The Sentinel

H Mart grand opening in Urbana draws hundreds of shoppers

URBANA - A crowd of well over 400 shoppers were on hand for the grand opening of H Mart, the nation’s largest Asian supermarket chain, Thursday morning in downtown Urbana. Kick-off activities included a Lion Dance, giveaways, remarks from the mayor, and a ribbon cutting. The 32,000-square-foot store is located at 220 N. Broadway Ave. in downtown Urbana, across the street from the Black Dog Smoke & Ale House, which closed during the pandemic and has plans to resume operation in the future. Here is a look back at the first day of business for the first H Mart store operated outside of the Chicagoland area.

Chinese Lion dancing at H Mart grand opening

One of two lions performs for customers waiting to enther the store after the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the H Mart grand opening on Thursday morning.

Lion Dance performance

Lion dancing is believed to bring success and chase away evil spirits. In Chinese culture, the lion symbolizes power, wisdom, and superiority. Martial artists generally and trained dancers perform lion dances at festivals or special occasions to bring good fortune.

Inside H Mart

Moments before opening H Mart's neatly stocked shelves wait for the first day of customers. The store hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily and will remain open 365 days a year. The Urbana store is the sixth location in Illinois. There are more than 80 stores spread across the country started by a South Korean immigrant in 1982.

Stocked shelves in newly opened H Mart

Rows of freezers packaged with seafood, meats and other Asian specialty items were filled to the brim. The store also features the "Market Eatery" food court, offering various Asian cuisines in a sit-down dining environment. Shoppers will find a extensive selection of produce for homemade kimchi, tonkatsu, onigiri, spring rolls and more.

Korean folk dancers performing at Urbana H

A Korean dance group perform a traditional routine to bless the new location and celebrate the grand opening.

Henry Chung at work

H Mart employee Henry Chung tries to manage crowd control allowing a limited number of shoppers in at a time after the doors open on the first day of business.

People waiting to enter H Mart at Urbana's grand opening

Nearly 400 people wait patiently to enter the new store and purchase their favorite treats and goods to prepare Asian dishes at home.

Officially opening at 10 a.m., customers wait for their chance to enter the store.

The Korean dance group perform in the parking lot, entertaining customers waiting for their chance to enter the store and start their shopping experience.

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