Customers face lines at local grocery stores
Crystal Vanek and Michelle and Darrell McClintock wait in line at H-E-B on Monday morning. Photo by Mary Lou Gil
Dozens of people wait in line at H-E-B to check out with their groceries on Friday afternoon. Photo by Julianne Hodges
The toilet paper shelves at Walmart were empty on Friday afternoon. Photo by Julianne Hodges
On Monday morning at 7:45 a.m., there were customers already in line waiting outside to enter the doors of Elgin’s H-E-B.
Julia Anderson, who was the 25th customer waiting in line, said she was at HEB to get a few necessities for her neighbor, who was diagnosed with cancer. As she waits patiently with the rest of the customers in line, there were about 100 or more customers already in line waiting to be allowed to enter.
It was a strange sight to witness people having to wait to enter the grocery store.
Inside, customers were remaining calm and being polite and cordial toward one other.
“For the most part, people here in Elgin are really being supportive and calm about the situation,” said Sebastian, an H-E-B employee who came to help out the store in Elgin.
Starting last Sunday, H-E-B cut back its store hours to between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. in order to give employees more time overnight to restock shelves.
“Please remember that while preparation is important, panic is not necessary,” a press release from H-E-B said. “We encourage preparedness but there’s no need to overbuy. H-E-B has plenty of product and it arrives daily. We are in this as a community and it’s important to keep calm. Together, we can do our part to #Slowthe SpreadTexas.”