The T&T Supermarket chain is preparing to open new stores on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.

Canada’s largest Asian grocer announced that it will open new locations in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby, B.C., and the Seattle suburb of Lynnwood, Wash.

The 55,000-square-foot Burnaby store will be T&T’s second location in Vancouver’s closest neighbouring city. Slated to open in 2025, the store will be situated in Onni Group’s new Gilmore Place.

The mixed-use development project is situated at #111-4412 Lougheed Highway in the Brentwood area, which has become a high-density and transit-oriented development haven.

Located around a SkyTrain station, Gilmore Place is slated to feature a diverse assortment of retail concepts, restaurants, and B.C.’s tallest multi-residential tower project, which will stand 64 storeys but lose its ranking quickly to other skyscrapers under development in Brentwood.

T&T’s existing Burnaby store is a large staple of the Metropolis at Metrotown mall. Tina Lee, CEO of T&T, suggested that the new store will help alleviate large crowds of shoppers on weekends at the Metrotown outlet.

“This additional store will allow us to better serve such a rapidly growing urban hub,” she said in a news release. 

Meanwhile, T&T’s future Lynwood store will be the company’s second location in suburban Seattle. The project is situated in the Lynnwood Crossroads shopping centre near Highway 99.

T&T’s launch of its flagship store project in Bellevue, Wash., marked the Richmond, B.C.-based chain’s expansion into the U.S.

“Although we originally planned on only committing to a second location after Bellevue opens, we just couldn’t resist this opportunity,” said Lee in a separate news release. “It’s a great location in a former grocery box – at 30,000 square feet, it’s a fitting size for Lynnwood.”

The Bellevue store’s completion has been delayed as T&T awaits delivery of a component necessary to power the supermarket.

“Unfortunately, our electrical panel – a critical piece of equipment – is on backorder,” said Lee. “We do not have an official opening date for Bellevue yet, but we are determined to open later in the year.”

Image: Rendering of T&T future supermarket at Gilmore Place in Burnaby, B.C.

Rendering: CNW Group/T&T Supermarkets