50 Years of Brookshire Brothers in Harris County

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to HHR! Today, we’re looking at the last standing and oldest Brookshire Brothers store in Harris County. Located at 5249 Franz Rd, Katy, TX 77493, this store is not only the final one in the county but also a descendant of the first. Although Brookshire Brothers is a chain, Houstonians tend to consider it a “local grocer,” it has danced in and around the Houston area for years. Most notably, operating the Budget Chopper chain during the 80s and 90s and quietly running a handful of franchised Save-A-Lot locations during the late 90s. Since then, though, Brookshire Brothers has focused on its core markets of rural areas, except for a location on Aldine Westfield they eventually sold to Gerlands and a handful of Tobacco Barn drive-thrus, which outlived the supermarkets that had initially housed them. So, what has been keeping Brookshire Brothers out of big cities? Mostly competition, and not just from HEB, as they’ve also been unable to crack the urban DFW market. That being said, this makes the Katy store a bit of an anomaly. It has been continually in business for the last fifty years. It started down the street in 1974 and moved to its current location in late 1993.

So, how has Brookshire Brothers managed to survive for so long? The simple answer is a lack of competition in old Katy. At this point, they’re still the only actual supermarket there. Although a Wal-Mart Super Center was built in the ’90s directly next to Katy Mills, an HEB joined it in the 2010s they’re all on the other side of I-10. Other grocers, of course, have inhabited the rest of suburban Katy for many years before this, and the 1990s upgrade in building helped them to keep up. At this point, the store has a loyal base of customers, seemingly primarily from Old Katy. Online reviews indicate that they find the store more convenient than other options. This location does not seem to be in any immediate danger. However, with the continued development of the Katy Prarie North of the store, it’s likely that eventually, this store will face more direct competition. So, if you’ve never been to a Harris County Brookshire Bros, or if you’re just a grocery fan in general, I would recommend checking out the store.

2 comments

  1. I have been a loyal customer since 1994
    I live in old Katy and go there frequently and accumulate points when I purchase their brands. 😎

  2. This is one of the more unique supermarkets in the Houston area, especially on the westside. It is a bit strange seeing the more modern decor in this store as compared to the older decor I’m more used to, but it still looks like a nice place to shop. The pricing is likely not very competitive with Kroger and HEB, or maybe even Randall’s, but convenience is a factor. The newer competition from the Morton Ranch HEB might not be good news for this store, but convenience is something HEB doesn’t offer and I can see some shoppers looking for an alternative like this. It is interesting that the Morton Ranch HEB, this Brookshire Brothers, and the Kroger Marketplace on the Grand Parkway all have a 4.3 Google user rating. 4.3 is certainly on the low-end for an HEB so perhaps that store has not been well-received given the competition from this Brookshire Brothers and the Kroger Marketplace. The S Fry Randalbertsons isn’t super far off either so some people may shop there.

Comments