99 Ranch Market to close two California locations

99 Ranch Market, one of the country’s largest Asian supermarket chains, will close two of its California stores before the end of the year, putting employees out of work.Tawa Supermarket Inc., the Buena Park-headquartered parent company of 99 Ranch Market, filed two Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notices on Monday.99 Ranch Market will permanently close its Chino store at 4024 Grand Ave. on Nov. 15, laying off 49 employees. It will also close its Pleasanton store at 4299 Rosewood Drive on Dec. 5, affecting 54 employees.“This decision will optimize our store network and allocate resources more effectively to better serve our customers,” the company said in an email. “With other 99 Ranch Market locations in the Tri-Valley and Chino/Chino Hills areas already, we remain committed to providing the community with convenient access to the quality products, diverse Pan-Asian food selections, and service our customers have come to expect,” the company said.Taiwanese immigrant Roger Chen founded 99 Ranch Market in 1984 after noticing a gap in the American supermarket sector. Chen opened the first store in Westminster. The chain now operates more than 60 stores across 11 states. Most of its branches are in California.The closures come as competition among Asian grocers in California heats up, especially in the Bay Area.Korean American chain H Mart has been expanding in California, with a new location in the East Bay and plans for a 100,000-square-foot, two-level store in Fremont with a food hall and bar. Jagalchi, a Korean market in Daly City, opened last year with a 75,000-square-foot supermarket with fresh seafood, a bakery, a K-beauty section and sit-down dining.T&T Supermarket, a Canadian chain, opened a 55,000-square-foot store in San José in June and plans stores in San Francisco and Millbrae.Other California grocery chains have also had to make major changes to their store footprints. Grocery Outlet announced in March that it was closing 36 underperforming stores, including six in Southern California.99 Ranch Market’s most recent opening was in January, when it unveiled its second Las Vegas store in the Summerlin neighborhood.In June, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Tawa Supermarket Inc., alleging the company “violated federal law when it fired and otherwise discriminated against non-Chinese workers based on their national origin.” No ruling or settlement has been reached on the matter. Tawa Supermarket has said the claims are without merit and will fight them. More to Read