Henry Henke brought his New Orleans grocery store to Houston around 1872 and by 1885 he partnered with Camille Pillot, son of (Joseph) Eugene Pillot, the proprietor of Pillot’s Opera House. By 1940 some Henke & Pillot stores were co-branded ABC Grocery Stores. In 1955, Kroger bought out Henke & Pillot’s 18 Houston stores as well as the Henke & Pillot Bakery and several stores in the Beamont area but continued to use the original name. In the mid-1960s Kroger grocery stores planned an expansion to the Houston area and rebranded the Henke & Pillot stores to the Kroger name.

Henke also ran the Henke’s Artesian Ice & Refrigerator Co. in the early 1900s.

 

More about Henke & Pillot from Bayou City History:
http://blog.chron.com/bayoucityhistory/2010/10/houstons-own-henke-pillot/

 

Henke & Pillot Locations

1870s:
Market Square – 49-51 (now 809-811) Congress St.

1880s/early 1890s:
Market Square
Fifth Ward – Liberty at Hickory Roads (now 1200 Rothwell St.); until about 1884

1894:
302-308 Milam St.

1900-1917
302-308 Milam St.
710-712 Congress St.

1918:
302-308 Milam St.
710-712 Congress St. (receiving dept.)
907 Preston St. (delicatessen)

1920s:
302-308 Milam St.
710-712 Congress St. (receiving dept.)
907 Preston St. (delicatessen)
303-305 Lousiana St.
2806-2816 Travis St. (South End Store)

1930s:
302-308 Milam St.
710-712 Congress St. (receiving dept.)
2806-2816 Travis St. (South End Store)
3021-3031 Washington Ave. (West End Store)
4008-4016 Polk St. (East End Store)

1940s:
302-308 Milam St. (offices)
710-712 Congress St. (receiving dept.)
2806-2816 Travis St. (South End Store, No. 2)
3021-3031 Washington Ave. (West End Store, No. 3)
4008-4016 Polk St. (East End Store, No. 4)
2430 University Dr. (University Store, No. 5)
2000 S. Shepherd (No. 6)
1102 Yale St. (No. 7) – co-branded as ABC Store, Inc.
2030 W. Gray St. (No. 8) co-branded as ABC Store, Inc.
1820 N. Main St. (No. 9) co-branded as ABC Store, Inc.
2120 Main St. (No. 10)
6740 Harrisburg Blvd. (No. 11) co-branded as ABC Store, Inc.
4225 Main St. (No. 12)
1502 Holman St. (No. 13) co-branded as ABC Store, Inc.
710 Telephone Rd. (No. 14) co-branded as ABC Store, Inc.
2302 Bissonnet St. (No. 15)
411 Preston St. (poultry plant)
1917 Palmer St. (bakery plant)

1950s:
302-308 Milam St. (offices)
907 N. San Jacinto St. (hotel/restaurant dept.)
2806-2816 Travis St. (South End Store, No. 2)
3021-3031 Washington Ave. (West End Store, No. 3)
4008-4016 Polk St. (East End Store, No. 4)
2430 University Dr. (University Store, No. 5)
3800 Farnham St. (No. 6)
1956 W. Gray (No. 8)
1503 Evergreen St. (No. 10)
104 S. Wayside Dr. (No. 11)
1035 N. Shepherd (No. 12)
3602 Crawford St. (No. 13)
4131 Griggs St. (No. 14)
3902 Westheimer St. (No. 15)
3140 Fulton St. (No. 16)
4004 Bellaire Blvd. (No. 17)
3120 Telephone Rd. (No. 18)
1001 E. Shaver St., Pasadena (No. 19)
9201 Jensen Dr. (No. 20)

1960s (rebranding to Kroger)
2806-2816 Travis St. (South End Store, No. 2)
3021-3031 Washington Ave. (offices)
4008-4016 Polk St. (East End Store, No. 4)
2430 University Dr. (University Store, No. 5)
3800 Farnham St. (No. 6)
8002 Long Point Dr. (No. 7)
1956 W. Gray (No. 8)
104 S. Wayside Dr. (No. 11)
1035 N. Shepherd (No. 12)
3602 Crawford St. (No. 13)
3902 Westheimer St. (No. 15)
3140 Fulton St. (No. 16)
1202 Uvalde Rd.
1186 Meyerland Plaza
5335 Airline Dr.
1602 Spencer Highway
6101 Telephone Rd.
6102 Scott St. (No. 62)
1845 W. 43rd St.
8002 Long Point Rd.
10086 Long Point Rd.
6808 Bissonnet St.
2002 Highway 146
10553 Homestead Rd.
12814 Hempstead Hwy
9201 Jensen Dr. (No. 20)

1970s (rebranded to Kroger)
3021-3031 Washington Ave. (West End Store, No. 3)
4008-4016 Polk St. (East End Store, No. 4)
1956 W. Gray (No. 8)
104 S. Wayside Dr. (No. 11)
1035 N. Shepherd (No. 12)
3902 Westheimer St. (No. 15)
8002 Long Point Rd. (became United Food Center)
10086 Long Point Rd.
6808 Bissonnet St.
10553 Homestead Rd. (became Rice Food Market)
1202 Uvalde Rd.
1186 Meyerland Plaza
5335 Airline Dr.
6102 Scott St. (became Rice Food Market)
701 Gellhorn Dr. (distribution center)

Current:
4008-4016 Polk St. (East End Store, No. 4) – rebuilt 1979
1035 N. Shepherd (No. 12)
1956 W. Gray (No. 8) – rebuilt 1998

Other extant Henke & Pilllot buildings:
Market Square – 49-51 (now 809-811) Congress St.
3800 Farnham St.
1102 Yale St.
1820 N. Main St.
710 Telephone Rd.
2302 Bissonnet St.
1202 Uvalde Rd. (currently Sellers Brothers)
3140 Fulton St. (remodeled/additions added, currently various retail)
10086 Long Point Rd. (currently various retail)
6808 Bissonnet St. (currently U-HAUL)
10553 Homestead Rd. (currently Langley Supermarket)
1845 W. 43rd St. (currently Church Emanuel Apostles and Prophets)
4004 Bellaire Blvd. (currently Whole Foods, also Ye Seekers, Fedmart)
1001 E. Shaw St. (currently Pasadena Municipal Courts)