The future H-E-B in San Marcos is becoming increasingly difficult to miss, with new signage now hanging on the building’s facade that points to a fall 2026 opening. As construction continues along I-35, the latest milestone gives shoppers their clearest timeline yet for one of the chain’s most anticipated Central Texas locations.
The 114,000-square-foot store, located on the east side of I-35 near the San Marcos Premium Outlets, has steadily risen over the past several months. What was once a construction site filled with dirt and steel has evolved into a recognizable H-E-B, with exterior features beginning to resemble the finished product shoppers can expect next year.
The store will become San Marcos’ third H-E-B and the grocer’s first location on the east side of the interstate in the rapidly growing corridor between San Antonio and Austin.
When it opens, the location will feature many of the amenities found at newer H-E-B stores across Central Texas, including curbside pickup, home delivery, a pharmacy drive-thru, fresh tortillas, bakery offerings, a meat and seafood market, Meal Simple prepared foods and a Sushiya sushi bar.
Perhaps most notably, the store will include San Marcos’ first True Texas BBQ restaurant, bringing H-E-B’s popular in-store barbecue concept to the Hill Country city. Plans also call for a fuel station, a car wash and an H-E-B Fresh Bites convenience store.
The project reflects the continued growth reshaping communities along the I-35 corridor, where thousands of residents have moved in recent years. Positioned between San Antonio and Austin, the new store is expected to serve not only San Marcos residents but also commuters, outlet shoppers and travelers moving between the state’s two largest Central Texas metros.
With the facade now rising and an opening date displayed prominently on the building, the new H-E-B is beginning to look like the region’s next major grocery destination.
Find it: 1074 E. McCarty Lane, San Marcos, TX 78666