TAMPA, Fla. — The wait is finally over!
Lotte Plaza Market had a grand opening for its New Tampa location at 17605 Bruce B. Downs Blvd.
Lotte Plaza Market is an Asian grocery chain based out in Maryland. The company currently has 15 stores, mostly around the Maryland and Virginia area.
"Lotte Plaza Market is a pan-Asian or international market primarily focusing on Asian food products," President of Lotte Plaza Market Alvin Lee said. "But again, we want to create a platform for everybody in the community so that when they visit our market, they feel welcome."
Lotte Plaza Market Tampa Grand Opening
The company currently has a store in Orlando which debuted in 2019 as its first store in Florida.
"We felt like Florida in general needed a market like ours," Lee said. "We started in Orlando and we got a tremendous response from the community we thought that we could bring the same value service and products to the other communities in Florida."
The grocery store also offers a full produce section, seafood, specialty Asian meats, a food court, a Korean-French-style bakery, cosmetics and tons of products from America and all across the world.
Lee says that food has traditionally, and historically, been a big factor in bringing people together and that there are a lot of different types of food markets, not only in this area but in America in general.
"We want to be part of that story, the American story about bringing people together, different cultures, you know, different types of people, whether you're a foodie or whether you just miss home," he said. "We want to bring that meeting place, if you will, in Tampa."
On the company's website, it states, "Since 1976, Lotte Plaza Market has strived to be the premier source for Asian groceries in Maryland and Virginia."
Their goal is to open 50 more Lotte Plaza Market locations by 2030.
Follow their Facebook page for more updates.