Mitsuwa Marketplace to Enter Texas

Japanese supermarket chain Mitsuwa Marketplace will open the doors of its newest location, in Plano, Texas, on April 14, marking the company’s official entrance into the Lone Star State.

On its website, the Torrance, Calif.-based operator, which has nine stores – seven in California, as well as one each in the New York and Chicago metropolitan areas – says it will open the doors of the new store on April 14, following an April 11 preopening celebration. The store will cover 25,775 square feet.

Along with its grocery store, the location will house several eateries in its food hall section, a feature which Mitsuwa supermarkets are known for, including ramen shop Ramen Santouka, tempura maker Kaneko Hannosuke, and rice bowl restaurant Densetsu No Sutadonya. Other shops that Mitsuwa says will be included are Pullman Bakery, ice cream shop Matcha Love, Lupicia Fresh Tea, confectionery store J. Sweets, as well as Japanese literature and stationery store Books Kinokuniya.

While it’s not known whether the Plano groundbreaking will become home to other kinds of stores, Mitsuwa’s other locations are known for also having liquor stores, video-rental outlets, cosmetic boutiques, and insurance offices.

According to The Dallas Morning News, Mitsuwa chose Collin County for its Texas entry because of its growing Asian population. In 2015, about 13 percent of the county’s population was Asian, more than twice the national level of 5.4 percent.

Following the Plano store’s opening, Mitsuwa soon plans to open its 11th location, in Honolulu. According to the grocer's website, the Honolulu supermarket will be smaller than the one in Plano – roughly 10,000 square feet – and will open its doors sometime in the summer.