San Antonio-based grocer H-E-B is opening a new Eastside Tech Hub in Austin, Texas. The 81,000-square-foot office space houses the H-E-B digital team as well as its wholly owned subsidiary Favor. an on-demand delivery company, the trade publication Progressive Grocer reports.
According to H-E-B, in addition to the hundreds of employees currently at the new office, the hub allows room to grow as both teams continue investing in digital innovation. The retailer is also running daily shuttles between its headquarters in San Antonio and the new Austin space.
“Having a shared space like this is crucial to both H-E-B Digital and Favor’s rapid growth,” said Jag Bath, H-E-B chief digital officer and Favor CEO. “The Eastside Tech Hub enables us to have a strong tech presence in both Austin and San Antonio, while fostering a better connection between our teams across the two cities.”
The Eastside Tech Hub is a former warehouse space, customized and renovated with the help of IA Interior Architects, which has an office in Austin. It has multiple meeting spaces as well as a coffee bar, a lounge, an events space, and a wellness center with a rock-climbing wall and fitness classes. The office is in the heart of East Austin and close to all that the area has to offer.
H-E-B and Favor are making $100,000 in donations to STEM-based summer camps and programs throughout Austin and San Antonio to commemorate the opening of the office.
“As a digital retail leader, this dynamic workplace reflects our commitment to better serve our people and communities," said Bath. "Investing in our schools and children allows us to help build the next generation of technology innovators right here in Texas."
With 400 stores in Texas and Mexico, H-E-B is No. 6 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.