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HEB systems appear to be down across all stores for an unknown reason.

At 12:32pm CST we received a text from the company’s automated service: “We are experiencing technical difficulties across all locations. Orders may be delayed.”

Then at 2:03pm another message: “We are experiencing ongoing technical difficulties across all locations. Orders may be delayed.”

A thread on reddit.com/r/austin describes that customers are unable to pick up curbside orders and in-store registers are unable to process orders unless paid with cash. Additional reports suggest some stores are semi-operational.

UPDATE 2:32pm — A source at the Riverside location has confirmed their systems are back online for processing orders and pickups. Curbside orders will be slightly delayed, but it seems they’re pulling off a relatively quick recovery from the system-wide issue.

A round of layoffs is hitting Austin-based Alamo Drafthouse this week. The “dinner and a movie” chain is now owned by Sony Pictures Experiences (SPE) which acquired it in June 2024 from founder Tim League and others.

The restructuring has impacted employees at both the corporate level and individual locations, with notable cuts at the flagship Alamo South Lamar in Austin. According to Drafthouse United, the union representing South Lamar staff, about 34 employees—approximately 25% of the hourly workforce at that site—were laid off with immediate effect.

Reports indicate that 9% of corporate staff have also been affected, counting 15 of those 165 employees among those that were let go. The layoffs were attributed to a seasonal slowdown, with employees selected based on a “last in, first out” policy. However, some of those laid off include experienced staff like projectionists and programmers, raising concerns about the chain’s dedication to quality programming and film preservation.

Since acquiring Alamo, SPE has reopened several franchise locations and expanded into new markets like St. Louis and San Francisco. The recent layoffs, however, cast uncertainty over the company’s operational strategy and long-term vision. The cuts to waitstaff and kitchen crews may also impact the customer experience at affected theaters.