Here is how H-E-B is taking the lead

H-E-B has gained adoring public odes and loyal customers throughout its home state of Texas, according to Eater.

The the 12th-largest private company in the country started out as a family store in a small town and grew into a state-wide grocery store with a loyal following. According to Eater, it’s ranked among the top places to work and is pretty ahead-of-the-curve with its mobile checkout.

But, really, H-E-B has just tapped into one of the most powerful cultural forces in existence: Texas pride, according to Eater. H-E-B’s corporate campus — where many of the buildings are made of Texas limestone, and the neoclassical design is quintessential Texas architecture — runs along the San Antonio River Walk, and is built on an old military compound called the San Antonio Arsenal. A Texas landmark, known for being a major supply depot during both world wars, it now supplies Texas to Texans, from Whataburger Fancy Ketchup to Takis rolled tortilla chips to Franklin Barbecue sauce.

H-E-B has no plans to expand beyond Texas, at least in the U.S. Julie Bedingfield, an H-E-B public affairs manager, says that the company gets requests to open stores outside of Texas, mainly from Texas natives living elsewhere, “every single day," according to Eater.

To read the entire Eater article, click here.