Tag Archives: grocery stores

Converting empty downtown office space into residences

Posted on June 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Something to think about. Across the country, office-to-housing conversions are being pursued as a potential lifeline for struggling downtown business districts that emptied out during the coronavirus pandemic and may never fully recover. The conversion push is marked by an emphasis on affordability. Multiple … Continue reading →

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Texas Department of Agriculture sort of recognizes climate change

Posted on January 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start, I guess. On the heels of a historic drought that devastated crops from the High Plains to South Texas, a new Texas Department of Agriculture report released Tuesday linked climate change with food insecurity and identified it … Continue reading →

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Nuro keeps on expanding in Houston

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Someone must be using these services. I’m not, but someone must be. Houstonians will soon be able to get completely autonomous delivery of their dinners, groceries, and more thanks to a new 10-year partnership. Uber Technologies, Inc. and Nuro have … Continue reading →

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What can we expect from the maskless mandate?

Posted on March 7, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

More COVID, obviously. The Centers for Disease Control is increasing pressure on Republican leaders in states like Texas that have eased COVID restrictions, publishing a study on Friday showing evidence that the measures — such as the mask requirement that … Continue reading →

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Now we get to worry about food

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Because the supply chain also suffered from the massive power outages. The state’s week of weather hell started with a deadly 133-car pileup outside of Fort Worth. A winter storm unlike any Texas has ever seen quickly followed, and seven … Continue reading →

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We should be vaccinating grocery workers

Posted on February 12, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

The only disagreement I have with this is that we should have more broadly classified “essential workers” from the beginning, and it should include more people who do not have the ability to work from home. Nearly a year into … Continue reading →

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How Nuro is doing in the pandemic

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

An interesting update on the little driverless grocery (and other things) delivery serives. As recently as last fall, Nuro appeared to be years away from widespread adoption. The company, which operated in Arizona and California, arrived in Houston in 2018 … Continue reading →

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Nuro expands its service in Houston

Posted on June 6, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

First groceries, now prescriptions. Nuro’s fleet of autonomous vehicles is expanding its footprint in Houston, partnering with CVS to deliver prescriptions in a delivery service that is expected to begin as early as next month. Mountain View, Calif.-based Nuro’s autonomous … Continue reading →

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Three cheers for grocery store workers

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

They deserve them, and more. They are the friendly cashiers, the helpful baggers, the essential stockers and warehouse workers. The receivers who unload the delivery trucks, the personal shoppers who fulfill online orders and the teenagers who haul back all … Continue reading →

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Nuro set to roll out

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Ready or not, here they come. Self-driving delivery vehicles that carry no humans will hit Houston roads next month. Nuro, a San Francisco technology company, is planning to deploy its next-generation autonomous delivery vehicles in Houston after receiving federal approval. … Continue reading →

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How Nuro is mapping Houston

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

Really interesting story. On the muggy streets of suburban Houston, amid McMansions, bright green lawns and stately oak trees, a futuristic race is quietly afoot. The contestants are not people but late-model Toyota Priuses outfitted with an array of sophisticated … Continue reading →

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Add HEB to the autonomous grocery delivery trend

Posted on July 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

In San Antonio, at least. Maybe in Houston later if it goes well for them. Customers near an H-E-B in suburban San Antoni0 can soon get their eggs, fruit and tortillas dropped off by a vehicle with no one at … Continue reading →

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Here comes the Kroger driverless grocery delivery car

Posted on April 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Who wants to order some groceries, in certain selected ZIP codes? Kroger, the nation’s largest grocer, has launched a self-driving grocery delivery service in Houston, the latest salvo in a hyper-competitive grocery market that has supermarket chains investing heavily in … Continue reading →

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Driverless grocery deliveries

Posted on March 20, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Coming soon to Houston. Some local shoppers soon could see their produce pull up in a Prius in one of the first forays into autonomous vehicles in the Houston area, a move observers said is sure to spur more robot … Continue reading →

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Beer delivered to your home

Posted on July 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Who needs groceries, am I right? Favor, founded in Austin in 2013, prides itself in delivering almost anything in under an hour. But until now, beer and wine — long the No. 1 request from customers — was among the … Continue reading →

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Making the Heights a little less dry

Posted on May 21, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Swamplot: A GROUP CALLED the Houston Heights Beverage Coalition PAC is hoping to bring about a vote on allowing beer and wine sales in the technically dry section of the Houston Heights. The group published a notice on May 5th announcing an application to the city to … Continue reading →

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One less food desert

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: With high hopes of more to come, Mayor Annise Parker, Council Members Stephen Costello and Dwight Boykins, the Houston Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and others broke ground on the first project to target a Houston food desert. With … Continue reading →

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Council OKs ordinance to help bring grocery stores to food deserts

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Supermarkets now can sell beer and wine next to schools and churches, an exemption to city regulations Houston City Council granted unanimously Wednesday, hoping to encourage grocers to locate in neighborhoods that lack access to fresh, healthy food. These … Continue reading →

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Food deserts and booze bans

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s complicated. A city ordinance intended to keep alcohol sales at a distance from schools and churches could be relaxed for grocery stores in an effort to alleviate some of the so-called “food deserts” that plague poorer neighborhoods across Houston. … Continue reading →

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Working to solve the food desert problem

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This is a success story on two levels. A number of area grocery stores like Jim’s Super might not be around if it were not for a little-known local Vietnamese immigrant family. John Vuong took over his first store in … Continue reading →

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston, Food, glorious food | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Check this out

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Scan while you shop, and other technological advances to get you checked out faster. In February, San Antonio-based H-E-B invited customers to try out a new scanning “tunnel” for the first time at its McCreless Market location on South New … Continue reading →

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“Zero waste” grocery store set to open

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Coming soon to Austin. The idea for a package-free organic grocery store started years ago when brothers Christian and Joseph Lane were discussing a simple business idea: refilling beer and wine bottles. From there, they decided to include other basic … Continue reading →

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Wayside Wal-Mart update

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From Nancy Sarnoff: The East End of Houston has been called a “food desert” for its lack of grocery stores. But come next year, the area will be a little less dry. Wal-Mart Stores said it will open a store … Continue reading →

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Studemont Kroger update

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Heights Life brings news about the proposed Kroger at Studemont and I-10. Of particular interest is this bit: The property on which Kroger plans to build lies on the east side of Studemont north of Arne’s. The store will … Continue reading →

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Self service checkout at supermarkets

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This AP story about supermarkets scaling back on self service checkout aisles, which was recently in the Chron business section, has been making the rounds in the progressive blogs. Market studies cited by the Arlington, Va.-based Food Marketing Institute found … Continue reading →

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Food deserts in Houston

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

If you listened to the interview I did with CM Stephen Costello, you would have heard him talk about “food deserts” in Houston, which is a problem to which he has turned his attention. This Chron story goes into some … Continue reading →

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“Zero waste” grocery stores

Posted on July 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This is a really interesting idea. That environmentally friendly canvas shopping bag you proudly lug to the grocery store is about to get a lot more full, if you do your shopping in Austin, Texas. You’ll need to fill it … Continue reading →

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