Top International Grocer H Mart Moves Ahead with Restaurant Concepts

by Food Trade News Team

Privately held H Mart has grown to become the largest international grocery chain operating in the United States. The chain currently boasts more than 100 stores and five warehouses across 18 states. Estimates put the company’s annual revenue at up to $2 billion per year, making it one of the clearest beneficiaries of America’s growing $37-billion appetite for Asian food and beverage. 

Asian grocery and foodservice in general is growing at more than 5% per year, far outpacing total grocery growth. There are several drivers for this: a rapidly expanding Asian-American population, broader mainstream adoption of Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, and pan-Asian cuisines, and rising demand for premium, globally inspired formats.

That backdrop is now shaping Lyndhurst-based H Mart’s next growth phase. BK Franchise, a Carlstadt subsidiary of H-Mart, has officially launched a national expansion of its flagship restaurant concepts: global specialty coffee brand Ten Thousand and premium bakery-café L’AMI Bakery & Café.

H Mart Adds To Its Appeal

Founded in Sydney, Australia, Ten Thousand has locations there, as well as in Taiwan and Vietnam. The company secured 20 new franchise agreements in 2025 and has declared 2026 will be a “year of expansion,” with openings slated to roll on through this year in New Jersey, California, Texas, and Illinois, promising customers ““Manhattan-level coffee and dessert” in their neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, L’AMI Bakery & Café is positioning itself at the intersection of traditional Korean baking and modern global café culture. Following the successful launch of its stand-alone location at the Great Neck H Mart Mall in New York, the brand is preparing to open a new location inside the Fort Lee, N.J., H Mart in the first half of this year. 

“2026 will be a pivotal year for Ten Thousand and L’AMI Bakery & Café as they establish themselves as core brands in major U.S. commercial districts,” a BK Franchise official told Asian Business Journal. “Beyond expanding our footprint, we’re focused on creating a stable, profitable partnership model where franchisees can scale alongside us.”

The L’AMI Bakery & Café concept is currently focused on building brand awareness through flagship and strategic placements, with plans to roll out a flexible franchise model that supports both in-store and stand-alone formats.

BK Franchise officials are bullish. They’re actively recruiting new partners and tailoring their approach to the operation and real-estate requirements of both concepts.