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EAST PALO ALTO, Calif. (KRON) — The Bay Area’s newest Korean supermarket is coming to East Palo Alto. Mega Mart, located at 1775 E Bayshore Rd, opens to the public Wednesday morning.
KRON4 got a chance to tour the 50,000-square-foot store a day before its grand opening. The East Palo Alto location marks the third Mega Mart in the Bay Area, joining Sunnyvale and Fremont.
Signage inside the East Palo Alto Mega Mart states that this is the “largest Korean grocery market in the Bay Area.” The Korean beauty (K-beauty) section is the biggest of any Mega Mart in the Bay Area, according to Mega Mart marketing specialist Audrey Lapuz.
Some of the store’s highlights include (see photos below):
- Pogu Picnic
- Basquia Bakery
- Deli serving ready-to-eat meals
- Cafe serving Korean-inspired drinks
- Largest K-beauty section of any local Mega Mart
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A photo of the cafe menu can be viewed below. It features original signature drinks named “Mandarin In Jeju” and “Oh! Berry Sparkling.” There is indoor seating at both the cafe/bakery (located to the left upon entrance) and Pogu Picnic (located on right).
Pogu Picnic allows customers to build their own meal by customizing what base and protein they want in their bowl. Bowl options include Bulgogi Beef, LA Galbi Beef, Grilled Salmon, Grilled Eel, Tofu Steak and Dakgalbi Chicken (pictured in slideshow below).
Basquia Bakery will serve menu items such as Sulpang, Pane Teokbokki and Dubai Chocolate. There are also pre-packaged pastries and desserts available to purchase.
The East Palo Alto opening marks the third Mega Mart in the Bay Area and the fourth in the country. Lapuz said East Palo Alto was a “perfect place” for a new Mega Mart.
“We decided on East Palo Alto for the third (Bay Area) location because we wanted to have extra accessibility for a diverse set of culinary experiences for people,” Lapuz said. “We feel that because it’s right off the 101, because it’s so close to university, and the location in general felt very accessible for the average person looking for groceries. That was the perfect place to settle in.”
Similarities may be found at Jagalchi, another Korean supermarket that opened earlier this year in Daly City. Mega Mart is the parent company of Jagalchi.
Korean culture has hit a wave in the U.S. that expands beyond the local Korean population. Shoppers can find plenty of items with faces they’ve seen across entertainment, including characters from the Netflix hit movie “KPop Demon Hunters.”
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“With the rise culturally of Korean everything, people are really looking to diversify their taste. There’s been a really great response with Korean grocery,” Lapuz said. “In the Bay Area in particular, it’s a great place to bring this.”
Like any typical grocery store, Mega Mart still has a respective fresh meats, seafood and produce section.
The first U.S. Mega Mart opened in Atlanta in 2010. According to its company website, Mega Mart first launched in 1975 as a distribution company. It has since evolved to more than a dozen brick-and-mortar stores in South Korea and the U.S.
The East Palo Alto Mega Mart opens Wednesday at 10 a.m., with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m.
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Recent trend of Asian supermarkets opening in Bay Area
Mega Mart is the latest Asian supermarket to open in the Bay Area — a growing trend that is occurring in the region. Daly City has had two openings this year: Korean supermarket Jagalchi in March and Filipino grocer Seafood City in July.
Canada-based Asian grocery store chain, T&T Supermarket, is set to open its first two locations in the Bay Area: San Francisco and San Jose.
Tokyo Central in Emeryville is set to open in 2025. Its website says the opening is “coming soon.” Also in the East Bay, H Mart is expected to open in Dublin, KRON4 reported in May 2024. However, according to the city, the project remains “currently under construction.”
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Aaron Tolentino
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