Latest news with #Jagalchi
San Francisco Chronicle
14-07-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
This Bay Area mall is thriving with the help of Asian cuisine
An aging Bay Area mall is successfully trading some of its struggling big box stores for popular Asian food businesses, taking a page out of a playbook that's been successful elsewhere in the region. Serramonte Center in Daly City caused a stir earlier this year with the opening of Korean food market Jagalchi, which took over the 75,000-square-foot space that once housed a JCPenney. Now, more changes are ahead for the mall, including the new home of an award-winning dim sum restaurant; a popular ramen shop; and a major hot pot destination. The new investment capitalizes on the changing retail environment and move to online shopping, as well as the Bay Area's large Asian American population — 27% of Bay Area residents identify as Asian American or Pacific Islander. Along with drawing in customers looking for a bite to eat, the new restaurants could also create a ripple effect for surrounding tenants in the mall who may be struggling to stay afloat. 'With the addition of a large tenant like Jagalchi, which drives a lot of traffic to the shopping center, other tenants are gonna be benefiting and are already benefiting,' said Patrick Conway, the managing director for Regency Centers, which operates the mall. The first weekend it opened at Serramonte, it's estimated that Jagalchi brought in almost 100,000 people, Ashley Jung, the marketing manager at Jagalchi's corporate parent, Megamart, told the Chronicle. Along with a grocery store, the complex houses a restaurant called POGU, two bars, a butcher and a bakery. Next up, the old Kids Foot Locker will reopen later this year as the newest location of Marufuku Ramen, a chain the Chronicle ranked as one of the top ramen spots in the Bay. It's been a staple of San Francisco's Japantown since 2017. 'We hear that a lot of people come from (Daly City) into our restaurant in San Francisco, so we figured that this would be a perfect location,' Herrador said. In a space right next to Jagalchi, the James Beard-nominated dim sum restaurant Koi Palace will move its flagship location this December. This new space will be twice the size of their old one, which has been a Daly City staple for almost 30 years. And this month, it was also announced that China's largest hotpot chain will be coming to Serramonte. Haidilao, which has gone viral on Tik Tok, is known for its tableside entertainment through the form of an in-house 'boyband' that dances for customers. A lot has changed for Serramonte Center since it first opened in 1968 to serve the recently developed residential community of Serramonte. Gone are Longs Drugs, Kinney Shoes, and the department store Mervyn's — though Macy's, an original anchor tenant, remains. Previous efforts to bring back shoppers have mostly included design changes, like replacing the fountain with a koi pond in 2003 and expanding rest areas for customers. Regency Centers, which bought the property in 2017, is currently in the midst of a $37 million dollar renovation of the Serramonte Center, according to public filings. Adding Asian food businesses seemed like a natural next step for Serramonte, as other malls across the Bay Area have gone through a similar evolution. Santana Row in San Jose has emerged as a dining destination, and in particular, Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco has been thriving. It recently welcomed Le Soleil, a contemporary Vietnamese restaurant, and other businesses including Marugame Udon, Supreme Dumplings and Kura Revolving Sushi Bar have popped up in the past year. Asian food businesses are likely to find a strong foothold with an Asian American clientele, but they can also have a broad appeal, said Jung of Jagalchi. 'As a Korean grocery store, I guess we naturally attract a strong Korean and Asian customer base,' she told the Chronicle. 'But we're also seeing people of all backgrounds who are curious about Korean flavors and looking for new experiences.'
