City of Heath Celebrates Grand Opening of Tom Thumb

(HEATH, TX — October 1, 2019) It was years in the making, and a celebration to remember.

Tom Thumb officially opened in Heath last week to the reception of the Rockwall-Heath High School Mighty Hawk Band and drill team, city officals, Rowdy the Dallas Cowboys mascot, city officials, and lots of eager shoppers.

The new megastore houses everything one could ever need, including a floral department; a gorgeous produce department with an expanded organic section and fresh made guacamole and pico de gallo; a Starbucks offering all of your favorite drinks plus Nitro Cold Brew on tap and a self-regulated cappuccino machine; a Dallas Cowboys Fan Shop; and a Hot Mini Donuts machine that will have you drooling.

Heath Mayor Kelson Elam addressed the packed store during the momentous occasion, praising developer Malouf Interests along with the folks who worked for years to finally see this day become a reality for the community.

“This is beyond huge. You can’t even imagine how excited everyone is going to be about this,” Elam said. “A lot of people have been responsible for making this happen over the years. This was a project that started many years ago, picked up, slowed down, picked up and then in the last couple of years really picked up steam. I’d like to thank Steve Gregory, CEO of Malouf Interests. We worked very closely with him over the last couple of years. Sometimes it was a little painful, but we’ve all bought in to the same vision, and Malouf Interests and Tom Thumb all have the same vision that we do as a city. We want to have a safe, hometown feel, we want to maintain that, and they’re buying into that. We have a new, real family member in Malouf and Tom Thumb here in Heath.”

“On behalf of over 750 partners of the Chamber, board of directors and staff, we congratulate Tom Thumb and everyone here,” said Rockwall Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Chair Sylvia Sotelo-Kidd. “We know this is going to be the greatest place ever for years to come. Since the 1940s when Tom Thumb began, you have been innovators with leaders and commitment to veterans, health and human services, youth and education, hunger and supporting diversity throughout the entire communities you have been in. These great qualities make you the perfect fit for Heath.”

Gregory said seeing such a grandiose welcome from the community shows just how special the new store means to the city.

“It just says what a special day this is for Heath,” Gregory said. “We’re proud to be a part of it. We know there are a lot of people who have been working for decades to make this happen, because you knew Heath was a special place. You might not have always agreed on what you wanted, but you believed in the town. You believed you’re not Rockwall, that you didn’t have to go north to have a decent meal. You didn’t have to go to Rockwall to buy lettuce. It could all happen right here.”

Tom Thumb was founded in Dallas, Texas in 1948 by Bob and Charles Cullum. Two things that were important to the Cullums were great customer service and a spirit of giving back to the communities where they operate. To show they’re support for the city’s vision and community, Tom Thumb and Malouf Interests presented checks to several different groups that make the Heath community special.

In support of Heath’s first responders, Tom Thumb and Malouf Interests presented a check for $3,000 to the City of Heath Department of Public Safety.

Tom Thumb also presented a check totaling $6,000 to Rockwall-Heath High School — $2,000 for painting / wrapping the school’s elevator doors, and $1,000 each for the school’s drill team, cheer team, football program, and the Mighty Hawks Band.

Tom Thumb and Malouf Interests then made the first ever donation to the City of Heath Parks and Recreation Board’s PATH (Parks and Trails in Heath) initiative, with a check totaling $1,000.

Finally, Tom Thumb and Malouf Interests donated a $6,000 check to the City of Heath Special Events Board to help make the community’s traditional hometown events such as Holiday in the Park bigger and better than ever.

Be sure check out our Facebook Live video with Tom Thumb Director of Public Relations and Communications Christy Lara and the store’s mascot, Tom.

Story and photos by Austin Wells, Blue Ribbon News.

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