Canada-based Asian grocery chain T&T Supermarket opened its second Washington state location Thursday, introducing what CEO Tina Lee characterises as a “grocerant” experience to Lynnwood in Snohomish County.
The new store represents the company’s 39th location across North America and follows the successful opening of its Bellevue store, which generated four-hour queues on opening day last year.
“I couldn’t pass this location up,” Lee stated regarding the former Sprouts location near Highway 99 and 196th Street in Lynnwood. “This is a community store. It’s smaller than our flagship in Bellevue, but something that I think will do a really good job serving the local community.”
Lee has served as CEO for 11 years. Her parents founded the store three decades ago, naming it after their two daughters, Tina and Tiffany.
The supermarket specialises in Asian cuisine. The chain emphasises fresh meat, seafood and produce at competitive prices.
“We don’t compromise on quality, so you’re always getting the freshest product,” Lee stated.
A standout feature is the in-store kitchen and bakery department, which offers prepared foods.
“If there was one word to describe T&T, it would be a ‘grocerant’. A restaurant and a grocery store,” Lee stated.
Popular items expected to draw crowds include papa chicken, rice wraps and the “baby bear bao,” an open-face steamed bun.
The store also features an expanded selection of Korean and Japanese beauty products.
The Bellevue store’s success provided Lee confidence to open four new locations in California.
“Bellevue residents gave us a big warm hug,” Lee stated. “It has given us the confidence to keep expanding our business.”
Lynnwood has the highest concentration of Asian residents in Snohomish County, approximately one-fifth of its population.
“Having such a renowned Asian grocer as T&T in our city, in a prime location along two vital thoroughfares, is very special,” stated Lynnwood spokesperson Nathan McDonald.
The grocery stores have generated substantial employment. 200 people have been hired to work in Lynnwood on top of another 370 in Bellevue, according to T&T.
The company sources products globally. Lee indicated they have managed to avoid major impacts from trade tensions due to strong trade networks with US producers.
Lee stated T&T remains open to additional Washington locations if customer interest continues.
The opening of T&T Supermarket’s second Washington location in Lynnwood reflects the chain’s strategic expansion into suburban markets with significant Asian populations, leveraging the success of its Bellevue flagship to establish presence in communities where demographic composition and spending patterns support specialised grocery retail.
The Lynnwood location’s selection, occupying a former Sprouts Farmers Market space near Highway 99 and 196th Street, provides visibility along major traffic corridors whilst benefiting from existing grocery infrastructure including refrigeration systems, checkout configurations, and parking facilities that reduce buildout costs compared to ground-up construction.
The “grocerant” concept Lee emphasises, blending grocery retail with restaurant-style prepared foods, addresses evolving consumer preferences where time-constrained households increasingly seek convenient meal solutions beyond traditional grocery shopping. The in-store kitchen and bakery producing items like papa chicken, rice wraps, and baby bear bao creates differentiation from conventional supermarkets whilst generating higher profit margins than commodity groceries.