CNA
08-07-2025
- Business
- CNA
Potential 25% tariff on South Korean, Japanese goods threatens Asian businesses in the US
SAN FRANCISCO: Asian grocery chains are rapidly expanding across the United States, fuelled by a growing Asian-American population, which rose by about 36 per cent from 2010 to 2020, according to official census data. South Korean food and grocery complex Jagalchi, owned by retail giant Megamart, opened a few months ago at the Serramonte Center shopping mall just south of San Francisco. Jagalchi has quickly become a local draw. Its marketing specialist Audrey Lapuz told CNA that the reception has been encouraging. 'It's been really well received and as we're three months in now, we have noticed a really nice, steady, gradual growth, month by month,' she added. The store has become emblematic of how Asian retailers are breathing new life into the local retail scene, particularly in areas with large Asian-American communities. It took over a space that had been vacant for five years at the mall, which previously housed a JCPenney department store. RETAIL GROWTH FACING TARIFF COSTS The San Francisco Bay Area is also expected to see as many as seven large Asian chain grocery stores open for business this year. According to industry reports, ethnic grocery stores and supermarkets in the US generated around US$55 billion in revenue last year. Despite this, they face rising costs amid looming US trade tariffs. The administration of US President Donald Trump has proposed a 25 per cent levy on South Korean and Japanese goods on Aug 1. Other nations like China, which have a trade surplus with the US, would also be affected. On Monday (July 7), the Trump administration issued fresh tariff notices, escalating tensions. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Tuesday that some progress had been made in staving off Trump's suggestion of tariffs as high as 35 per cent. Meanwhile, South Korea's industry ministry said that it plans to intensify trade talks with the US and considered Trump's latest plan as effectively extending a grace period on implementing reciprocal tariffs. Tariff negotiations are still ongoing between the US and other Asian countries. CONSUMERS AND SMALL BUSINESSES HIT HARD University of California at Davis economics professor Christopher Meissner warned that the proposed tariffs will disproportionately hurt small businesses and consumers. "All of those countries are facing higher tariffs under current proposals. And those products will definitely be priced much higher in the near future due to those tariffs. I don't see any other way around it,' he added. At Jagalchi, efforts are already underway to mitigate potential cost increases, including developing in-house products. Still, much remains uncertain. "Obviously in the future there's a lot of uncertainty that may come up. But we will find those solutions as they come,' said Lapuz. Consumers, too, are also bracing for the impact, said Russell Jeung, professor of Asian American studies at San Francisco State University. 'The community has been stocking up (on) Asian goods … buying rice and soy sauce and things like that,' he said.
CBS News
27-06-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Bay Area sees Asian grocery market boom as big-box stores close
The Bay Area is in the midst of an Asian grocery market boom as big-box stores close. Tony Yoo has opened highly acclaimed restaurants in Korea, earning a Michelin star along the way. "I'm making Korean barbecue dishes. These are two different kinds," Yoo said. He's now the executive chef at Pogu, a restaurant inside the mega food complex called Jagalchi, at the Serramonte Center in Daly City. The massive grocery, bakery, bar, food court, and restaurant fills what was once an empty 75,000 square foot space, long ago occupied by JCPenney. "Three months in now, we're in a more stabilized, steady phase. We're seeing consistent month-over-month growth," said Jagalchi marketing manager Ashley Jung. Camilla Rahman had been wanting to try it since it opened earlier this year. "This is just a really nice use of this space. I think that as retail has changed and the Bay Area's population has changed as well, this is a good use," Rahman said. At least seven large Asian chain groceries, including Tokyo Central in Emeryville and Mega Mart in the South and East Bay, are slated to open this year. San Francisco State Asian American Studies professor Russell Jeung said the market boom in Asian grocery stores is a reflection of shifting consumer demands and a demographic uptick in the region. Census numbers show Asians in the Bay increased from one in four in 2010 to one in three by 2020. "The increase in immigration from China and especially India and those coming especially for the high-tech industry, makes up a large segment of that population growth," Jeung said. Jeung said that growth, employment in biotech, AI, and other high-earning sectors of the economy are partly fueling the demand and replacing what were once smaller mom-and-pop Asian groceries. "That Asian American community has high enough incomes where they want more high-end Asian groceries. So they're not mom and pop grocery stores coming in, but they're actually corporate," Jeung said. It's a new environment for Yoo, working in a state-of-the-art kitchen, in the middle of a mall, to introduce his modern take on Korean cuisine. "Welcome to authentic Korean flavors, welcome to Pogu," Yoo said. It's his new home in a vastly changing retail space in the Bay. Jagalchi in Daly City is the first location in the U.S. Company officials say there are plans to expand to other cities. The new T&T grocery will open in San Francisco at City Center on Geary and Masonic. Its San Jose store is scheduled to open at Westgate Center this fall.
