H Mart opens first Florida store in Orlando’s Pine Hills neighborhood
After four years of waiting, the popular Asian supermarket chain H Mart has finally opened its first store in Florida.
The grand opening took place Thursday morning in Orlando’s Pine Hills neighborhood with a ribbon-cutting, traditional music and big crowds excited to see what’s inside.
The new store is 100,000 square feet and located at 7501 W. Colonial Dr.
Inside, shoppers found a large produce section and a live seafood area, aisles filled with all kinds of noodles, sauces, spices and ingredients for both Asian and everyday cooking, as well as a spacious food court.
People were so excited that many showed up hours before the 10 a.m. opening. One mother and daughter even arrived at 5 a.m. just to be first in line.
The opening was delayed for four years. H Mart President Brian Kwon said the wait was due to the store’s large size, trouble getting permits and supply issues caused by the pandemic.
But now that it’s open, Kwon says this is only “phase one.” He joked that the next phase “won’t take four years” to finish.
The store is also a big win for Pine Hills. It’s already created 125 new jobs and is expected to bring more shoppers and more business to the area.
For a neighborhood working hard to grow and improve, H Mart’s arrival is a major boost.
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