T&T Supermarket to Open First U.S. Location
T&T Supermarkets, a Asian grocery chain in Canada, will open its first store in the U.S. in the summer of 2024.
T&T revealed the new flagship store to be located in Bellevue, Washington, in the Marketplace at Factoria shopping mall. The location will span 76,000 square feet, which T&T says will make it the “largest Asian supermarket in the state,” per a media release.
"We know the love for T&T transcends borders. 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," Tina Lee, CEO, T&T, said in the release. "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 store will feature a sushi counter, hot food bar and noodle station as well as an in-store kitchen and bakery for fresh/prepared food items such as steam buns, pork belly bao and Asian pastries and cakes. The store will also stock more than 300 of T&T's private-label products, including its green onion pancake, Korean kalbi marinade, pork dumplings, seaweed snacks and other “customer favorites,” per the release.
"T&T's anchor tenancy at Marketplace at Factoria begins an exciting chapter for the property, which includes new residential, retail and dining experiences," said Carmen Decker, president of Kimco Realty's Western Region. "We search the globe for best-in-class retailers to elevate the shopping experience within our centers and are excited to welcome such an iconic Canadian brand to our retail collection."
“This store will add to our rich food scene and the vibrant culture of our city," added Bellevue Mayor Lynne Robinson.
T&T says the new store will create over 300 jobs for the local community.
Additionally, T&T will establish a regional office in the greater Los Angeles area and is immediately hiring for office positions, including buyers and category managers.
In related news, T&T opened a 36,000-square-foot store in May at the CF Fairview Mall in Toronto as part of an $80 million revitalization project by the mall’s owners/investment company, Cadillac Fairview.