San Francisco Chronicle
01-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
H Mart and Jagalchi have their charms, but I'd rather eat at this Bay Area Korean market
The Bay Area caught Jagalchi fever. When the 75,000-square foot Korean grocery store/bakery/restaurant/food hall opened in March, lines stretched around the building. There were security guards managing traffic flow. There were camping chairs. And, once inside, there were not enough mandu and sulpang to meet demand. Less than two miles north, a very different scene could be found at another Korean market, also conveniently located off 280. Ajummas browsed the produce section at a leisurely pace, carefully inspecting each piece of fruit before making their selection, while families gathered around galbi platters and bubbling stews at the on-site restaurant. The only line I waited in was at the checkout counter. There was one person ahead of me. Long before Jagalchi and H Mart came to the Bay Area, there was Kukje Supermarket. Haesoo Park opened the original Kukje, little more than a corner store, on Noriega Street in San Francisco in 1990. Twelve years later, he pounced on the opportunity to take over a Safeway in Daly City. He would be able to expand, serve customers on the Peninsula tired of the trek to Korean markets in San Jose and even open a dine-in restaurant. Despite Jagalchi's array of kiosks serving everything from technicolor fruity drinks to rose tteokbokki in a bread bowl, I'll choose Kukje nine times out of 10 if I'm looking for a meal. Jagalchi is photogenic and fun, with light flooding through skylights and cases that display not only containers of grab-and-go tuna sushi, but also the head of said tuna, awaiting its final undignified photo op. Kukje has none of that. The floors of the grocery store are tiled with a patchwork of linoleum, and instead of skylights, the restaurant has overhead recessed lighting and TV screens. But where Jagalchi cannot compete is in the category of soul food — warming soups and stews like cloudy, fortifying seolleongtang ($19.95) and spicy, beefy yukgaejang ($24.95). Annie Kim, Kukje's social media manager and Park's niece, says both are favorites of the old timers who do their shops in the morning. But first, they'll sit down and sup. The earthenware bowls of soup are popular with solo shoppers, but the families that crowd into the restaurant on Sundays after church go large format, and if you're bringing a crew to Daly City, you should follow their lead. While there are more spectacular galbijjims in the Bay Area (see: Daeho), it's hard to argue with a heaping mound of fork-tender short ribs and veggies, smothered in melty cheese and bejeweled with jujubes ($84 for a full portion, $52 for half). For a dish that's more economical, opt for the jokbal ($39). As the family-sized portion of pork trotters approaches your table, it will sound like the sizzling platter is giving you a raucous round of applause for ordering so wisely. The accompanying sauce is tangy sweet, the gelatinous outer layer of meat melt-in-your-mouth. For me, the highlight of every meal at Kukje is the sundubu-jjigae ($19.95), a stew loaded with soft, silky tofu. There are 10 different kinds, ranging from a vegetarian option with zucchini and mushrooms to one with ramyun for noodle soup lovers to, my favorite, a briny seafood stew with tiny shrimps. All arrive bubbling hot with banchan and a raw egg on the side. Crack it directly into the earthenware bowl and watch the white turn cloudy before your eyes. There is one time of day that the lines at Kukje rival those at Jagalchi during opening weekend. At 7 p.m., grocery employees pull out rolls of neon orange stickers and mark down most of the sushi and deli foods by 50%. Everything must go — kimchi fried rice, tofu kimbap, links of blood sausage, crispy chicken wings. Naively, I arrived one evening at 7:15 to take advantage of the deals. The deli section was a wasteland, the sushi counter completely empty. Shoppers in the know arrive around 6:45 or even 6:30 and make their selections before they complete their grocery shop. At the stroke of 7:00, Kukje employees make their way through the checkout line, applying the orange stickers to discounted goods. Fifty-percent-off deals aside, grocery prices at Kukje Supermarket are, in general, higher than at Jagalchi, which deals in bigger volumes. A just-add-water bowl of Buldak ramen is $2 at Jagalchi, $3.49 at Kukje. Napa cabbage is $1 per pound at Jagalchi as opposed to $1.29 at Kukje. It feels like the difference between shopping at a big box store — albeit a very glamorous big box store — and making a quick trip to the local mom-and-pop grocery. Kim, the social media manager at Kukje, agrees that H Mart and Jagalchi are exciting to visit, but she paints Kukje as a pillar of the local Korean community. 'The regulars can vouch that we care about each customer,' she told me, recalling her time working at the family grocery store with a mix of pride and slight exasperation. 'We listen to every complaint. 'I'm sorry, grandma, that the peaches didn't live up to your expectations.'' In the weeks since its opening, the craze over Jagalchi has subsided somewhat. There were no lines on a recent weekday visit, and the pristine display cases were adequately, if not fully, stocked. I sipped on a black sesame latte while I shopped for fancy Jeju citrus jam and Dubai chocolate. It was exceedingly pleasant. But if you're hungry for more than an Instagrammable shopping experience? It's Kukje all the way. Noise level: Quiet to moderate Meal for two, without drinks: $40-$60 What to order: Soft tofu soups ($19.95), jokbal ($39) Drinks: Beer, soju and soft drinks Best practices: The soft tofu soups, or sundubu-jjigae, are the stars of Kukje's on-site restaurant. If you want to take advantage of the half-price deli items and sushi, make sure to arrive before 7 p.m.
