Supermarket sticker shock

This grocery chain costs Dallas shoppers the most, new study shows

Grocery shopping in general isn't cheap these days.

In Dallas-Fort Worth, Whole Foods lives up to its “Whole Paycheck” reputation for selling pricey groceries.

A study conducted by market research company Strategic Resource Group for Consumer Reports found Austin-based Whole Foods is the most expensive grocery chain in DFW compared with Walmart as a baseline. The study examined prices for a “basket” of comparable packaged goods, produce, and meat.

At DFW Whole Foods stores, groceries were 48 percent more expensive than comparable groceries purchased at Walmart, the study showed. Whole Foods operates 15 stores in DFW.

In a statement, Whole Foods told Consumer Reports that the study didn’t account for other factors that may be important to shoppers, including ingredient standards and product sourcing.

"In the last 18 months, Whole Foods Market has reduced prices on 25 percent of items in our stores, including private-label items, without compromising our industry-leading quality standards,” a Whole Foods spokesperson said. “[Amazon] Prime members who shop at Whole Foods Market have access to a number of benefits year-round, including deep discounts on select popular products each week and an additional 10 percent off hundreds of in-store sale items.”

In DFW, the least expensive grocer was Costco, whose prices were 18 percent below those at Walmart. Prices at San Antonio-based H-E-B were just 0.2 percent below Walmart’s prices.

Costco operates 16 stores in DFW, Walmart operated about 140 in North Texas as of last September, and H-E-B has 11 DFW stores and plans to open at least six more.

Here’s the full list of DFW grocers included in the study, with the percentages indicating a grocer’s prices compared with Walmart’s prices.

Costco, -18 percent (No. 6 among grocers ranked by the 2026 American Customer Satisfaction Index)
Aldi, -5 percent
WinCo Foods, -2.3 percent
H-E-B, -0.2 percent (ranked No. 3 by the American Customer Satisfaction Index)
Target, +9 percent
Kroger, +14.7 percent
Fiesta, +21.7 percent
Albertsons, +23.4 percent
Tom Thumb, +25.4 percent
El Rancho, +30.1 percent
Trader Joe’s, +33 percent (ranked No. 1 by the American Customer Satisfaction Index)
Whole Foods, +48 percent (ranked No. 7 by the American Customer Satisfaction Index)

The study reviewed grocery prices in six U.S. metro areas. In addition to DFW, they were Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles/Southern California, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.

A few notes about the study:

It didn’t account for the cost of annual memberships at places like Costco.
Many of the grocery items that the study compared were national brands, meaning grocers’ private-label goods weren’t given full weight.
Not all “baskets” contained the same number of items. For example, some Chicago-area baskets had 56 items, while others had only 23.

whole foods h-e-b prices grocery stores supermarkets

Hang ten and fore

Tiger Woods' team takes over surf venue at Grandscape in The Colony

Fireside Surf

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A surfing-themed restaurant and entertainment venue at Grandscape in The Colony is catching a new wave: Fireside SurfSurf is being taken over by Tiger Woods-owned PopStroke and becoming The Surf Lounge at PopStroke.

According to a release, the grand reopening will take place March 5.

The Surf Lounge will encompass an open-air setting with poolside seating, flexible event configurations, and a layout built to accommodate private functions, members, as well as daily guests, the release says.

PopStroke’s restaurant concept, BarTenders, will oversee all food and beverage operations at The Surf Lounge, which will include a dedicated poolside menu of shareables and elevated bar fare, as well as a full bar program featuring "cocktails that hold their own," says the release.

PopStroke has operated a putting course entertainment concept designed by golf legend Woods at Grandscape since 2024.

"The (taking over of the surf venue) solidifies PopStroke’s presence at Grandscape and introduces a fully unified hospitality experience under one brand," says the release. "The takeover marks a significant expansion of PopStroke’s event and hospitality footprint in North Texas, positioning the Grandscape location as one of the brand’s most dynamic destinations nationally."

The owners are positioning The Surf Lounge as an attractive gathering place to host corporate outings, milestone celebrations, private rentals, and programmed activations, including happy hours, brunch, and day-party events throughout the year.

While the public will be welcome to eat and drink during designated hours, surf access will be exclusive to Surf Members, they say. Information about Surf Memberships is TBA, they say.

The Surf Lounge is at 5772 Grandscape Blvd., The Colony. Upon reopening, operating hours will be 4-8 pm Thursday and 12-8 pm Friday-Sunday.

Grandscape is on a roll. Other new additions recently announced include bar and music venue The Rustic and soccer-themed entertainment complex TOCA Social.

“These additions reflect our commitment to continually evolving Grandscape with globally loved brands,” said Jennifer Petrovich, director of leasing for Grandscape, in a statement. “From live entertainment and interactive sports experiences to shopping, we’re creating moments here that can’t be found anywhere else in North Texas.”