RICHMOND, British Columbia — T&T Supermarket Inc., Canada’s largest operator of Asian grocery stores, is poised to open its first California store, in San Jose, on June 18.
The grand opening represents a significant milestone in the company's U.S. expansion, bringing the Asian grocer to Silicon Valley. The San Jose store, at 600 Saratoga Ave., is the first of several Golden State locations in T&T’s pipeline.
"San Jose is a long-anticipated store," said Tina Lee, chief executive officer at T&T. "We're bringing more than just exciting, high-quality foods. We're exporting a new way of life from Canada: one that's deeply food-centric, celebratory, rich in tradition, and fresh-obsessed. We aim to help Asian families stay connected to the food and traditions they grew up with. In pursuit of this cause, T&T has also become a destination for Asian food discovery for everyone."
Lee succeeded her mother, Cindy Lee, as CEO in 2014. Cindy and her husband Jack, a real estate developer and food importer, founded the company in Vancouver in 1993. T&T was acquired by Loblaw Cos., Canada’s largest retailer, in 2009.
T&T operates 36 stores across British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec as well as two stores in Washington State. It opened its first U.S. store in 2024 in the Seattle suburb of Bellevue and later added a store in nearby Lynwood, Wash.
Many of its stores feature a selection of culinary offerings from East Asian nations, including dim sum and street food, a noodle station, a made-to-order Chinese crepe station, Taiwanese-style rice rolls, savory grilled pancakes, and a bakery department offering items including customized cakes, Hong Kong style pastries, egg tarts and mochi puffs.
T&T has plans for additional California stores in San Francisco, Irvine, Chino Hills, and Millbrae.
