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T&T Supermarket opens SF store in City Center space vacant since 2017

T&T Supermarket opens SF store in City Center space vacant since 2017

Built World San Francisco, CA local

Taiwanese Canadian chain's second Bay Area store is open, and its first US location with a café

7 days ago: T&T opens first San Francisco store

Overview

Updated 5 days ago

T&T Supermarket opened its first San Francisco store in the City Center space that had been empty since Best Buy left in 2017. The 50,000-square-foot store at 2675 Geary Blvd. is the Taiwanese Canadian chain's second Bay Area location and its first in the U.S. with a café.

The store carries Asian groceries, prepared foods, baked goods and Korean beauty products, plus a T&T Café serving made-to-order lattes. It fills a space Whole Foods abandoned after permitting problems; Mayor Daniel Lurie has pointed to T&T as an example of his PermitSF reforms.

Why it matters

T&T's opening tests whether San Francisco's permitting reform can fill long-vacant storefronts and draw other retailers.

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Key Indicators

60,000
San Jose opening weekend visitors
T&T's San Jose store drew about 60,000 visitors on its opening weekend in June 2026.

Voices

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People Involved

Tina Lee
Tina Lee
CEO of T&T Supermarket
Leading T&T's US expansion after opening the San Francisco store
 Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie
Mayor of San Francisco
Promoted PermitSF as a business-friendly reform
CL
Cindy and Jack Lee
Founders of T&T Supermarket
Founded the chain in 1993

Organizations Involved

T&T Supermarket
T&T Supermarket
Grocery chain
Operating its first San Francisco store; Newark and Millbrae planned for 2027

Canada's largest Asian grocery chain.
Acadia Realty Trust
Acadia Realty Trust
Real estate investment trust
Owner of City Center at Geary and Masonic

Real estate investment trust that owns the City Center plaza where T&T is opening.
City and County of San Francisco
City and County of San Francisco
Municipal government
Promoting permitting reform through PermitSF

Launched PermitSF, an online permitting platform, to streamline business openings.

Timeline

1993 November 2026

9 events Latest: 7 days ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. T&T opens first San Francisco store

    Latest Opening

    The San Francisco Standard reported the store opened on Wednesday, Nov. 4, in the former Best Buy space at City Center.

  2. T&T confirms SF store opening date

    Announcement

    T&T confirms its San Francisco store at 2675 Geary Boulevard will open November 5.

  3. San Jose store opens

    Opening

    T&T opens its first Bay Area store at Westgate Center, drawing 60,000 visitors opening weekend.

  4. T&T announces San Francisco expansion

    Announcement

    T&T announces plans to open at San Francisco City Center in the former Best Buy space, then scheduled for late 2026.

  5. T&T takes over former Best Buy space

    Deal

    T&T signs lease for the former Best Buy space after Whole Foods' lease is terminated.

  6. T&T opens first US store

    Expansion

    T&T opens its first US location in Bellevue, Washington.

  7. Lee reaches out to Lurie

    Meeting

    T&T CEO Tina Lee contacts then Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie about opening in San Francisco.

  8. Best Buy leaves City Center

    Closure

    Best Buy closes its store at Geary and Masonic, leaving the space vacant.

  9. T&T founded in Vancouver

    Founding

    Cindy and Jack Lee found T&T Supermarket in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Scenarios

1

T&T's SF store draws San Jose-scale crowds

Possible Resolves by Dec 15, 2026

Discussed by: SF Chronicle, SFist

The store opened in November 2026 with a café and prepared foods. Opening-weekend crowd figures have not been reported; San Jose drew about 60,000 visitors on its opening weekend in June 2026.

2

T&T confirms Newark and Millbrae openings on schedule

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: SF Chronicle

T&T has two more Bay Area stores planned: Newark (winter 2027, 72,600 sq ft) and Millbrae (summer/fall 2027). If the SF store performs well, T&T is likely to confirm these timelines.

3

PermitSF attracts other major retailers to SF

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: SF Chronicle, city officials

Mayor Lurie points to T&T as proof that permitting reform works. If other retailers follow, citing PermitSF, it would signal a broader retail revival.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1982-present

H Mart's North American expansion (1982-present)

H Mart, a Korean grocery chain, opened its first store in Queens, New York in 1982. It grew to become one of the largest Asian grocery chains in North America, with locations across the US and Canada.

Then

H Mart proved there was demand for pan-Asian groceries beyond traditional ethnic enclaves.

Now

Its success helped pave the way for other Asian chains like T&T to expand into new markets.

Why this matters now

T&T is following a similar playbook, expanding from Canada into the US with stores that carry products from across Asia.

2020s

Whole Foods' failed City Center project (2020s)

Whole Foods signed a lease for the former Best Buy space at City Center, but the project stalled after years of permitting problems. The lease was terminated in 2025, and T&T took over the space that March.

Then

Whole Foods walked away from the project, leaving the space vacant.

Now

The failure became a symbol of San Francisco's permitting challenges, which Mayor Lurie's administration has tried to address with PermitSF.

Why this matters now

T&T's success where Whole Foods failed is the direct test of whether San Francisco's permitting reform is working.

Sources

(14)
+8
SFist Progressive Grocer Shelby Report Chili Chili News for Chinese WhatsOpening Retail Insider PR Newswire SF Examiner SF Standard WhatNow San Francisco Grocery Business Magazine The San Francisco Standard SFist