Asian supermarket opens San Jose store, first in Calif., to long lines

Key Points:

• T&T Supermarket, Canada’s largest Asian grocery chain, opened its first California location in San Jose’s Westgate Center, attracting an estimated 500 to 1,000 customers at opening with lively entertainment and long lines.
• The 55,000-square-foot store features fresh produce, seafood tanks, a kitchen with prepared foods, a bakery, and aisles stocked with Asian groceries and beauty products from various countries.
• CEO Tina Lee emphasized creating an immersive shopping experience that engages all five senses plus a "sixth sense" of customer satisfaction, aiming to make grocery shopping enjoyable rather than a chore.
• T&T’s expansion in the U.S. began in 2024 with Seattle stores, with plans for additional California locations in San Francisco, Millbrae, and Newark by 2027.
• The supermarket chain was founded by Lee’s parents in 1993 in British Columbia, and under her leadership, it continues to grow while maintaining strong cultural ties and popular signature items like barbecue pork steamed buns and mango cake.