T&T Supermarket: A Supersized Asian Culinary Experience and U.S. Expansion
T&T Supermarket serves up a supersized Asian culinary experience with its highly anticipated U.S. debut. Shoppers braved long wait times to see the Loblaw-owned chain’s first location, finding a huge store brimming with unique products and fresh foods. When T&T Supermarket opened last Thursday in the Seattle area, it welcomed wave after wave of curious shoppers who queued up in a line that stretched around the store throughout the day. At 1:30 p.m. — five and a half hours after opening — the wait to get inside the 76,000-square-foot Asian grocery outlet was just under an hour.
Inside the Bellevue Flagship Store
Inside T&T’s store in Bellevue, Washington, shoppers found a space brimming with fresh foods, unique imported products, and fresh and frozen cases with ingredients for popular dishes like hot pots and fish ball soup. The store features products and dishes spanning numerous Asian countries, including China, Japan, South Korea, and The Philippines. In the center of the store are 10 long aisles divided into two sections and covering everything from tea and carbonated drinks to seafood seasoning sauces and skin care products. In some areas, conventional brands like Coca-Cola, Quaker Oats, and Ziploc are mixed in with niche and imported products, creating an environment geared toward one-stop shopping.
A Foodservice Feast
The foodservice department is by far the most popular area of the store, offering everything from self-serve congee to made-to-order barbecue duck and stewed beef noodle soup. The selection includes a wide variety of dishes:
- Fried chicken, barbecue ribs, and shrimp spring rolls
- Milk tea and Vietnamese sandwiches
- Steamed pork buns, turnip cakes, and prawn-flavored crackers
- T&T’s signature Papa Crispy fried chicken
In the self-serve area, T&T offers dishes like pork balls and fried noodles that customers can spoon or ladle into takeout containers. The section also serves up many packaged dishes that are ready-to-heat or ready-to-eat.
Extensive Seafood Selection
Situated just off the produce department, T&T’s seafood department includes a large display of live seafood. There’s eel, langoustine, cod, and king crab. There’s also a self-serve tank filled with lobster where customers can just grab a pair of tongs and snag their pick. Around the corner from the live tanks sits a long display of chilled fish, including whole rockfish, salmon, and snapper. A nearby display case offers frozen fish and shrimp balls sold by the pound.
Strategic U.S. Expansion and Growth
T&T’s arrival in the U.S. also marks the arrival of Loblaw Companies, the Canadian supermarket operator that acquired T&T in 2009. Loblaw CEO and President Per Bank said the newly opened location is the first of 7 stores on the west coast. T&T, which recently established a U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles, plans to open another store in Lynnwood, Washington, next year as well as its first store in California.
The following table details the upcoming U.S. store locations:
| Location | Size | Projected Opening |
|---|---|---|
| Bellevue, Washington | 76,000 square feet | Opened Dec. 5, 2024 |
| San Jose, California | 55,000 square feet | Fall 2025 |
| Lynnwood, Washington | Not specified | Next year |
Located at the Westgate Center in San Jose, the 55,000-square-foot store will occupy a former Walmart location and is expected to create about 200 jobs. “We aim to create a destination,” said CEO Tina Lee. “It's a place for discovery, innovation, and bringing people together through food.” T&T has more than 30 stores across Canada, and its U.S. expansion underscores the demand for Asian markets and culinary experiences that has lifted similar chains in recent years.
