Southeast Portland has a new culinary landmark with the grand opening of Hong Phat Food Center, a sprawling supermarket that promises to be more than just a grocery store. Located in the Eastport Plaza shopping center on Southeast 82nd Avenue, at the site of a former Walmart, Hong Phat Food Center opened its doors on Friday, marking a significant addition to Portland’s diverse food scene and filling a void left by the previous tenant.
The grand opening was celebrated with a traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony, accompanied by live music and a captivating dance performance, signaling Hong Phat’s intention to become a vibrant community hub. This ambitious project, spearheaded by Hoang Nguyen, envisions the Supercenter as a place where the local community can converge, not just for grocery shopping, but to socialize and access a variety of services.
“Our vision is to create a place where people in the local community can come together and hang out as well,” Nguyen explained. “It’s a big space, and our thinking was that we could bring other small businesses in here and people can get their groceries, eat out and get a haircut all in one stop.” This innovative approach reflects a growing trend in Portland, where Asian food emporiums are revitalizing retail spaces previously occupied by larger chains, catering to the region’s evolving demographics and increasingly adventurous palates.
Experts in the retail and food industry note this expansion is driven by several factors. Tom Gilpatrick, a marketing professor at Portland State University, points out, “I think more people in general are interested in trying different types of foods.” Amanda Lai, food industry director at McMillanDoolittle, a retail consulting firm, adds that pop culture and social media play a role, exposing consumers to global cuisines and ingredients, creating demand for specialized grocery stores like Hong Phat Food Center. “Even if Portland itself isn’t historically the most diverse, it certainly picks up on food trends,” Lai stated. “So there is a growing interest, and our country is getting more diverse as a whole.”
A World of Groceries Under One Roof at Hong Phat Supercenter
Hong Phat Food Center lives up to its “Supercenter” designation by offering an extensive and colorful array of Asian foods, alongside a substantial selection of American, Latino, Eastern European, and Middle Eastern groceries. This international approach ensures that shoppers from diverse backgrounds can find familiar favorites and explore new culinary horizons. Beyond the retail section, the store features a food court, promising a variety of dining options, and a wholesale section tailored to supply local restaurants and smaller grocers with bulk purchases.
Brandon Wang, founder and CEO of the Portland-based Hong Phat chain, emphasizes the unique concept of the new store: “We’ve got everything, and the store is kind of a new concept with both retail and wholesale, as well as a bit of cash and carry.” He describes Hong Phat Food Center as a hybrid model, serving both individual households seeking Asian and international groceries and businesses needing wholesale and restaurant supplies. Customers can purchase items in varying quantities, from single packets of Korean instant noodles like Shin Ramyun to large boxes of meat, catering to a wide range of needs.
More Than Just Groceries: A Community Destination
Expanding beyond the traditional supermarket model, Hong Phat Food Center aims to be a comprehensive destination. In addition to groceries and wholesale food service, the Supercenter will house clothing and jewelry vendors, an Asia travel and services agency, and a beauty salon, all located in adjoining suites within the building. Wang detailed that the grocery store itself occupies approximately 125,000 square feet of the 154,000-square foot property. Two restaurants, described as “well-known brands,” are slated to open within the center in the coming months, occupying around 20,000 square feet. The remaining space is leased to other diverse businesses, further solidifying Hong Phat as a multi-faceted community hub.
The opening of Hong Phat Food Center has also brought significant job creation to the area. Nguyen mentioned that the Supercenter currently employs over 200 workers, with plans to add another hundred jobs once the two restaurants are operational. The goal is to eventually match or surpass the 379 jobs previously provided by Walmart at this location, demonstrating Hong Phat’s commitment to revitalizing the local economy.
Nguyen, who also operates a medical clinic nearby, expressed a sense of responsibility to the community. He noted the departure of major retailers from the Southeast 82nd Avenue area over the years and the resulting impact on local businesses. “After Walmart left, we felt obligated to do something to help this community,” Nguyen stated. “When you see 300 plus jobs gone and a store go away, that’s a big deal…We know it is risky to do something like this. But we thought it’d be worth the effort.”
Rooted in Community: The Hồng Phát Story
The story of Hong Phat is deeply intertwined with the Portland community. CEO and founder Brandon Wang, an immigrant from Vietnam who arrived in Portland in 1980, witnessed the growing demand for Asian grocers in the area. Despite his background in electrical engineering, Wang ventured into the grocery business after his engineering firm closed in 2002. Driven by the need to support his family, he opened the first Hong Phat in the Parkrose neighborhood. The name itself, Hồng Phát, is meaningful, combining Wang’s Vietnamese last name “Hồng” with “Phát,” which translates to “prosperity.”
Nguyen highlights the community-centric approach from the beginning, “He took that leap of faith and started a grocery business, when he didn’t know much about it. But there was a need, he was in the community and well-connected, and he wanted to serve the community. Basically, that’s the thinking.” In 2013, Wang and Nguyen partnered to open a second Hong Phat location on Southeast 82nd Avenue, followed by a third store in Tigard last summer. Their growth is attributed to strong community ties and an understanding of the unique needs of their customer base, offering products not typically found in mainstream American supermarkets.
“Fred Meyer and Safeway might have 95% of everything, but there might be the 5% that they may never have,” Nguyen explained, citing Hong Phat’s extensive selection of rice varieties and noodles as examples. This specialization and dedication to catering to diverse culinary preferences sets Hong Phat Food Center apart in the Portland grocery landscape. Wang and Nguyen have intentionally created a welcoming space for various cultures, reflecting the evolving demographics of Southeast 82nd Avenue and Portland as a whole. “We continue to cater to the Asian communities, which is what got us started 20 years ago, but now we’ve expanded our customers in the community to include everybody,” Wang said. “I think it’s a more diversified selection.”
Riding the Wave of Ethnic Grocery Market Growth
Retail analyst Amanda Lai emphasizes that independent grocers like Hong Phat differentiate themselves through diverse offerings. “They can’t necessarily compete on price because they don’t have the economies of scale to offer the same prices as a Walmart or Costco could offer,” Lai stated. “But there’s still space for ethnic grocery stores to exist side by side with more conventional traditional American grocery stores… because they fill a different need.”
The opening of Hong Phat Food Center aligns with significant market trends. From 2010 to 2020, Oregon’s Asian population grew by nearly 38%, with Multnomah County experiencing a 23% increase. This demographic shift fuels the demand for ethnic supermarkets. Portland already hosts several Asian markets, including Fubonn Shopping Center, Shun Fat Supermarket, and H Mart, with further expansion on the horizon, such as the upcoming 99 Ranch Market.
Market research indicates substantial growth in the ethnic supermarket sector. IBISWorld reports that U.S. ethnic supermarkets’ revenue has reached $57.6 billion in the past five years. Circana data analytics firm notes that sales of items in Asian or ethnic aisles grew nearly four times faster than overall grocery sales in the past year. Nguyen concludes, “the Asian population is one of the fastest growing groups in Oregon, and so the demand for foods that taste like home is tremendous. But yet their needs are not being met.”
Hong Phat Food Center, with its vast selection, community-focused vision, and strategic location, is poised to meet these needs and become a cornerstone of Portland’s vibrant and diverse food culture. The Supercenter is now open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., inviting everyone to explore its international aisles and experience a new kind of grocery shopping.
