Urbana Officially Welcomes H Mart to Downtown

The City of Urbana is happy to announce that the popular Korean grocery store chain, H Mart, has a targeted opening set for the end of 2023 at the Urbana’s former Save A Lot location at 220 N. Broadway Avenue in the heart of Downtown.

Urbana Mayor Diane Wolfe Marlin said that the City welcomes the premier Asian food grocery to the area.

“As the first Illinois location outside the Chicago area, we look forward to enjoying the wide array of Asian and Western groceries as well as the innovative services offered by H Mart,” Marlin said, noting the significance of the downstate location.

Urbana’s Senior Advisor for Integrated Strategy Development, Andrea Ruedi said she welcomes the opportunity that H Mart presents for Urbana as it’s going to be a destination for not only residents, but visitors, and will also entice newcomers to the Downtown area.

Ruedi said that the large Asian student population at the University of Illinois and a good existing structure that fit H Mart’s design layout made Downtown Urbana a good fit for the grocery chain.

H Mart’s Yeong Lee, Midwest Facility Manager for H Mart sent a statement to Ruedi, which said, “H Mart, which is currently running five stores including one warehouse in Illinois, has completed its closing process of a building of about 35,000 square feet at 220 N. Broadway Avenue in Urbana."

“H Mart is the largest and fastest growing Asian grocery chain and is the pioneer of Asian food in America. Starting in 1982 in Woodside, Queens, NY, H Mart has grown to include more than 100 stores across in the United States. It offers a full line of Asian foods including Western groceries, meat, seafood, produce, housewares, and ready-to-cook items. In the Urbana location, H Mart also will offer a food hall which includes one bakery and 3 to 4 restaurants and targets to open the store by the end of 2023," the statement said.

For more information on H Mart, go here: www.hmart.com/ourstory.