Supermarket News

Supermarket chain Tom Thumb breaks ground on 3 new Dallas-area stores

Tom Thumb is expanding.

Courtesy photo

Supermarket chain Tom Thumb expanding its store footprint in Dallas-Fort Worth with three new stores set to open in the next two years.

According to a release, the chain broke ground on stores in Sanger, Sunnyvale, and Midlothian. All three stores will span 59,000 square feet, which is large by supermarket standards, although not a "small village" store such as the 115,000-square-foot stores with in-house restaurant, etc. that H-E-B is opening out in the northern and western suburbs.

Sanger is at 1431 W. Chapman Dr., opening fall 2025
Sunnyvale is at 3400 N. Belt Line Rd., opening fall 2025
Midlothian is at FM 1387 and N. Walnut Grover Road, opening spring 2026

These new locations will include a fully stocked center store — your shelf-stable goods such as pancake mix, canned vegetables, potato chips, paper towels — plus "fresh" departments such as bakery, deli, meat & seafood, produce, and floral.

The stores will also include:

an in-store Starbucks coffee kiosk
Pharmacy including a drive-thru
Drive-Up-N-Go grocery pick-up

According to a post by the city of Sunnyvale, last spring, the Sunnyvale Town Council approved an economic development incentive for a Tom Thumb store to be built at the Gateway Park retail center on Belt Line Road and Town East Boulevard. The grocery store will be part of a $120 million development at Gateway Park that spans 240,000 square feet and aims to include additional retail stores, restaurants and athletic facilities.

Tom Thumb is owned by Albertsons, and Tom Thumb president Web Jackson said in a statement that they have their eye on the outskirts of Dallas and Fort Worth.

“We look forward to serving our guests and communities in all three of these communities,” Jackson said. “We are thrilled to be breaking ground in three communities on the same day for the first time in our 76-year history. North Texas is experiencing tremendous growth and Tom Thumb, DFW’s grocer since 1948, is committed to growing along with it!”

The chain just opened a location in Waxahachie and is in the middle of negotiations for a merger between Tom Thumb’s parent company Albertsons and Kroger. In addition to Tom Thumb, Albertsons also has Safeway, Tom Thumb, Randalls, and United Supermarkets.

openings supermarkets

cheap pints and good times

DFW Airport is home to the No. 1 best airport bar in the U.S.

TGIF

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Airport bars are not known for being much more than a pitstop in between flights. But among airport drinkeries, DFW Airport reigns supreme: According to a recent study by online sports betting website BetUS, DFW's own TGI Fridays seized the No. 1 slot for best airport bar in the U.S.

In the survey, called "The Top 10 Airport Bars in the U.S.," BetUS experts determined the rankings by comparing the location of each bar within each airport, plus Google review scores, menu size, and menu item pricing.

TGI Fridays earned high marks for its budget-friendly status, thanks to its relatively affordable prices for a draft beer, cheeseburger, and French fries.

"With their draft beer priced at $5, their cheeseburger priced at $12.98, and their French fries priced at $2.86, TGI Fridays within the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport provides not only Texas travelers the best and most affordable airport bar option, but the best option for travelers across the United States," the report said.

For context, Billy Goat Tavern at Chicago O'Hare International Airport – which ranked one spot behind TGI Friday's – had the most expensive price for a draft beer ($8.50) out of all 10 airport bars on the list.

Pedal Haus Brewery (No. 7) at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport had the most expensive cheeseburger ($16), and Providence Provisions at T.F. Green International had the priciest French fries ($7) among the top 10.

TGI Fridays also boasts a 3.9-star ranking on Google with more than one thousand reviews, which offers further proof as to how well-received the restaurant is at the airport.

TGI Fridays first opened in Manhattan in 1965, and has since expanded to become a staple suburban hangout known for its ribs, potato skins topped with cheese & bacon, and a decor bedecked with red stripes and Tiffany-style lamps.

The casual restaurant chain operates not one, but five total locations at DFW airport, which means there's plenty of cheap beer to go around without worrying about each haunt being too busy. Sadly, they are the only remaining TGIF locations in Dallas-Fort Worth after the brand filed for bankruptcy in early November and closed its six non-airport Dallas-area locations.

The top 10 best airport bars in the U.S. are:

No. 1 – TGI Fridays at Dallas-Fort Worth International
No. 2 – Billy Goat Tavern at Chicago O'Hare International
NO. 3 – Chili's at Milwaukee Mitchell International
No. 4 – Gourmandise Euro-Diner & Bakery at Salt Lake City International
No. 5 – Village Pub Vegas at Harry Reid International
No. 6 – SkyDine Services at Sioux Falls International
No. 7 – Pedal Haus Brewery at Phoenix Sky Harbor International
No. 8 – Bardenay at Boise Airport
No. 9 – OMB at Charlotte Douglas International
No. 10 – Providence Provisions at T.F. Green International

"The convenience, ambiance, and comfortability these bars provide travelers in enjoying a nice drink and or even a good meal with it before a flight is desired more than ever these days," the report said.