Interview with Brian Kwon, President of H Mart
With the opening of H Mart’s largest California location in Westminster, President Brian Kwon has his sights set on more than just selling groceries — he’s aiming to create a central hub for Asian culture and lifestyle.
Having reshaped the Asian grocery market through top-quality products, competitive pricing, and spotless store operations, Kwon is now broadening H Mart’s reach to meet the diverse lifestyle needs of Asian customers.
Under his leadership, H Mart has expanded from markets and food halls into cafes and bakeries, evolving into a platform that encompasses K-culture and the broader Asian lifestyle.
“My focus is on ensuring that whichever product a customer picks up, it’s the best in quality,” Kwon said. “We are confident in both our quality and pricing.”
We spoke with Kwon about the company’s strategy, vision, and the significance of the new Westminster store.
– What sets H Mart apart?
“It’s all about comfortable shopping. Customers shouldn’t have to think twice about the quality or price of vegetables, fruits, meat, or seafood — they should be able to choose quickly and with confidence. Each store has product managers and staff who continuously remove items that don’t meet our quality standards to ensure only the best products remain on the shelves.”
-This is California’s largest H Mart. Why Westminster?
“Westminster is centrally located among Vietnamese, Chinese, and Korean communities, and it’s a large city with strong potential as a food and cultural hub. The site was previously a Vons market, and at 70,000 square feet, it gives us the space to diversify our product offerings. We’ve expanded the produce and seafood sections, which depend heavily on freshness, and we’ve added items not available in other stores.”
-What’s the ratio of Korean food to other Asian offerings?
“While we market ourselves as an Asian supermarket, more than 70% of our products are Korean food. Asian cuisines from Korea, China, Japan, and Taiwan share many of the same core ingredients — particularly in produce, seafood, and meat. Non-Korean items make up about 30% of our stock.”
-How do you select brands for the food court?
“If the market is where we sell Asian food, the food court is where we share Asian food culture. In the past, popular brands were hesitant to join food courts, but as H Mart’s brand recognition has grown, that’s changed. The Westminster store’s food court has 11 brands, including Moobongri Sundae Guk, Jaws Tteokbokki, Goobne Chicken, Myungrang Hot Dog, and Tous Les Jours.”
-Are you planning to expand beyond the supermarket business?
“Our goal is to lead in Asian culture overall. Any business that resonates with Asian customers, including Korean Americans, is on the table. We aim to grow beyond food retail into a cultural platform combining dining, entertainment, and lifestyle. We currently operate the premium bakery café L’AMI and the specialty coffee shop Ten Thousand.”
-How do you respond to the growing competition from other Asian markets?
“Opening more stores is not the ultimate goal. If there’s demand for an Asian market in a community, we’ll consider it, but we make decisions after a detailed analysis of the area’s Asian population and income levels. After opening, we focus less on marketing gimmicks and more on strengthening our fundamentals — quality, price, and store management.”
-What’s next for store openings?
“In California, we expect to open our Dublin location in Alameda County near San Francisco later this year. In 2026, we plan to open in Sacramento, as well as in Orlando, Florida, and Sugar Land and Haltom, Texas.”
BY EUNYOUNG LEE [lee.eunyoung6@koreadaily.com]
