5 Things Every Shopper Should Know About Your Houston Food Town

There are certain things most every Food Town shopper knows about our stores. Sunday One-Day deals score you freebies each week. Swift Savings yellow coupons help you fill your cart for even less. Our beer prices are second to none. Still, there’s a whole lot more to know and love about your Houston Food Town.

We thought we’d take a moment to cover a few fun facts about our neighborhood grocery stores, from services you might not know were available, to famous folks who’ve perused our aisles. Read on, learn a little something and use your new-found Houston Food Town knowledge to impress your friends!

Every Food Town Supermarket is Different (And That’s on Purpose!)
If you’ve visited more than one of our Houston grocery stores, you’ve probably noticed that each Food Town supermarket feels slightly unique. There’s a good reason for that! Unlike grocery chains that build from the ground up each time they enter a new area, going off blueprints that make each store nearly identical, your Food Town moves into existing spaces.

There are a couple of reasons we approach growth in this way. The first, and most important, in our eyes, is the fact that it’s better for the surrounding community. Studies show that bringing purpose to a vacant building helps breathe new life into an area. Not only does it eliminate eyesores and give the local economy a boost, but it helps reduce crime rates, too. From the business side of things, it also saves time and money to move into a building that has the basic structure and amenities in place to run a successful grocery.

If you ask us, the little differentiators that distinguish our various Houston Food Town supermarkets make shopping a bit more fun! We encourage you to take some time to check out a few Food Town locations you might not have yet visited. Some are in big warehouse-style structures, some have retail spaces they rent out — and one even has a full-fledged fish market. They’re one of a kind, but they’re all part of the Food Town family.

You Can Spot Us in “Mo” on Netflix
Did you watch the Houston-centric show “Mo” on Netflix? The show followed comedian Mohammed “Mo” Amer as he and his family went about life in the Bayou City, and at one point he makes a visit to Food Town! When producers approached us about filming in one of our stores, we couldn’t pass the chance up.

You can find your Food Town in the very first episode. Our Wilcrest store (specifically its produce section) sets the scene for a heated discussion about chocolate hummus. And from there? Well, things take a turn. Our time in the spotlight might not have lasted terribly long, but it was awfully fun to be part of a little Hollywood right here in Houston. If you haven’t watched it, go check it out! And if you’ve already seen it? Watch again, and then swing by our store to see where the magic happened! Rumor has it the show’s returning for a second season.

Your Food Town Grocery Store is Aggie Owned and Operated
It’s no accident that the Food Town logo’s a nice mix of maroon and white. That color choice is an homage to our family’s alma mater! Ross Lewis, the man who dreamed up Food Town and got it off the ground, was a devoted former student of Texas A&M University. His son, current owner Mike Lewis, followed right in his tracks.

Of course, we’re proud to serve any neighbor who walks through our doors, no matter where — or if — they went to school. Our Aggie heritage is evident in the maroon you’ll see throughout our stores and marketing materials, and in the subtle thumbs-up sign eagle-eyed shoppers can spot at many of our stores. Take a look during your next trip to Food Town. Thanks, and gig ‘em!

Boris Yeltsin Once Walked the Aisles of What is Now Our Webster Store
Back in 1989, the grocery chain that then owned our El Dorado Blvd. Food Town location received a surprising phone call. Russia’s Boris Yeltsin was in town visiting NASA, and he was hoping to get an idea of everyday life in America. What better way is there than to pop by the grocery store? He wanted to visit — and in just a few minutes! As Houston Public Media reported, the visit was surprisingly low-key, and Yeltsin was impressed by what he saw (particularly some pudding pops). Not long after his visit, he’d go on to become Russia’s first president.

Although that initial visit was before your Food Town took ownership of the building, we did get to join in on some of the excitement back in February of 2020. That’s when Houston’s Opera in the Heights decided to create a performance surrounding the event. In order to get word out about their upcoming show, “Yelstin in Texas”, they asked to perform inside the Webster store. The show was a lot of fun to watch, and it garnered local media attention. It also helped shine the spotlight on a historic event that took place right here at Houston’s favorite neighborhood grocery.

Your Food Town Meat Market Has a Button that Gets You the Custom Cut You Want
There’s a secret inside your Food Town meat market, friends. (We don’t try to keep it a secret — we promise! But still, not everybody knows about it.) If you can’t find a particular cut of meat you want, all you have to do is look for a tiny doorbell-style button. They’re located in each Food Town meat market, complete with signage pointing directly at them, and they’ll ring our team in the back.

So long as there’s someone back there (and there usually is), we’ll be happy to prepare the cut of quality meat you’re looking for — right there, while you wait! There’s no added charge, and it doesn’t take long, either. We just want to make your experience at your Food Town meat market something great.

There you have it, neighbors! A few fun facts that explain a bit more about your Houston Food Town — and maybe even answer some questions you’ve had while you shopped. Now that you know a bit more about us, why not stop by and say hello? We’d love to see you at any of our 30 Houston-area stores!