RANDALLS READY TO SLIP OUT OF SHEPHERD SQUARE 
A spokeswoman for the grocer tells the Chronicle’s Nancy Sarnoff this morning that the Shepherd Square Randalls Flagship store will be closing, but doesn’t say when. It’s been at Shepherd and Westheimer for about the past 2 decades, back before the brand got bought in 1999 by national chain Safeway — which itself was acquired by Albertsons in 2015. The 128,000-sq.-ft. shopping center housing the store went up in 1989. (It’s shown above before Randalls’ signage was flipped, elevating the “Flagship” branding to a spot above the retailer’s own name.) Over the past year, several Houston-area Randalls have already shut down: at the Coles Crossing shopping center in Cypress, on 34th St. in Oak Forest, and on W. Bellfort in Stafford. [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Denise W.
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I remember when this shopping center went up, it was considered a big turn-around for the inner loop location.
A nice enough store, but their prices always seemed high, and I hated the music being played in that store. Feel sorry for the people losing their jobs though.
I wonder if Trader Joe’s will upgrade to the Randalls location????
Not surprised, but I’ll miss it. I, for one, liked the lack of crowds.
I’ll miss the convenience of having a Wells Fargo branch located in a grocery store on a bus line.
Aside from that, nothing about the place stands out. For the higher prices, I expect a bit of pizzazz.
Harris County Clerk’s site shows that RANDALL’S FOOD & DRUGS first got a license to operate at 2075 Westheimer in October of 1990, closer to three decades ago.
I briefly worked as a cashier here during the summer of 1992. At that time it was clearly the nicest grocery store in the neighborhood.
Please Fiesta. Time to make the long rumored move!!!! Please?
Fiesta doesnt exactly fit the demographic of the neighborhood.
@Joseph – I’m afraid that ship sailed a long time ago. Demographics that supported the old Fiesta have shrunk dramatically.
After the ill-fated “upgrade” shopping there was like being in the ‘Stepford Wives’ movie!! Creepy.
Please Fiesta! I live in the neighborhood and I still miss the Fiesta at Dunlavy and W. Alabama.
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And I totally agree with the impression of this Randalls as the “oh crap, it’s X o’clock and I forgot to get Y” place to go. Zip in, zip out, usually only a handful of other customers in the store.
I’ll miss the walk to ‘get Starbucks inside Randall’s then go to Kalache Factory’ for breakfast. ‘
I’ve lived halfway between this Randall’s and the Kroger on West Gray since 2004 and it never crossed my mind to shop at Randall’s. Not even sure why. Now there are two Whole Foods nearby. Plus the HEB. Plus Trader Joe’s. Surely something better than Randall’s will take its place.
I think the powers that be at Eataly would do well to consider this space. At 61,815 SF it would be the perfect size, comparable to their other US stores. I’d kill for an Eataly in Houston.
Sprouts would also be a good fit here. Or maybe even just a Target store–the closest one is a few miles away, which isn’t much in suburban terms, but in a dense area like this it’s pretty far.
As a kid I walked by there on my way to school everyday back when that was Jimmie Green Chevrolet a laundromat, and Airline Seafood Market. The development of that area as a shopping center was a huge improvement. But Randall’s always seemed high priced compared to everyone else as I grew old enough to shop (and pay) for my own groceries.