t either. Why settle for anything but the best.
Spirit 2.3/5
Thats all from HEB #404. Overall it is a perfectly wonderful HEB, that characterizes many of the far west Austin stores. When you are next in the area, be sure to check it out. Grab a cup of hot clam chowder, smile at a stranger, and as always, have an H-E-Best day!
HEB #404 Bee Caves (Bee Caves RD and SH 71)
Overall 7.3/5
First Visited — Fall 2014
Number of Visits — 5 to 10
Date of Primary Research — Sept 15th, 2016
Last Visit — Sept 15th, 2016
