T&T Supermarkets, the Asian grocery chain owned by Canadian retailer Loblaw, is planning its first U.S. location—a 76,000-square-foot store in Bellevue, Washington—with more stores expected to follow in the Los Angeles area.
The Richmond, British Columbia-based chain, which is marking its 30th year in business and is considered the largest Asian grocer in Canada, said the Bellevue store is scheduled to open next summer in the Marketplace at Factoria.
It will be the largest Asian supermarket in the state, and a flagship store for T&T, the company said in a statement.
“T&T Bellevue store will just be as good as our stores in Canada,” a spokesperson for T&T Supermarkets told SFA News Daily. “That means the new location will feature a sushi counter, hot food bar, noodle station and in-store kitchen and bakery for freshly prepared delicacies like 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 such as green onion pancakes, Korean kalbi marinade, pork dumplings and seaweed snacks, the spokesperson said.
In a statement, T&T also said it was establishing a regional headquarters in the greater Los Angeles area, and said it would immediately begin hiring buyers and category managers. The spokesperson declined to provide details about plans for additional store openings in Los Angeles or other U.S. markets.
“Right now, our focus is on Bellevue, and opening an outstanding store that will excite and delight customers in that area,” the spokesperson said.
In addition to expansive fresh departments and a wide selection of authentic Asian products, T&T stores also carry kitchenware items and gifts.
“We know the love for T&T transcends borders,” said Tina Lee (pictured above), CEO, T&T Supermarkets, in a statement. “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.”
Lee is the daughter of T&T founder Cindy Lee, who came to Canada from Taiwan in 1976. Tina Lee took the helm as CEO when her mother retired in 2014.
The company, which reportedly operates largely independently from Loblaw, currently operates 31 T&T supermarkets in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. When Loblaw Cos. acquired T&T in 2009, the retailer had 17 locations. The company opened its first Quebec location last year as a part of an expansion push.
In 2018, T&T opened a new flagship store in Richmond, British Columbia, that was its first with a live seafood bar and an Asian street food station.
In the Seattle market, T&T will compete with established Asian grocery chains such as Uwajimaya, Mekong Asian Market, H Mart, 99 Ranch Market, and others.
“We are thrilled to have T&T Supermarkets in Bellevue,” said Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson, in a statement. “This store will add to our rich food scene and the vibrant culture of our city.”
Loblaw Cos., based in Toronto, operates more than 1,050 grocery stores under several different banners, in addition to the 1,350-unit Shoppers Drug Mart drugstore chain.
Related: Loblaw Appoints Future CEO; Loblaw Moves to Renewable Energy.