A California-based Asian grocery store chain is expanding its presence in the Portland area with a new location near Mall 205.

99 Ranch Market, which opened a Beaverton location in 2017, is set to open a 40,000-square foot grocery store at 10544 S.E. Washington St., according to a leasing brochure for the property and city permitting documents.

The supermarket chain is known for its wide selection of fresh produce, meats, seafood and specialty items imported from Asia and other regions.

The opening date for the store, which developers called “a new prototype” for the chain, was not disclosed in the documents. Neither the grocer nor the developer responded to questions about the project.

The new 99 Ranch store, along with the small shops that will share its frontage space, will bring new life to the empty storefronts left by the closure of OfficeMax and Big Lots.

Red Mountain Group, the real estate company managing and developing Plaza 205, bought the former Big Lots storefront in 2023.

On its website, the real estate firm bills itself as a “vertically integrated company” that turns “broken strip malls and blighted retail buildings into thriving local shopping centers.”

Red Mountain Group’s plan to establish a large Asian supermarket in the area means more competition among Asian grocers within the area, which already boasts Fubonn Shopping Center, the two Hong Phat Food Centers and other smaller stores.

The first 99 Ranch opened in 1984 in Southern California after its founder “noticed a cultural gap in the typical American supermarket” and its surrounding communities with large Asian populations, according to the company’s website.

The company has since expanded beyond its California roots to expand its footprint across the U.S.. Today, 99 Ranch has nearly 60 stores across 11 states, with more in the cards, the company said on its website.

The company has also taken steps to differentiate itself from competitors, offering online shopping nd curated same-day grocery deliveries in some markets, as well as launching its “Eat Up” brand of food courts at new stores.

-- Kristine de Leon covers the retail industry, small business and data enterprise stories. Reach her at kdeleon@oregonian.com.

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