Home chefs on the Upper East Side have a lot to be excited about in 2023, as Upper East Site has confirmed that the popular Asian supermarket chain H Mart will be expanding its presence in Manhattan with a new Upper East Side store that will be located on the busy East 86th Street corridor.
H Mart has purchased the roughly 8,500 square foot retail condo located at 223 East 86th Street, between Second and Third Avenues, that sits basically across the street from Fairway’s much larger 45,000 square foot store — making it easy for shoppers to stop by both locations to get everything they need in one trip.
Broker Jordan Mandel of Vanguard Global Realty confirmed the $8.7 million deal to Upper East Site. The space which sits at the bottom of The Buckingham East, a 13-story luxury building, and had been vacant for several years, since Santander bank moved across 86th Street into the old Burger King location.
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A homegrown Korean-American chain, H Mart was founded more than 40 years ago when the first grocery store opened in Woodside, Queens, and has expanded to more than 70 locations across 14 states. The company is now based in New Jersey.
H Mart is known for being the go-to spot to find authentic Asian groceries imported to the United States, including every crunchy snack you think of — including Honey Chili flavored Doritos from Korea which taste deliciously like spicy Cap’n Crunch cereal — as well as a wide selection of noodles and, of course, imported cookies and candy.
There’s also fresh vegetables and fruits, in addition to a variety of meats, including wagyu beef, available to home chefs. The kimchi section is impressive with more varieties than you probably knew existed.
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According to Mandel, the buildout of the new 86th Street H Mart should take about six months, but they’re hoping it will be completed more quickly. Inside the space on Friday morning, Upper East Site spotted workers putting up the required signage to begin construction.
In the meantime, there are currently three H Mart stores in Manhattan, located on the Upper West Side, East Village and Koreatown.
Upper East Site reached out to H Mart for more details but did not hear back by time of publication.
