H Mart, the fast-growing supermarket chain specializing in a pan-Asian grocery assortment, with a focus on Korean foods, has opened a store inside the American Dream Mall in East Rutherford, New Jersey, just outside New York City.
The 19,420-square-foot store features the retailer’s typical selection of fresh produce, meat, seafood, groceries, frozen foods and health and beauty products. The chain is known for its extensive selection of packaged Asian snack foods as well as its assortment of banchan, the Korean side dishes such as kimchi and other seasoned vegetables and seafood that are key to traditional Korean cuisine.
H Mart, which is owned by Hanahreum Group and based in nearby Lyndhurst, New Jersey, is also known for its extensive, vibrant food courts offering a variety of Asian prepared foods, but the food court at the American Dream Mall location is still a work in progress.
A spokesperson for H Mart said the company is not certain when the food court will open.
“It's subject to change due to construction schedules and city requirements,” the spokesperson said.
When it opens, the 16,680-square-foot food court is expected to contain K-Town Hero, a new restaurant from acclaimed Korean chef Hooni Kim, a veteran of fine-dining restaurants Masa and Restaurant Daniel. He previously opened Danji, the first Michelin-starred Korean restaurant in the world, and Hanjan, featuring Korean street foods and inspired by traditional Korean taverns, both in New York City.
Other restaurants planned for the H Mart food court in American Dream include:
• Sang’s Tofu & Grill (Korean cuisine)
• Don Don Curry (Japanese curry)
• The Bao Express (Hong Kong style dim sum)
• Wok Bar (Asian fusion)
• Goldmiss (Mochi donuts and hot dogs)
• Gong Cha (Taiwanese bubble tea)
• BBQ Chicken (Korean chicken)
• Jeong’s Noodle (Korean/Chinese food)
• Tous les Jours (a French-Asian inspired bakery franchise)
H Mart, which brands its food halls as Market Eatery, said it seeks to offer a curated assortment of food venues where customers can relax and socialize.
“Our mission is to build a unique destination for food, fun and entertainment for everyone,” the company said in a statement.
The main H Mart grocery store at American Dream debuted in February with several days of grand opening events, including product promotions, face painting and balloons for kids, and traditional performances including Korean percussion and Chinese lion dancing.
“We enrich lives with our Asian heritage, food and culture,” said Brian Kwon, president, H Mart.
He described the location, the chain’s ninth in New Jersey, as providing convenient one-stop shopping “where different ethnicities of friends and neighbors can come, gather and enjoy.”
H Mart is considered the largest Asian supermarket in the U.S., with 78 locations and more than $1.5 billion in annual sales. It has stores in 14 states, and operates distribution centers in New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois, Georgia, and California, plus a food processing facility in New York.
The company opened its first store in 1982 in Woodside, New York, and within 10 years added about a dozen more locations in the Northeast, before expanding into the South, Midwest, and West.
In addition to its broad assortment of Asian brands, H Mart also seeks to stock its shelves with groceries that meet the demands of its local communities. It also has an extensive private label assortment, with more than 600 products under 25-plus different brands.
H Mart also seeks to support local community organizations where it operates, including the New Life Organization, American Cancer Society, Association of Chinese Americans, and various scholarship funds and youth development programs.
American Dream, which has been beset by financial difficulties, is also home to several other retail stores, a few dozen restaurants and some over-the-top entertainment venues, such as Big Snow, an indoor ski slope, Blacklight Mini Golf and more.
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