Central Market

a gourmet supermarket chain originating in austin, texas and owned by h.e.b. supermarkets of san antonio. all 7 locations are in texas.

locations exist in the four major metropolitan regions of the state—dallas/fort worth, houston, austin, and san antonio. the number of locations in each of the metro areas is 4, 1, 1, and 1 respectively. this is ironic, as h.e.b. does not have and never has had any of their regular supermarket locations in the dallas/fort worth area while having a large presence in the other three regions. however, this may be due to the very compet-tive nature of dallas/fort worth’s grocery business environment.

the central market concept has been very successful and well-received since its inception. one is hard-pressed to find an equivalent in other u.s. states in terms of store size, gourmet/world product selection, price compet-tiveness, and customer traffic. the store is viewed by both the company and its customers as a destination supermarket, much like ikea is viewed as a destination furniture store or the home depot’s expo design center is viewed as a destination home interiors store.

all central market locations feature “cafe on the run,” a fast-gourmet eatery catering to both shoppers and non-shoppers alike. special events also occur at the markets weekly or monthly. some locations have live music, an upstairs lounge, and other amenities.
i went to central market yesterday to pick up some fenilla olives and garbonzola cheese.