Meet HEB, the beloved Texas grocery chain that started with a sixty-dollar investment and became a billion-dollar empire with a cult-like following.
This isn’t just any ordinary supermarket – it’s a Texas institution that throws live chickens from rooftops, creates viral commercials with NBA stars, and responds to hurricanes faster than most emergency services.
Get ready to discover why Texans don’t just shop at HEB; they fall in love with it.
HEB Started with $60 and a Mother’s Determination
In 1905, Florence Butt invested just $60 to open C.C. Butt’s Staple and Fancy Grocery on the ground floor of her family home in Kerrville, Texas. With her husband suffering from tuberculosis, Florence needed to support her family and turned her kitchen table into a business counter.
Her son Howard later delivered groceries first in a baby carriage, then a little red wagon, and eventually by horse and buggy. What began as a mother’s necessity to pay the bills grew into one of America’s largest private companies, proving that sometimes the smallest seeds grow the mightiest trees.
HEB Creates Viral Commercials with NBA Spurs Players
For over 20 years, HEB has produced hilarious commercials featuring San Antonio Spurs players that regularly garner millions of views on social media.
The tradition started in 2004 with Tim Duncan’s “Cooking with Timmy” segment, which remains the series’ most popular commercial. These aren’t your typical athlete endorsements – they’re carefully crafted comedy gold that shows players’ personalities while promoting HEB products.
From Victor Wembanyama measuring his height against ice cream cartons to players dressed as pirates, these commercials have become such a cultural phenomenon that fans eagerly await each season’s new batch.
The Company Name Literally Came from Howard Butt Naming It After Himself
When Howard Edward Butt took over the family business after World War I, he chose for himself the middle name “Edward” before enlisting in the Navy. In he renamed the business H.E. Butt Grocery Company, and in 1946 shortened it to H-E-B.
The initials stand for Howard E. Butt, making this one of the few major corporations directly named after its founder’s personal initials. It’s a level of self-branding that would make modern influencers jealous.
HEB Has America’s Most Beloved Grocery Bag Mascot
H-E-Buddy, an anthropomorphic brown grocery bag with Mickey Mouse hands and big blue eyes, isn’t just a mascot – he’s a Texas celebrity.
This cheerful character appears throughout stores, has his own line of snacks and even his own currency called “Buddy Bucks” that kids can use in prize machines.
Store employees take turns suiting up as H-E-Buddy, and the experience has become so popular that some workers have gone viral on TikTok showing the behind-the-scenes process of getting into the costume. The mascot represents the friendly, community-focused spirit that makes HEB special.
Their Selena Bags Created Shopping Mayhem Worthy of iPhone Launches
In 2018, HEB released limited-edition reusable tote bags featuring late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla for just $2 each. The bags sold out within 15 minutes at some stores, crashed HEB’s website, and immediately appeared on eBay for up to $100.
The demand was so intense that people lined up hours before stores opened, and 71 bags had sold on eBay by that Friday afternoon with 100 more auctions in progress. This $2 grocery bag generated more excitement than most product launches, proving HEB’s deep connection to Texas culture and community.
Their Disaster Response is Faster Than Most Emergency Services
When Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas in 2017, HEB mobilized within hours, deploying fifteen vehicles including mobile kitchens capable of serving 2,500 meals per hour, mobile pharmacies, and ATMs.
Their Disaster Relief Units stayed on-site to provide pharmaceutical services, allowing displaced residents to fill prescriptions and access cash. The company donated over $1 million, distributed 39 truckloads of water, 12 truckloads of ice, and served over 10,000 hot meals.
More than 100 HEB employees volunteered for relief efforts, proving that HEB isn’t just a business – it’s a community lifeline when Texans need it most.
HEB Operates Award-Winning BBQ Restaurants Inside Their Stores
True Texas BBQ started in a single HEB location in Pleasanton in 2014 and has grown to over 30 locations throughout Texas. The in-store restaurants smoke meats with Texas oak wood for up to 14 hours, serving everything from brisket three ways to St. Louis spare ribs.
Texas Monthly magazine surprised barbecue purists by naming True Texas BBQ the best barbecue chain in the state, proving that excellent barbecue can indeed come from a grocery store. The restaurants also serve Texas craft beers on tap and offer everything from Frito pies to loaded mac ‘n’ cheese, making grocery shopping a full dining experience.
They Once Threw Live Chickens from Store Rooftops as Promotions
During the Great Depression, HEB’s marketing tactics were nothing short of spectacular. To promote their stores, they threw tagged live chickens good for free groceries and handfuls of nickels off store roofs.
Later promotions included giving away cars, mink stoles, trading stamps, and cash prizes. This wasn’t just advertising – it was entertainment that drew crowds and created community events. The tradition lives on today in a Houston Heights HEB, where artist Elaine Bradford created an installation called “Who says that chickens can’t fly, or that money can’t fall from the sky?” featuring colorful chickens suspended from the ceiling.
They Have a Specialty Latino Store Chain Called Mi Tienda
Launched in 2006, Mi Tienda (“My Store”) is HEB’s subsidiary designed specifically for Latino communities, featuring authentic Mexican and Central American products.
The stores are modeled like small villages with pueblo-like department structures, complete with in-house tortillerías where customers can watch fresh tortillas being made, agua fresca bars, and authentic carnicerías with traditionally marinated meats.
All employees speak Spanish and wear name tags showing their birthplaces, while managers wear traditional guayabera shirts. The Little York location even has its own corn silo to supply fresh ingredients for tortilla-making.
HEB Was the First U.S. Retailer to Conduct Extensive Food Safety Testing
In 2002, HEB opened its Quality Assurance Lab, becoming the first retailer in the United States to conduct “extensive safety testing” on ground beef and produce items.
The 13,500-square-foot lab operates 12 hours a day, seven days a week, testing 50-75 samples of ground beef and 300 samples of produce weekly at a cost of $1.2 million annually. This pioneering approach to food safety demonstrates HEB’s commitment to customer health and has set industry standards for retail food testing, putting consumer safety ahead of cost considerations.