H-E-B Sold San Antonio Land With Deed Restriction

The grocer sold an 8-acre property while banning other food retailers from the site for the next 55 years.

Updated on Oct. 11, 2026 in Retail

H-E-B Sold San Antonio Land With Deed Restriction

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Should grocery chains be allowed to use restrictive land deeds to limit local competition?

H-E-B has sold an 8-acre land plot located at Canyon Golf Road and East Borgfeld Drive in San Antonio. The sale agreement includes a restrictive covenant that prevents any future owners from operating a grocery store on the site for 55 years.

Why it matters

The long-term deed restriction has sparked a public debate regarding market competition within the San Antonio area. It effectively limits future grocery options for residents near the Timberwood Park neighborhood for over half a century.

The 8-acre property is valued at approximately $3.7 million by the Bexar County Appraisal District. The deed restriction limits grocery-item sales to just 500 square feet or 5% of the total square footage.

The players

H-E-B

This San Antonio-based supermarket chain operates numerous grocery stores throughout Texas and Mexico.

Timberwood Canyon Retail

This entity is the purchaser of the 8-acre property from the grocery chain.

Philip J. Pfeiffer Jr.

He is the agent for the purchaser and serves as the president of the Birnbaum Property Group.

The details

H-E-B held the property for 15 years before selling the land to Timberwood Canyon Retail. The contract mandates that any new retail operations must keep grocery sales to a minimal fraction of the building area.

H-E-B owned the property for 15 years between 2011 and 2026.
The grocery store prohibition is set to remain in effect from 2026 until 2081.

Market Landscape

This transaction follows a common industry practice where dominant retailers use property deed restrictions to maintain geographic market control. By preemptively blocking potential competitors from key sites, the company reinforces its established footprint against regional rivals.

Residents living near the Canyon Golf Road site will not see a competing grocery store open on this land for the next 55 years. Shoppers should expect the property to be developed for non-grocery commercial purposes based on the current sale terms.

The takeaway

Deed restrictions are powerful legal tools that can shape the commercial landscape of a neighborhood for decades. Local shoppers should be aware that such agreements can limit the variety of retail services available in their immediate vicinity.