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T&T Supermarket to open SF store in City Center space vacant since 2017

T&T Supermarket to open SF store in City Center space vacant since 2017

Built World San Francisco, CA local

Taiwanese Canadian chain's second Bay Area store will be its first US location with a café

Today: T&T confirms SF store opening date

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

A 50,000-square-foot space at San Francisco's City Center that has sat empty since Best Buy left in 2017 will reopen November 5 as T&T Supermarket. The Taiwanese Canadian chain's second Bay Area store will be its first US location with a café, serving black sesame and ube lattes alongside Portuguese egg tarts.

The opening ends a nine-year vacancy that saw Whole Foods sign a lease, then walk away after years of permitting problems. It's also a test of Mayor Daniel Lurie's PermitSF platform, which T&T CEO Tina Lee credits with the fastest permitting process she's experienced in the U.S.

Why it matters

A successful T&T opening would show San Francisco's permitting reform works and could pull more retailers into long-vacant storefronts.

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Key Indicators

60,000
San Jose opening weekend visitors
T&T's first Bay Area store drew 60,000 visitors over its opening weekend in June 2026.
37
T&T stores in Canada
T&T is Canada's largest Asian grocery chain.
4
Bay Area locations planned
San Jose and SF open in 2026; Newark and Millbrae are planned for 2027.
50,000 sq ft
SF store size
The former Best Buy space at 2675 Geary Boulevard.
9 years
Years space sat vacant
Best Buy left the City Center space in 2017.

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People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

1993 October 2026

7 events Latest: Today
Tap a bar to jump to that date
  1. T&T confirms SF store opening date

    Today Announcement

    T&T confirms its San Francisco store at 2675 Geary Boulevard will open November 5.

  2. San Jose store opens

    Opening

    T&T opens its first Bay Area store at Westgate Center, drawing 60,000 visitors opening weekend.

  3. T&T takes over former Best Buy space

    Deal

    T&T signs lease for the former Best Buy space after Whole Foods' lease is terminated.

  4. T&T opens first US store

    Expansion

    T&T opens its first US location in Bellevue, Washington.

  5. Lee reaches out to Lurie

    Meeting

    T&T CEO Tina Lee contacts then Mayor-elect Daniel Lurie about opening in San Francisco.

  6. Best Buy leaves City Center

    Closure

    Best Buy closes its store at Geary and Masonic, leaving the space vacant.

  7. T&T founded in Vancouver

    Founding

    Cindy and Jack Lee found T&T Supermarket in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Scenarios

1

T&T's SF store draws San Jose-scale crowds

Possible Resolves by Dec 15, 2026

Discussed by: SF Chronicle, SFist

The store opens November 5 with a café, hot food bar, and live seafood. If it draws crowds comparable to San Jose's 60,000 opening weekend visitors, it signals strong demand and validates T&T's Bay Area expansion.

2

T&T confirms Newark and Millbrae openings on schedule

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: SF Chronicle

T&T has two more Bay Area stores planned: Newark (winter 2027, 72,600 sq ft) and Millbrae (summer/fall 2027). If the SF store performs well, T&T is likely to confirm these timelines.

3

PermitSF attracts other major retailers to SF

Uncertain Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: SF Chronicle, city officials

Mayor Lurie points to T&T as proof that permitting reform works. If other retailers follow, citing PermitSF, it would signal a broader retail revival.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1982-present

H Mart's North American expansion (1982-present)

H Mart, a Korean grocery chain, opened its first store in Queens, New York in 1982. It grew to become one of the largest Asian grocery chains in North America, with locations across the US and Canada.

Then

H Mart proved there was demand for pan-Asian groceries beyond traditional ethnic enclaves.

Now

Its success helped pave the way for other Asian chains like T&T to expand into new markets.

Why this matters now

T&T is following a similar playbook, expanding from Canada into the US with stores that carry products from across Asia.

2020s

Whole Foods' failed City Center project (2020s)

Whole Foods signed a lease for the former Best Buy space at City Center, but the project stalled after years of permitting problems. The lease was terminated in 2025, and T&T took over the space that March.

Then

Whole Foods walked away from the project, leaving the space vacant.

Now

The failure became a symbol of San Francisco's permitting challenges, which Mayor Lurie's administration has tried to address with PermitSF.

Why this matters now

T&T's success where Whole Foods failed is the direct test of whether San Francisco's permitting reform is working.

Sources

(1)