Popular Canadian Asian grocery chain to open in Irvine next year
Canada's largest Asian grocery chain is continuing its expansion into California with plans to open a new location in Irvine early next year.
It will be among the first storefronts in the state for T&T Supermarket, which has more than 33 stores in Vancouver, Toronto and other Canadian cities.
The supermarket is popular in Canada for fresh produce and a variety of hot food cooked on site, including Asian street food and staples such as Peking duck. The store in Irvine will also offer Asian wines and spirits and T&T private label products. Its bakery will sell viral Asian treats, including lava mochi puffs and Napoleon Portuguese egg tarts.
Orange County's 34,000-square-foot T&T Supermarket will anchor a new restaurant and retail development in the Great Park community called the Canopy at Great Park, according to a statement from the company.
The Canopy, which is being built by Southern California real estate developer Almquist, will feature 90,000 square feet of shopping, dining and public space.
Read more: Jonson and Alice Chen: The new generation for 99 Ranch
The location is slated to open in winter of 2026, the chain said. The first U.S. location opened in Bellevue, Wash., in December 2024, and the company also has plans to open stores in San Francisco and San Jose by the end of next year.
"Ever since we announced our U.S. entry, we have been getting customer requests all across the United States," T&T Chief Executive Tina Lee said in a statement. "I know T&T may not be well-known in Irvine, but we are excited to surprise our shoppers with a unique shopping experience."
Irvine's T&T is likely to face competition, as popular Asian markets including H Mart and Mitsuwa Marketplace are already established in the area. Shoppers can also frequent 99 Ranch and Zion Market, both of which have stores in Irvine and other locations in Southern California. Irvine's population of more than 300,000 is nearly 45% Asian.
T&T Supermarket first opened in British Columbia in 1993 and is currently run by the founder's daughter, Lee, who took over in 2014. Canadian retailer Loblaw Companies acquired the chain in 2009, though it is operated as an independent subsidiary.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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