Nov. 17, 2022 By Michael Dorgan
A high-profile Asian grocery chain with roots in Woodside will be opening a sprawling new location on the border of Sunnyside and Long Island City next week.
H-Mart, a New Jersey-based supermarket that specializes in Asian food items and fresh produce, will open at 34-51 48th St. at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
The company is taking over a near 64,000 square foot space in a building that previously housed a Stop & Shop supermarket, which closed last month.
H Mart, which was founded in Woodside in the 1980s, will offer a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables. It will also have a large selection of meat, seafood, poultry and frozen foods. Some of its seafood options include lobster, squid, yellow croaker and pollock.
The store’s produce will be sourced directly from its New Jersey warehouse and local farms.
The store will also be stocked with imported Asian food items such as instant noodles, rice, snacks and a range of other packaged and canned grocery items. Other items will include health and beauty products, cookware and kitchenware.
H Mart President Brian Kwon said the company is looking forward to opening the new store.
“We will prepare hard every day to serve customers and go beyond people’s expectations,” Kwon said. “We are confident that people in Long Island City and in the surrounding communities will be very pleased with H Mart’s opening.”
The 48th Street location will mark H Mart’s seventh supermarket in Queens, and twelfth in New York. It currently operates more than 90 locations throughout the U.S., with stores in Canada and the U.K.
H Mart first opened in 1982 at 59-18 Woodside Ave. The Woodside location is no longer affiliated with the chain and is currently closed for renovations.
The “H” in the company’s name stands for “han ah reum,” a Korean phrase that roughly translates to “one arm full of groceries.”
H Mart is hiring new employees to join its 48th Street team in all departments.
Those interested should email northeast.hr@hmart.com or call 201-314-3156 or 201-554-5270.