Axios
10-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
What to buy at Jagalchi, the Bay Area's Korean mega food complex
Jagalchi has become an instant sensation and premier one-stop destination for authentic Korean cuisine and products. Catch up quick: The highly-anticipated 75,000-square-foot Korean food complex opened on March 28 with lines out the door at Daly City's Serramonte Center. The intrigue: The massive store, which is owned by the international chain Mega Mart, has a fine-dining restaurant called POGU, butcher counter, bakery, seafood market with an oyster bar, made-to-order cafeteria section, extensive pantry and drink aisles, Korean skincare staples, and specialty produce. It's filled with everything from freshly-made banchan, spicy ramyeon and marinated beef bulgogi to K-beauty sunscreens, varieties of dried fish and all the kimchi your heart could possibly desire. Fun fact: The store was named after a famous fish market in Busan. Here's what to try: 🍶 Alcohol: The store offers many Korean spirits that are hard to come by in the U.S., including Seoul Night plum soju and Red Monkey makgeolli, a rice wine and unique takes on beer, including a kimchi-sour brewed ale. 🧁 Bakery: Try the injeolmi rice cakes, or the cream-filled sulpang, a spongey gluten-free dessert that comes in different flavors, including strawberry and chocolate. 🌶️ Fermented foods: Try the house-made cucumber sobagi, jeotgal (fermented fish), or kimchi options. Or opt for one of many artisanal jangs — fermented soybean sauces — which are considered the building blocks of Korean cuisine. You may already know of one: Gochujang, known as red chili paste. Others include doenjang (soybean paste) and ssamjang, a combination of the two. 🥫Pantry staples: Endless options of instant ramen, rice varieties, spices, snacks, dried seaweed and specialty soft drinks line the store. 🍐 Produce: Fresh fruit abounds, with Korean pears and juicy jeju tangerines stealing the spotlight. 🦐 Seafood: Many types of fresh fish and shellfish, are reasonably priced, with striped bass ($8 a pound), red tilapia ($5 a pound), and golden pompano ($4 a pound) being among the most affordable. 🥩 Butcher: Choose from the wide selection of meats, which includes regional bulgogi varieties, specialty cuts, Japanese and American wagyu ribeyes. 🍲 Prepared foods: Packaged foods include freshly-prepared seafood pancakes called jeon, handmade mandu (dumplings), soy sauce marinated crab and tteokbokki, glutinous rice cakes bathed in a creamy and spicy sauce. 🧴 K-Beauty: Find everything from masks, sunscreens and moisturizers to cleansers, serums and more from brands like Round Lab, Anua, Beauty of Joseon, CORSX and Madagascar Centella. 💭 Our thought bubble: As a K-beauty fanatic and person who wears sunscreen religiously, Nadia was impressed with the types of products she found. Her favorites include BRMUD 's 2-in-1 mud mask and foaming cleanser, Round Lab 's moisturizing sun stick and Beauty of Joseon 's viral sunscreen — and yes, it's the original formula that the brand no longer sells to U.S. customers. Shawna is impressed with the wide variety of hot foods offered at such affordable prices. The $8 seafood pancake was on par with some high-end Korean restaurants she's been to! Also: they've got Korean pears, y'all. Those can be seriously hard to find in the U.S.
