T&T Supermarkets (Richmond, B.C.) has unveiled plans for its first store in the United States. Founded in Vancouver, B.C., in 1993 and acquired by Loblaw Cos. Ltd. in 2009, the new store will open in summer of 2024 in the Marketplace at Factoria in Bellevue, Wash.
At 76,000 square feet, the company says it will be the largest Asian supermarket in the state, and a flagship store for T&T.
“We know the love for T&T transcends borders,” said Tina Lee, CEO, T&T Supermarkets. “It’s not unusual to see U.S. license plates in the parking lots of our British Columbia stores, with hundreds of customers regularly making the drive for our food. After 30 successful years in Canada, we couldn’t be more excited to bring our unique offering closer to home for customers in the United States.”
The new location will feature a sushi counter, hot food bar, noodle station and in-store kitchen and bakery for freshly prepared steam buns and pork belly bao, as well as Asian pastries and cakes. The store will also offer more than 300 of T&T’s private label products, including customer favorites like green onion pancake, Korean kalbi marinade, juicy pork dumplings and seaweed snacks.
Additionally, T&T will be establishing a regional office in the greater Los Angeles area and is hiring buyers and category managers there.
In an interview with The Globe and Mail newspaper, Lee said that office is needed because Los Angeles is a hub for the Asian food trade ecosystem. “We do have to build a whole new network of vendors and suppliers,” she said.
Lee also said the company is open to launching more U.S. stores, but for now it’s focused on making the inaugural one a success.
T&T Supermarkets is the largest Asian supermarket chain in Canada, with 33 stores in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.