How Florence Butt—Not Her Son—Launched the H-E-B Empire
Have you ever shopped at H-E-B, the beloved Texas grocery chain? You may be surprised to hear that the mastermind behind it all was not the man whose initials its name is based on, but his mother, Florence Thornton Butt. In 1905, with her husband ill with tuberculosis and her family relying on her, Florence opened the first Butt family grocery enterprise in the Hill Country town of Kerrville. Despite the odds, Florence persevered and her store grew, eventually becoming the H-E-B we know and love today. Her generous spirit lives on in the company, and in the 114,000 square feet of the newest H-E-B, which even features a replica of the facade of the original store. Read full article here