Before the sun came up Wednesday, a spark was already ignited among the crowd gathered outside a brand-new H-E-B store on San Antonio's far East Side.

Employees walked down the line, which at one point had swelled to more than 1,000 people, to shake hands and share pleasantries.

Nearby, other workers dressed in costumes that looked like food items danced along the sidewalk as music blasted from a loudspeaker.