Kroger is set to open a new Marketplace store in Little Elm tomorrow, bringing a roughly $40 million investment and about 200 jobs to the fast-growing U.S. 380 corridor. The store is expected to draw shoppers from Little Elm, Aubrey and Providence Village, adding another heavyweight to a retail stretch that has been filling up at a brisk suburban pace.
The Dallas Business Journal reported yesterday that the new location is scheduled to open tomorrow at 26587 E. University Drive. The investment is expected to create about 200 jobs as Kroger expands its North Texas footprint.
Little Elm’s U.S. 380 Retail Corridor Keeps Filling In
Tomorrow’s opening comes just days after Target opened its first full-size Little Elm store on Sunday, adding another roughly 200 jobs and a major grocery-forward retail option nearby. As Hoodline previously reported, the Target arrival is part of a broader push to build out the U.S. 380 corridor with national retailers.
Kroger’s arrival gives residents another large-format option for groceries and household shopping while placing the chain closer to neighborhoods in northern Denton County. The back-to-back openings also underline how quickly the area’s retail map is changing as new housing and commercial projects follow population growth.
What Kroger’s Marketplace Format Brings
Marketplace stores are designed to go beyond a standard grocery trip, combining full-service food departments with pharmacy services and expanded general merchandise. CultureMap Dallas notes that Kroger’s Marketplace locations typically include categories such as outdoor living, electronics, home goods and toys, in addition to groceries.
Kroger’s own store directory now lists the Little Elm Marketplace at the University Drive address and shows pickup service for the location. A separate state filing also identifies a new fuel center on the Kroger-owned lot.
The Project Has Been Building Toward Friday
The store has been in the pipeline for more than a year. The Town of Little Elm listed a Kroger groundbreaking ceremony at the site in its March 2025 executive report, signaling that the project was becoming one of the town’s major commercial developments.
Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation records show the separate fuel-center project was estimated at $1.1 million, with construction beginning in November 2025 and a listed completion date of June 26. The filing describes the work as a privately funded fuel center on a Kroger-owned lot at the same University Drive address.
A Bigger Retail Bet For A Fast-Growing Suburb
Kroger’s move follows its acquisition of a 14-acre site at U.S. 380 and FM 2931, according to a Business Wire announcement. The same corridor is also attracting a Target-anchored center and a planned Sprouts-anchored development, while H-E-B owns land nearby without announcing a construction timetable.
For local residents, the immediate change is straightforward: another major grocery stop is arriving, along with about 200 new jobs. The doors are scheduled to open tomorrow as Kroger continues pushing deeper into North Texas suburbs where rooftops and retail centers are growing together, according to the Dallas Business Journal.
