From a small store in Queens to the largest Asian supermarket chain in the United States, Il Yeon Kwon’s H Mart is every immigrant’s home away from home.
Before H Mart became the most recognizable Asian grocery chain in the United States, it started as one small grocery store built by a Korean immigrant chasing the American dream.
H Mart was founded by Il Yeon Kwon and his story begins in South Korea where he was born and raised in a family of farmers before immigrating to the U.S. in the 1970s. Like many immigrants, Kwon and his family came to America in search of a better life and were able to settle down in New York City.
Being in the States led Kwon to notice the lack of Asian ingredients in American grocery stores due to the fact that only 1.5% of the population was Asian. With the goal to give his fellow immigrants a taste of home, Kwon opened up a small grocery store in Woodside, Queens called Han Ah Reum, which translates to “one arm full of groceries”. Kwon’s single market opened in 1982, but in just a few years, it turned into something much bigger.
He made sure to focus on sourcing authentic Korean products and started expanding into other Asian cuisines, which allowed him to build a loyal customer base. Throughout the 80s and 90s, Kwon expanded the business to the East Coast and eventually rebranded the company as H Mart.
H Mart was unlike traditional American grocery stores. It was more of a cultural hub than just somewhere to buy your groceries. Shoppers can purchase authentic ready-to-eat meals, pick up something to-go from a small establishment in the food court, or even buy full skincare routines from the dedicated K-beauty stores.
Once the 2000s hit, H Mart began expanding nationwide. Today there are nearly 100 H Mart locations across 18 different states with the highest concentration of stores in California, New York, and New Jersey. H Mart also operates twenty stores in Canada and two in the UK. The company climbed the ranks to become the largest Asian supermarket chain in America and that position is solidified with their annual revenue reports that surpass $1.1 billion.
40 years later, Il Yeon Kwon is still leading the business as CEO with his daughter, Stacy, as H Mart’s president. H Mart has played a huge role in introducing Asian ingredients to grocery shoppers and has helped popularize common Korean dishes like kimchi and gochujang. To many Americans H Mart is just another grocery store, but for Asian Americans, it is a place that connects them to their culture.
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