Dive Brief:
- Asian supermarket chain H Mart plans to open a flagship store in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to a press release from the grocer and the commercial property manager for the mall where the store will be located.
- The approximately 100,000-square-foot store, which will be the grocery chain’s largest location in California, will include a food hall and dine-in restaurants along with grocery aisles. Construction is slated to start later this year.
- The upcoming flagship location builds on H Mart’s efforts to expand its presence around the country, especially in metropolitan areas with large Asian populations.
Dive Insight:
Located in the Pacific Commons Shopping Center, the upcoming H Mart store in Fremont, California, aspires to be an experiential destination for not just food shopping but also in-store dining.
The location, which represents the largest investment in H Mart’s history, will debut the grocer’s new multi-level prototype, the announcement noted.
The store’s food hall will include fast-casual eateries, full-service sit-down restaurants, a bar and “entertainment offerings,” according to the press release, which noted that the location will create “a vibrant, immersive destination that goes far beyond a traditional grocery experience.”
“By blending elevated dining and community spaces, we are creating a premier destination for food lovers where diverse ethnicities of friends and neighbors can gather,” H Mart President Brian Kwon said in the announcement. “Our priority is to provide the Fremont community with a convenient ‘One-Stop Shopping’ experience and high-quality food and service.”
Nearly two-thirds of the population of Fremont is Asian, according to Census Bureau data published in 2024.
The flagship store builds on H Mart’s efforts to grow its store fleet. H Mart has two locations listed as “coming soon” on its website: a store in Dublin, California, and one in Austin, Texas.
H Mart, which says it is the largest Asian supermarket chain in America, opened its first store in the New York City borough of Queens in 1982 and has grown its store fleet to over 100 locations across 18 states.
H Mart’s growth comes at a time when other grocers selling multicultural cuisine are also expanding their presence in the U.S.
Pan-Asian grocery chain 99 Ranch Market debuted in New York City last summer and opened a large food hall at the store earlier this month. The chain is continuing to grow, announcing this week plans to open its second location in Las Vegas on Saturday. Island Pacific Supermarket, a chain that specializes in Filipino groceries, opened its first store in Washington state in September.
