Two questions you might be asked in San Antonio: What high school did you go to, and which H-E-B do you shop at?
When you hear these, it means locals are trying to figure out which side of town you’re from and where you live now. After all, every H-E-B in the city is just a little bit different, and your choice of store does say a lot.
If your H-E-B of choice is at the corner of New Braunfels Avenue and Nacogdoches Road, you probably live near the Oak Park Northwood neighborhood, or you just love all things retro. This brick grocery store has a completely different look compared to other H-E-Bs, and that would be because it started out as something else entirely.
In 1927, the first Handy Andy grocery store opened in San Antonio at 1716-18 Broadway, and several more would pop up in the following decades. According to the Express-News, nearly 60 had opened across the state by the 1970s…