When the H-E-B Plus store opened in Kyle last weekend, more than twice as many people came as attended the Rolling Stones concert in Austin last fall. An estimated 100,000 shoppers showed up Friday through Sunday to check out the new store at 5401 S. FM 1626, four times Kyle's population of 25.000. At 6 a.m. Friday more than 500 people were waiting outside the store when it opened, said Leslie Lockett, Central Texas H-E-B spokeswoman. "Our Kyle grand opening Friday was one of the biggest grand openings in the history of the company." Lockett said. And though H-E-B does not disclose its sales figures, customers purchased so much merchandise that the store had to double the number of trucks replenishing supplies.

Mayor Mike Gonzalez, who had to wait for a basket when he shopped on Saturday, was surprised at the large number of customers. He said, based on a community Easter event, he had guesstimated 7,000 or 8,000 for opening day. "Our community was really hungry for H-E-B," he said when told that nearly 50,000 visited the first day.

For opening weekend, the city worked with the grocery chain in planning traffic management. "We had six officers stationed out there all weekend," said Kyle spokes man Jim Hendrix. Shoppers came from surrounding areas including Wimberley and San Marcos.