Korean Grocery Chain H Mart Opens First San Francisco Location in Ingleside

Adorned with bouquets, bunting and public officials, popular New Jersey-based Korean grocer H Mart held a grand opening with a ribbon cutting on the morning of Wednesday, April 21, while hundreds of customers lined up around the block to be the first to shop.

“It is a distinct privilege to welcome H Mart into our neighborhood,” Marc Christensen, president Merced Extension Triangle Neighborhood Association, told the Ingleside Light via email. “May their success be the success of the greater region as we look forward to a state-of-the-art supermarket for the community.”

The popular supermarket fills a 47,000-square-foot void in the Oceanview Village Shopping Center since Oceanview Supermarket closed in 2013.

H Mart signed a lease in 2018 and has invested over $8.5 million in capital improvements. It’s original opening date was supposed to be December 2019.

“We visited the store in San Jose,” OMI Neighbors in Action President Mary Harris said. “It was really nice, clean with a reat produce section and a great bakery and a food court. “We’re excited about the opening and that jobs have been offered to people in the neighborhood. It’s always nice to go to the store and see your neighbors.”

San Francisco’s H Mart is anticipated to hire a total of 150 part-time and full-time employees. The company participated in the Office of Economic and Workforce Development’s  First Source Hiring Program in partnership with neighborhood nonprofit Inner City Youth, Young Community Developers, and Self-help for the Elderly. 91 positions were filled to date, according to OEWD.

“A lot of people tell me they can’t wait for the variety,” Harris added. “A lot of people like Korean food and it’s not offered nearby. People are excited by the variety.”

Neighborhood leaders are working with Taraval Station and SF SAFE to make sure H Mart is secure by ensuring proper security camera coverage and regular patrols.

“We’re happy to welcome H Mart to San Francisco,” Mayor London Breed said in a statement. “The community has been asking for a grocery store for a long time, and we are glad to see this space finally being filled. This new store will provide local jobs, and makes it easier for the neighborhood to access quality food, and help support our economic recovery as we emerge from this pandemic.”

Assessor-Recorder Joaquin Torres previously told the Ingleside Light that he and late Mayor Ed Lee met with the leadership of H Mart at the Hotel Whitcomb on Market Street and successfully persuaded them to open a store in the city.

H Mart operates more than 90 stores nationwide including 12 locations in California. The company’s name derives from the Korean phrase “han ah rheum,” which means “an arm full of groceries.”

H Mart

Address: 3995 Alemany Blvd.
Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Parking: Street parking in and around OceanView Village is limited to two hours, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Jobseekers: may apply at west.hr@hmart.com or call (562) 551-2376.