Orlando, Florida – As H Mart, the biggest Asian grocery chain in America, opens its first location in Florida, the culinary landscape of the state is poised for a radical change. Opening at the huge former SuperTarget site in Orlando, the new store promises a wide range of Asian and multicultural products catered to Florida’s varied population’s rising need.
Located at 7501 W. Colonial Drive, the site formerly housed a SuperTarget that closed its doors in 2012 after poor financial performance. Significantly expanding the New Jersey-based grocery business, the future H Mart store will fill the whole 183,894-square-foot property on a 17.9-acre plot in Westland Terace Plaza. H Mart bought the land on March 2 for $9.6 million, indicating a significant dedication to its operations in Florida, according the Orlando Business Journal.
This new H Mart site will be far bigger than most of its outlets around the country. The Orlando store establishes a new record as maybe the biggest in the H Mart company with locations ranging from 16,000 square feet in Seattle to over 100,000 square feet in New Jersey. The average H Mart store typically encompasses about 50,000 square feet.
Brian Kwon, President of H Mart, expressed his enthusiasm about the new location.
“We enrich lives with our Asian heritage, food and culture,” said H Mart President Brian Kwon. “Carrying over from H Mart’s previous successes in East Coast area, H Mart’s first branch in Florida will be placed at Orlando, making Orlando’s newest food lover destination. H Mart will become a place to experience the best of what communities have to offer, providing a convenient one-stop shopping place for diverse cultures and to the neighborhood, where different ethnicities of friends and neighbors can come, gather and enjoy. Our main priority is always to serve and satisfy the needs of the surrounding communities.”
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The store seeks to draw a cosmopolitan customer base in addition to serving the Asian population. Renowned for its exciting food markets, H Mart provides a range of dining choices ranging from Korean barbecue and Vietnamese pho to Taiwanese shaved ice and Japanese ramen, therefore serving as a refuge for foodies and a frequent destination for photos worthy of Instagram.
H Mart’s commitment to convenience is further reflected in its digital offerings, including an app, same-day delivery, and ship-to-home services, ensuring that customers can enjoy a seamless shopping experience.
The choice to expand into Florida is strategic, as the state has been experiencing a retail and real estate boom, further accelerated by the pandemic. Florida appeals to stores with reduced running expenses and taxes as well as warm winters. Florida has lacked an Asian “destination store” for years; the timing couldn’t be better since the state’s doors stayed open during the epidemic.
Since officially openings its first store in 1982 in Queens, New York, H Mart has expanded rapidly to date and has more than 72 stores all throughout the United States. With its first store in Florida, H Mart is poised to provide a distinctive shopping experience that reflects the gastronomic diversity of Asia and beyond, therefore satisfying the needs and tastes of Florida’s ever more cosmopolitan population.
