The story of 99 Ranch Market, largest Asian supermarket chain in US
- Since its first store opened in 1984 in Westminster, California, 99 Ranch Market has become ubiquitous in America’s largest Asian communities
- Founder Roger Chen, then a recent arrival from Taiwan, wanted the familiar sounds, smells and food from home in an American grocery environment
Shoppers in the United States are spoiled for choice when it comes to grocery options. Massive supermarkets, discount outlets, mom and pop stores, high-end “yuppy marts” and ethnic markets of all stripes proliferate in even the smallest towns.
But for many of the country’s 21 million Asian-Americans, grocery shopping has always meant one thing: a trip to 99 Ranch Market.
The grocery store chain is ubiquitous in America’s largest Asian communities. Other markets tend to cater to the needs of niche Asian communities, with smaller stores selling South Asian, Southeast Asian and Japanese goods, for example. But only 99 Ranch and its sole competitor – the Korean-American H Mart – serve the needs of the diverse breadth of the Asian-American community.
99 Ranch is the largest Asian supermarket chain in the US and its customer base continues to grow. But it was not always this way.
The story of 99 Ranch Market begins in 1984, in Westminster, California, outside Los Angeles. Then, as now, Westminster was best known for its large Vietnamese population. Nevertheless Roger Chen, a recent arrival from Taiwan, decided to open his first market there. (Originally it was called 99 Price Market, a name which later changed to what is known today.)